All Kinds of Everything Festival to launch in Derry this Easter

Soak, The Wran, Irvine Welsh, Keely Lee Owens and Joshua Burnside are some of the names coming to Derry this Easter

placeholder image — Soak, The Wran, Irvine Welsh, Keely Lee Owens and Joshua Burnside are some of the names coming to Derry this Easter

Building on the legacy of Celtronic, the new Easter festival brings fresh energy to the city with four days of concerts, films, and studio collaborations

An exciting new chapter for music in Derry will unfold this Easter with the launch of All Kinds of Everything, a brand-new festival which will celebrate the best new and essential music across all genres emerging locally, nationally and internationally.

From April 2 - 5, events including concerts, film screenings, studio collaborations and discussions will take place at venues across Derry city centre including The Guildhall, The Nerve Centre, The Playhouse,Sandinos, The Guildhall Taphouse and Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin.

All Kinds of Everything aims to build a new platform for music and culture in the city following the long-running success of Celtronic, and to bring fresh energy to Derry’s nightlife.

Among the artists confirmed for the 2026 programme includes Belfast DJ, composer and producer David Holmes, Welsh electronic artist Kelly Lee Owens, Belfast trio CHALK, internationally respected selector Gerd Janson, and Derry’s own SOAK, alongside a wide range of established and emerging artists from Ireland and beyond.

Among the artists confirmed is David Holmes, the Belfast DJ, producer and film composer whose career spans club culture, cinema and television. With five solo albums and more than 30 film and television scores to his name, Holmes has worked with artists including Noel Gallagher, Primal Scream and Manic Street Preachers, while his screen work includes Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven trilogy and dramas such as The Fall and Kin.

Spearheaded by Ross Cullen and Benedict Goddard, CHALK have seen a rapid rise in recent years. Between sold-out UK and European headline tours and support slots with the likes of IDLES and Fontaines D.C., they have built a devoted following through intense live performances with their debut album Crystalpunk due to be released this month.

Also joining the line-up is Gerd Janson, one of electronic music’s most respected DJs and producers. A familiar name to Derry audiences, Janson has spent decades playing clubs and festivals across the world, known for sets that move between house, techno, disco and rare grooves. A resident at Frankfurt’s Robert Johnson and Berlin’s Panorama Bar, he previously featured on Celtronic line-ups that helped define the festival’s reputation for adventurous dance music.

Piaras O Lorcain

Welsh producer and DJ Kelly Lee Owens will bring her immersive electronic sound to the festival for a special DJ set. Blending techno, ambient and dream-pop influences, Owens has built an international reputation for emotionally rich dancefloor music, collaborating with artists including The Chemical Brothers and Bicep. Her recent album Dreamstate continues to expand the sonic territory she has carved out over the past decade.

Closer to home, SOAK will return to perform in the city where they first began writing and performing. One of Derry’s most celebrated musical exports, SOAK’s deeply personal songwriting and atmospheric sound have earned international recognition, including a Mercury Prize nomination, as well as winning the Choice Music Prize and NI Music Prize.

The wider line-up reflects the festival’s broad musical outlook, bringing together artists working across folk, hip-hop, rock, indie and experimental music.

Experimental folk songwriter Joshua Burnside will perform ahead of the release of his new record It’s Not Going to Be Okay. Dublin rapper Curtisy will make his Derry debut alongside Zimbabwean-Irish artist God Knows, whose work with Rusangano Family and his own solo material has helped shape the direction of Irish rap over the past decade.

Traditional and folk influences will also feature strongly across the programme. Waterford band The Wran arrive in Derry following a breakthrough year that included appearances at Glastonbury, Electric Picnic and All Together Now. Armagh sean-nós singer Piaras Ó Lorcáin will return to the city, while accordionist and composer Seamas Hyland will present work exploring the meeting point between traditional and experimental music.

Further Irish artists on the bill include singer-songwriters Sorcha Richardson and Niamh Regan. Derry trio PORTS will perform material from their recent album The Eyes of the Moon, while local band The Marra - praised by Noel Gallagher and championed by Paul Weller - continue to build a reputation as one of the most promising young acts to emerge from the city.

David Holmes

Also confirmed are Derry duo Tessio, experimental post-punk artist Autumns, and Americana-folk group DUG, whose debut album Have At It! was released last year on Claddagh Records.

The festival will also welcome acclaimed author Irvine Welsh for a special appearance as part of the programme of conversations and screenings. Welsh, whose debut novel Trainspotting became one of the defining books of the 1990s and later an iconic film adaptation by Danny Boyle, is the author of fourteen novels and remains one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British and Irish literature.

Chalk

Tickets are now on sale for the events, including an all-access festival pass which grants entry to every event across the four-day programme. Tickets available at www.allkindsfest.com or via Eventbrite.