As part of a special announcement at this year's Ireland Music Week launch, Dermot Kennedy has unveiled plans for a brand new global music festival, MISNEACH – curated by the Irish star himself – which is heading to Sydney and Boston in March 2025.

The new annual festival – taking place in Sydney on March 16, and Boston on March 18-19 – is described as a 'celebration of Ireland's rich musical heritage', which aims to place 'a renewed focus on contemporary and traditional Irish music'.

Sydney and Boston were selected in recognition of their deep ties to the Irish diaspora, with the twin festivals set to coincide with the cities' own St Patrick's Day celebrations.

Dermot Kennedy with members of Cliffords and FYNCH

As part of this first edition of MISNEACH, Dermot will play headline shows in both cities, while local, up-and-coming acts will also be platformed. In addition, the Dublin singer-songwriter has hand-picked three acts from this year's Irish Music Week line-up to play at the festivals: Cliffords, FYNCH and BIG LOVE. The Irish talent will be supported by Culture Ireland, in partnership with Ireland Music Week.

Over the course of a remarkable career, Dermot Kennedy has garnered billions of streams – while his 2019 LP, Without Fear, was crowned the best-selling debut album in Ireland of this millennium. He released his follow-up album, Sonder, last November.

You can find more information about MISNEACH here.

Ireland Music Week is currently underway in Dublin – with showcase gigs taking place across The Workman's Club, The Grand Social, and the Button Factory (see the line-up and stage times here, and find tickets here). Lost Lane and the Button Factory's Crowbar Terrace is also hosting talks and panels as part of the conference (see schedule here).

Dermot Kennedy with BIG LOVE