The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival is slated to return from September 10th – 19th for its 17th iteration, as organisers attempt to once again electrify the streets and crash the internet of the coastal town with the sweet sound of those six strings.

For 10 days, the acclaimed festival promises to celebrate the best and brightest virtuosos, three-chord heroes and the DIY bedroom musicians.

Joined by some of Ireland's most exciting and innovative independent musicians, the festival will stage outdoor performances, virtual premieres and hybrid gigs - livestreamed with an audience.

The 2021 programme includes the likes of John Spillane, John Francis Flynn, Windings, Dani Larkin, Clare Sands, Pretty Happy, Kyle Macaulay & Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine, Red Sun Alert and many more.

Virtual premieres are also expected from Eve Clague, Joshua Burnside & Laura Quirke, Lonely and the Moose, Myles O’Reilly.

“We can’t cram like sardines into every nook and cranny of Clonakilty as in previous festivals, so we’ve expanded the length of the event by three days," festival co-organiser Ray Blackwell said today.

"This way we can continue to honour the depth and diversity of approaches to guitar playing that has been the bedrock of CIGF since our first event back in 2005.”

A new addition this year is the Guitartown Cinema – a roving outdoor theatre that allows audiences to experience the online festival in a way that recreates the communal atmosphere of pre-pandemic gatherings.

The festival also continue their longstanding association with Culture Night on Friday, September 17th.

All of the festival's events have been prepared in compliance with current health and safety measures.

Tickets for in-person performances will go on sale at 10am this Friday, August 27th.Explore the full programme and ticket information at clonguitarfest.com