The Big Bang Festival of Rhythm is Ireland’s longest running intercultural festival (est. 1994).
5 weekends before the Big Bang Festival
Pre-Festival Workshops
African
Dance
Centre
Drumming & Dancing workshops
Drumming
Big Bang drumming workshops with Brian Fleming and Nicolas Severin.
Dance
Big Bang Dance classes with Catherine Young (Catherine Young Dance) and Godfred Asare (African Dance Centre), with live drumming
Dates: Jun 20
Drumming – 12 noon
Dance – 1.30pm
Dates: Jun 27, Jul 4, 11, 18
Drumming – 10.30
Dance – 12 noon
Thursday 23rd July to Sunday 26th July 2026
Barn Concert
The Gig in the Barn is an intimate outdoor concert at the unique Fahafest Barn near Miltown Malbay, featuring harpist Floriane Blancke, Quentin Cooper, Brian Fleming and special guests Gyan & Seema Singh.
Bring your jacket and wellies and enjoy an unforgettable evening of music in a magical rural setting.
Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.
Times: 7pm
Dates: Thurs 23rd July
‘Fahafest’ Fahanlanachatamore, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare
Slí na croí
Workshop
Take your West African drumming to the next level with master drummer Dartagnan Camara in this dynamic improvers and advanced workshop at the Slí Na Croí Space, Sligo.
Times: 5pm to 9pm
Dates: July 24th
Slí Roundhouse, Monasteraden, Co Sligo
Please contact Barra for bookings – [email protected]
Concert
Join us at the LexIcon Library, Dún Laoghaire, for an intimate evening of music featuring Floriane Blancke, Quentin Cooper, Brian Fleming, and special guests Gyan & Seema Singh. Blending world, folk and traditional influences, this unique concert showcases exceptional musicianship in one of Dublin’s most inspiring cultural spaces. Doors open at 6.30pm, with music from 7pm.
Times: 6.30pm
Dates: July 24th
Lexicon Library, Dún Laoghaire
Drumming Workshop
BANG! West African Drumming Workshop is an energetic, hands-on rhythm experience led by renowned percussionists Brian Fleming and Nicolas Severin, with special guest Dartagnan Camara. Drawing on the rich drumming traditions of West Africa. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced drummer, prepare for an uplifting session filled with rhythm, connection, and fun.
Free – Places Limited
Times: 10.30pm to 11.30am
Dates: Sat July 25th
Richmond Barracks, Inchicore Dublin 8
Dance Workshop
Join us for Big Bang Dance, a series of free African dance workshops led by acclaimed dancers Catherine Young and Godfred Asare. Accompanied by the exhilarating live rhythms of Dartagnan Camara, Brian Fleming, Marillia Magalhaes and Nicolas Severin, these fun and accessible sessions welcome all ages and abilities. Come move, connect and experience the joy, energy and community spirit of African dance.
Free – Places Limited
Times: 12.00pm to 1.15pm
Dates: Sat July 25th
Richmond Barracks, Inchicore Dublin 8
Concert
Experience a vibrant evening of global music at The Bernard Shaw with Dartagnan Camara (Guinea), Gyan Singh and Seema Bhardwaj Singh (India), alongside Slí Na Croí and Anitchie. From West African rhythms to Indian melodies and contemporary Irish influences, this unique concert celebrates culture, connection and the power of live music.
Tickets – 15 euro
Drumming Workshops at the National Concert Hall
Sunday 26th July 2026
Tickets On Sale Now
26th July 2026
Learn to play the West African djembe and dunduns of the Mandika people. In this workshop you will learn the basic sticking and hand techniques, how to respond to calls on the drum and how to bring up to 8 different patterns together to form an authentic traditional rhythm. Experience the excitement of over 30 drummers playing together in harmony.
26th July 2026
Learn to play the Afro-Brazilian Maracatu rhythms of Brazil with Ireland’s longest running samba band. You will learn to play a range of percussion instruments specific to this tradition and experience the excitement of putting them together in a 30 piece percussion ensemble. No previous experience required.
26th July 2026
Learn about the structures of classical Ragas, the basic Indian rhythmic patterns of Taalas and the complex rhythmic ornamentations, know as tihais. Renowned Indian tabla player Gyan Singh and singer Seema Bhardwaj Singh, in conversation with Brian Fleming, will guide you through the essentials of Indian music and rhythm. This workshop will include performance elements and audience participation for a deeper embodied understanding of the music.
26th July 2026
This is a rare opportunity to learn West African drumming direct from the primary source. Dartagnan is a world-renowned expert in his native Mandinka drumming tradition. Ideal for those with some experience already in djembe and dunduns or equivalent percussion experience.
Thanks to our friends at the National Concert Hall for being part of The Big Bang Festival 2026
26th July 2026
Suitable for beginners and improvers, this is a rare opportunity to learn from not only a great player, but a distinguished ethnomusicologist and composer whose own life story has been enmeshed in the evolution of the instrument. Mel’s Father Paedar was the original bodhran player with Ceoltóirí Chualann (later The Chieftains), who first brought the bodhran onto the stage in traditional Irish music in the 1960s. Mel continued in his father’s trailblazing role with the bodhran, most memorably in musical partnership with the late great musical pioneer Professor Micheál O Súilleabháin.
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