City Becomes a Stage - Cork Midsummer Festival

The Midsummer Festival is a staple in most Corkonians’ summer plans, and with ample events across the programme priced at €15 or less, it isn’t difficult to see why.

Tickets are flying out the door according to the organisers, and they also added that this year’s crop of talent has led to one of their busiest box offices in years.

Running from June 13 to June 22, Cork city is turned into a stage for a celebration of live arts events that will appeal to each member of the family.

Director of the Cork Midsummer Festival Lorraine Maye said the event is “unique” in so far as it partners with various cultural organisations across the city.

“We work with all the city’s cultural organisations, and we work with them to co-present a lot of the work, and a lot of things would not be possible without them.

“We work with a lot of businesses in the city and they become patrons or friends.

“They support us in so many different ways and we literally couldn’t do this without them,” Ms Maye said.

Whether your Midsummer Festival includes a 4am visit to Cork Opera House, a visit to the dazzling display of the Sun at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral or an intimate experience of a musical ensemble at Triskel Arts Centre, there is something for everyone.

The opening event will allow spectators to experience the Sun like never before at St Finn Barre’s Cathedral.

Helios is an invitation to explore the Sun up close through a huge, dazzling new artwork by world-renowned UK artist Luke Jerram.

“The opening event is Helios, a six-metre giant installation of the Sun that’s going to be in St Fin Barres for people to see from the 9th of June right until the end of the festival.

“It is a great one for all the family to see and we are thrilled to bring it to Cork. We are co-commissioners of that,” Ms Maye said.

Helios can be viewed from June 9.

Another major event on the Midsummer Festival calendar is The Second Woman, which is a 24-hour performance and features Eileen Walsh act out the same scene for the duration of the show.

“The extraordinary Eileen Walsh will be the heart of the show and will be on stage for 24 hours performing the same scene over and over again with 100 different participants – all of them men. “Some of them are actors but most of them are not and haven’t been on stage before.

“People can engage with this in a number of different ways like a 24-hour tickets that gives them priority to come and go throughout the 24 hours or they can get a time ticket.

“We really recommend that people see the performance at various times of the day and the night because it’s a completely different experience,” Ms Maye added.

Throughout the festival, various events showcasing extraordinary Cork talents will be on offer, including the iconic Theatre for One booth.

“We will be using the city as a stage, which is something the festival does every year.

“The iconic Theatre for One booth is custom-made for one audience members and one actor at a time, and this year’s theme is Made in Cork,” Ms Maye said.

All the writers and actors involved with the Theatre for One are Leesiders, with some of the directors are also Rebels, and Ms Maye said the Theatre for One is a “brilliant platform to showcase some extraordinary Cork talent.”

The closing night will be especially memorable as seven giraffes will make their way down St Patrick’s Street – well, kind of.

“For our closing event this year we are partnering with Cork City Council and the Open Streets Initiative for the biggest international spectacle that the city has seen for decades on St Patrick’s Street.

“This is a group called Compagnie OFF from France, and their event Les Girafes: An Animal Operetta, will have seven giant giraffes coming down Patrick’s Street on the final day of the festival,” Ms Maye concluded.

For more information on Cork Midsummer Festival and to buy tickets, see corkmidsummer.com.