Dublin Bowie Festival 2021: Tony Visconti, Rick Wakeman, Woody Woodmansey and more set to feature

The Dublin Bowie Festival, the biggest arts festival in the world dedicated to David Bowie, returns from January 10-17, with a vast selection of special online events.

2021 will see the 50th anniversary of Bowie’s game-changing Hunky Dory album – which includes the single, 'Life On Mars'. To celebrate, the Dublin Bowie Festival is presenting a conversation with the man who played piano on the iconic track, keyboard maestro Rick Wakeman. He's promised an exclusive tinkling of the ivories too!

They'll also have world-renowned Bowie producer Tony Visconti, speaking from New York City about his studio work with Bowie, along with other Q&As with key Bowie personnel, including producer Ken Scott – a man who also worked with The Beatles.

All of the talks will be hosted by the writer Nicholas Pegg, author of The Complete David Bowie.

You can also expect:

• An exclusive Bowie & The Blitz DJ set live from London with Rusty Egan (Visage, The Rich Kids). Rusty was the in-house DJ at The Blitz Club in London, which was the epicentre of the New Romantic movement in the late 70s/early 80s.
• Well-known engineer, scientist, writer and performer Dr Niamh Shaw is also set to appear – streaming a specially curated presentation entitled ‘Is There Life On Mars?’ for the festival.
• An exclusive worldwide Listening Party of the Hunky Dory album, hosted online by The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess – playing and discussing this seminal album live on Twitter.
• An audio visual presentation from noted trans lawyer/lecturer Dr Alex Sharpe of the Warwick University in England – exploring the idea of authenticity and Bowie’s revelations of artistic truth through his perceived lack of it.
• Livestreamed performances from Whelan's, featuring a selection of live acts covering all eras of Bowie.
• The fifth anniversary of Bowie's death will take place on Sunday, January 10. The festival will be marking the occasion with a vigil featuring a Bowie musical soundscape by Irish artist Fergus Kelly, along with an exclusive premiere of a specially commissioned film, Turn And Face The Strange, which sees the hotly tipped new Irish act State Lights perform their unique take on Hunky Dory.

Tickets for all events go on sale this Thursday. See dublinbowiefestival.ie for more information