Thousands of ukulele lovers are set to descend on Dun Laoghaire next month for the annual Ukulele Hooley which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, August 20 and 21, in the harbour town.

Dreamed up by local ukulele devotees, it is a unique event on the Irish festival calendar as it is a not-for-profit, community event for which you cannot buy a ticket as attendance is completely free!

Based in Dun Laoghaire, the Hooley offers a host of music and events across the weekend with the highlight being theUkulele Hooley Open Air Concert in the People’s Park on Sunday which will feature acts from America, Italy, England, Scotland, Holland and Ireland.

On the bill will be Casey McGill, Francesco Albertazzi, Andy Eastwood, George Elmes, Holly Cooper, the Hat Trick String Band, James Clem, Gus & Fin Trio, The Mourning Glories and a host of others.

A local favourite is also back this year: the Ukulele Bus Busk which will see over 70 ukulele players hop onto an open-topped double decker bus and tour the Dun Laoghaire to Killiney coast, stopping off along the way to play and sing.

People can learn how to play a ukulele or fine-tune their skills at the Ukulele Workshops or take part in the Ukulele Hooley Open Mic event which takes place on the Dun Laoghaire seafront on Saturday night. There will also be trade stands in the People’s Park where enthusiasts can buy ukuleles.

“This is a very unique community, family-friendly event and its free”, explained organiser Tony Boland, “Ukulele lovers all over the world know about the Hooley and they come in their thousands to listen, learn and play.”