All Together Now: Christy Moore and Kneecap Show The Way in Style

Marking his first Irish festival appearance in 14 years, Christy Moore’s Saturday set at All Together Now 2026 was a historic cultural pilgrimage. Stepping onto the grounds of the Curraghmore Estate, the legendary folk icon drew one of the largest and most multi-generational crowds to the festival, turning the sprawling Waterford amphitheatre into a collective, beating heart of Irish song.

As the time ticked on to 3.30pm Saturday afternoon, anticipation hung thick in the air. Festival-goers of all ages – from seasoned folk purists who remember the early Planxty days to twenty-somethings experiencing him live for the first time – packed tightly into the arena, spilling out past the tent. When the Kildare man walked out, armed with little more than his acoustic guitar and his unmistakable presence, the roar of the crowd could be heard from Portlaw to the Comeragh Mountains. There were no flashy production gimmicks or backing screens; it was just Christy, his voice, and a deep, unspoken bond with the audience that has only grown stronger over five decades.

Striking a balance between fiery political commentary, tender storytelling, and timeless singalongs, Moore commanded the stage with unmatched authority. When he launched into crowd favorites like 'Ordinary Man', 'The Voyage', and 'Joxer Goes to Stuttgart', the field erupted into a massive, thousands-strong choir. Hearing decades of collective Irish memory sung back to him in unison was nothing short of spine-chilling. 

Drawing from his recent work alongside older staples, his delivery of material from A Terrible Beauty proved that his song-catching ear and fierce social conscience remain as sharp as ever. Tracks addressing displacement, injustice, and working-class struggles hit with visceral weight. Despite playing to a festival field fit for a heavy-hitting headliner, Christy retained the raw intimacy of a packed Dublin folk club. Between songs, his dry wit, humorous anecdotes, and gentle acknowledgments of the sheer scale of the gathering kept the crowd entirely in the palm of his hand.

In an era where festivals are often dominated by high-gloss electronic acts and modern pop spectacles, Christy Moore’s Saturday set at All Together Now was a potent reminder of the enduring power of a single voice and an acoustic guitar. It was a masterclass in folk tradition, an emotional anchoring point for the weekend, and a triumphant return to the Irish festival circuit that will be talked about for years to come.

Christy Moore at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com

As part of a powerhouse Saturday lineup, Dublin garage-punk firebrands SPRINTS delivered one of the most high-octane performances of the entire weekend. 

When frontwoman Karla Chubb and the band tore onto the stage, any lingering afternoon lethargy across the festival grounds vanished. SPRINTS operate with a relentless, white-hot intensity that translates exceptionally well to a large festival setting. Their sound – a razor-sharp collision of post-punk anxiety, driving garage-rock rhythms, and cathartic noise-pop hooks – hit the audience straight in the gut with a physical jolt.

Tracks from their acclaimed catalogue were delivered with an urgency that felt both vital and ferocious. Chubb’s command of the stage is magnetic; her vocals shifted seamlessly from spoken-word snarls to soaring, impassioned shrieks that reverberated inside the Something Kind of Wonderful Marquee. Guitar lines cut through the early evening air with precision, underpinned by a rhythm section that locked into a punishing, danceable groove.

The transition from brooding, atmospheric verses into explosive, distortion-drenched choruses created massive, swirling pockets of crowd-surfing and mosh pits. There is a distinct sense of homecoming pride when watching SPRINTS tear up a home-soil festival. The crowd response was deafening, proving just how rapidly the band's fanbase has expanded.

Never letting up for a breath, the set was tightly wound, moving from track to track with a relentless momentum – was that ’Something’s Gonna Happen’; that ’Shadow Of a Doubt’; that ‘Little Fix’? – which left little room to catch one's breath. This was exactly how a punk show should be! 

SPRINTS at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com

Back at the Something Kind of Wonderful Marquee later on Sturdy, Kae Tempest delivered a transcendent and emotionally-charged set , effortlessly blending fierce spoken-word poetry with pulsating, hypnotic rhythms. Their commanding stage presence and deeply human lyricism captivated the festival crowd, transforming the marquee into a space of profound communal connection. It was a masterclass in modern storytelling that left the audience spellbound from the very first verse to the last.

Kae Tempest at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com

The Mary Wallopers, meanwhile, brought their signature brand of chaotic, high-energy Irish folk to the festival, instantly turning the field into a massive, pint-swilling singalong. With sharp wit – you don’t write a song like ‘Cod Liver Oil & the Orange Juice’ of you’re serious and dull! – and relentless charm, the Dundalk outfit tore through rowdy traditional ballads that had the crowd bouncing from start to finish. It was a captivating, sweat-soaked festival set that proved that there’s a new wave of traditional music that's alive, kicking, and best experienced in the middle of a roaring crowd.  

The Mary Wallopers at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com

On the Road To Nowhere stage, Gilla Band were in powerful form, ripping into their set with a ferocious intensity that instantly separated them from standard festival fare. Their masterclass in noise-rock delivered wave after wave of blistering, industrial-edged soundscapes across the festival grounds. 

Frontman Dara Kiely commanded the stage with an unhinged, hypnotic energy that transfixed the bruised yet exhilarated crowd. The relentless pounding of drums and jagged guitar distortion turned the field into a swirling mass of bodies. With new tracks 'Giraffe’ and ‘Placeholder’ to the fore, the band seem to be getting stronger every step of the way. Ultimately, it was a punishing, triumphant, and utterly uncompromising performance.

Gilla Band at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com

The ATN main stage was packed to absolute capacity for Kneecap. Palestinian flags, tricolours, and hand-painted signs fluttered over a sea of 25,000 festival goers, all buzzing with an electricity that only these guys seem capable of summoning right now. When DJ Próvaí bounded onstage in his signature tricolour balaclava to drop the opening bassline of 'Get Your Brits Out', the immediate roar from the crowd shook the ground itself, under the ancient oaks of Curraghmore Estate.

What followed was 90 minutes of uncompromising, high-velocity anarchy. 

Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap paced the stage like caged animals unleashed, trading razor-sharp verses ‘as Gaeilge’ and in English, with effortless precision. Older tracks like ‘CEARTA' and 'Guilty Conscience' triggered instantaneous, surging mosh-pits across the field, while newer cuts from their evolving catalog proved their sound is only getting broader, heavier, and more refined.

It was a powerful headlining appearance, which confirmed just how important Kneecap have become, in a relatively short time. Long may they run...

KNEECAP at All Together Now on Aug 1, 2026. Copyright Trevor McGrath/hotpress.com