The Green Button Festival will enable Londoners, as well as citizens in four other major cities around the world, to interact with the billboards and trigger sound and vision recordings of some of Ireland’s top talent performing at various locations around the island.
The festival will be brought to life in London, New York, Berlin, Milan and Sydney when passers-by use their smartphone to scan giant QR codes and press the green button to activate a performance.
Ireland is celebrating its legendary St Patrick’s Day festivities live and in-person for the first time in two years. But for those who can’t be in Ireland personally, the Green Button Festival is an invitation to celebrate Irish heritage, Irish tradition and Ireland’s national day in a new and unique way.
In addition to the big city billboards, the performances can be viewed by anyone anywhere via Ireland.com, so wherever you are around the globe on 17 March an Irish music festival can be on hand.
The event and the technology behind it will be the first music billboard festival to happen across cities and time zones controlled by individuals’ mobile phones.
Festival-goers will be treated to an array of Irish and Northern Irish musicians playing to people around the world.
Acts will include Hothouse Flowers performing at Temple Bar in Dublin, Clannad and Denise Chaila in County Donegal, Ailbhe Reddy at Dublin Castle and The Pale playing on top of the Tower Museum in Derry~Londonderry.
Ryan McMullan will be among several acts appearing from the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, which was named a UNESCO City of Music late last year. And also available on screen will be acts such as contemporary folk band Kila, DJ and vocalist Gemma Bradley, and Riverdance, performing at the Giant’s Causeway and Cliffs of Moher.
The Green Button Festival will run all day on 17 March at Eat Street in London’s Westfield, from 0600hrs to 2300hrs GMT.
In New York the billboard will run from 1100hrs to 1700hrs EST on Times Square, while the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin will host the festival between 0900hrs and 2200hrs CET on 16 and 17 March.
In Milan, the action can be experienced on Via Dante, Largo Cairolio between 0800hrs and 2000hrs CET on 17 March.
Martin Harte, Director of TradFest Temple Bar, who produced many of the recordings being shown during the Green Button Festival, said: “This outstanding music festival will connect passers-by in major cities with some of Ireland’s best-loved musicians. By scanning a QR code on their smartphone at London’s Westfield they will activate a festival stage that will sound out toe-tapping Irish sounds set to giant, full motion images.
“As Ireland is celebrating its St Patrick’s Day festivities live after a two-year hiatus we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to bring a glimpse of our amazing music and performance culture to those who can’t be with us in person, via the Green Button Festival.”
Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast, which also contributed to the festival recordings, said: “As a UNESCO City of Music, Belfast is very proud of its rich musical culture and creativity. We have so many incredible bands and artists, and so we are delighted to be able to bring some of them to the Green Button Festival stage. I can think of no better time than St Patrick’s Day to welcome back live music that can be shared in such a unique way with people around the world.”
Sure to be a surprise and a delight on Ireland’s national day, the Green Button Festival will shine a light on the Irish music scene’s established names and rising stars, revealing a whole new side to Ireland on St Patrick’s Day via a whole new digital experience.
The event will also be a celebration of Irish artists emerging from lockdown and making a welcome return to performing and gigging.
