The Howth Roots and Blues festival will take place this August 7th to 9th, with 40 free live performances across pubs and venues in Howth as well as several headline ticketed acts in the historic Abbey Tavern and Summit Inn. 

Established in 2019, the festival is now celebrated on the Irish and International music festival circuit, primarily featuring Irish roots and blues artists, along with an eclectic mix of blues rock, country, bluegrass and Americana. 

80s and 90s Irish rock band, Hothouse Flowers bring their acoustic show to headline the ticketed events at The Abbey Tavern along with Cork blues rock trio Crow Black Chicken; blues and soul legends The Rob Strong Band; and up-and-coming Americana talent Zoé Basha. 

For the second year running, two mini festivals will take place with a new venue at The Summit Inn. “The Guitar Legends Triple Bill” will feature performances by Mik Pyro with Dublin Blues Cartel, US guitarist Silas Caldwell and his band, and award-winning guitarist Paul Sherry with his band. The second ‘mini festival’ will feature the “Women in Blues Triple Bill” with performances from Niamh Strong, French rockstar Elise Frank and star of multiple Howth Roots and Blues appearances Mary Stokes and her band. 

Festival Director, Paul Byrne said: “We are delighted to confirm our amazing lineup of acts for this year's Howth Roots and Blues festival. The weekend has become a staple Irish and international music festival that offers a bit of everything in one of Ireland’s most scenic places. We are proudly supported by Guinness Zero and Fingal County Council, without which this festival wouldn’t be possible, and of course our extremely talented musicians. Legendary Irish rock band Hothouse Flowers and Cork blues trio Crow Black Chicken will be lighting up the iconic Abbey Tavern, while we again have our double triple bill of guitar legends on the Saturday evening and women in blues on Sunday. We look forward to showcasing many Irish and international music stars across the weekend.”

The Howth Roots and Blues festival organisers encourage festival goers to wander along the free gig pub trail and take in Howth’s iconic scenery. The full list of performances and locations are available at www.howthrootsandblues.com and headline act tickets are available at Universe.ie

Irish Rail will be extending DART services until 12.25am for the duration of the festival. Suttonians RFC, which is one stop away from Howth DART, will also be providing space for camper van parking for the festival. To book camper van parking contact Emer on +353 (87) 981 6320 or clubadministrator@suttoniansrfc.ie 

The full lineup of venues include:

• The Abbey Tavern 
• The Summit Inn
• The East Pier Stage at O’Connells
• The Smokin’ Stage at McNeills
• The Phil Lynott Stage at the Bloody Stream
• The Garden Stage at The Harbour Bar
• The Roots & Blues Barstool Stage at Wrights-Findlater