2FM are mounting one of their biggest ever outside broadcasts for this year’s Witnness Festival.

Working in association with their BBC Northern Ireland counterparts, the station are recording over 70 acts on four different stages – confirmation, if any was needed, of 2FM’s commitment to live music.

“At the centre of the operation is the only fully world class mobile recording studio on the island,” 2FM’s Ian Wilson tells Hot Press. “It cost over €1 million to put together and is the reason we can do this kind of thing.”

2FM have had a presence at Witnness every year since its inception, with Wilson picking out, “Ash, The Undertones and The Frames in 2001 as some of my personal favourites. I have a suspicion that Glen and the boys will be stealing the honours again this year, although there’ll be stiff competition from Coldplay and David Gray who’ve both given us the green light to broadcast their sets. In fact, the only big act who won’t allow themselves to go out on air, under any circumstances, are White Stripes. Saturday will be dancier with the likes of Underworld and Royksopp, and Sunday is the big rock ‘n’ roll day.”

The national music station’s Punchestown coverage starts at 3pm on Saturday July 12 with Damien Farrelly followed at 6pm by Mark McCabe, Mr Spring and John Power (pictured) – aka the 626 Crew – who’ll be focussing on the weekend’s big dance attractions.

Hangovers suitably nursed, it’s back again at 6pm on Sunday July 13 with Jon Kenny and new boy Cormac Battle taking care of business. Battle and Ruth Scott (pictured) will also be acting throughout the weekend as 2FM’s roving reporters, grabbing interviews with the stars and bringing you all the hottest backstage gossip.

“The way it’s going to work,” Ian Wilson resumes, “is we’ll start with short bits of sets in the afternoon, and go longer during the evening when the headline acts are playing. There’s going to be an extra special buzz this year with so many Irish acts like The Frames and Damien Rice high up on the bill.”

Completing 2FM’s Witnness coverage is Conor G who’ll be hosting the Live Later Show on both nights.

As well as keeping festival-goers company as they journey home, Conor will be bringing you some of the live sets that couldn’t be broadcast earlier in the day.

It’s a major operation involving 25 crew, €2 million of equipment and a whopping 18 hours of live music over the course of the weekend.

“All in all,” Ian Wilson deadpans, “it just goes to show that we’ve got bigger bollocks than any other radio station in Ireland!”

2fm Witnness programming

Saturday
3pm Damien Farrelly
6pm Mark McCabe,
Mr Spring & John Power

Sunday
6pm Jon Kenny & Cormac Battle

You can also tune in both nights to Live Later with Conor G which goes out from Witnness close to 2am