Live Report: Forbidden Fruit kickstarts festival season with electrifying weekend

Those lucky enough to attend the Forbidden Fruit festival last weekend not only got to soak in the (surprising) sunshine but also world class acts, with Central Cee, KETTAMA, Rina Sawayama and Jazzy among those on the bill.

Saturday began with a light breeze and a beating sun which has probably left most festival-goers with tan lines the shape of their glamorous cut-out clothes. People went above and beyond with their outfits this year, from cowboy hats and glittery tassels to industrial strapped tops and shimmering chrome glasses.

Dublin's Royal Hospital Kilmainham, located on the IMMA site, was alive with reverberating beats and coloured flags blustering in the wind. Around every stage and tent there was a hum of activity and excitement, each person buzzing off the next.

Saturday's attendees got the opportunity to soak in the entirety of the festival grounds as crowds were small, although not empty. Performances felt personal as an air of intimacy was clear amongst the audiences and those on stage. Although Saturday performers may have liked to see larger crowds supporting them, it didn't once hinder the vibrancy and passion that was present in their shows.

Rina Sawayama at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

The Lighthouse stage was a hive of interest from the get-go, with Bodytonic opening the show at around 2:00pm. It's never too early for heavy beats at Fruits. Throngs of people streamed into the blackened tent to catch a bit of Bodytonic and let loose. The complete darkness made for a night-time atmosphere that set a collective party mood, helped along by the flashing strobe lights and neon drawings that shone out, displayed on a screen at the top of the tent.

Following Bodytonic was SHEE, whose set pivoted the mood from head bobbing and hip twisting to pulsating beats into upbeat tunes with a faster, energetic pace pace. A fan favourite move appeared to be dropping to a squat at lightening speed and slowly swivelling back up. No one knows how or when it started but attempts were like an epidemic throughout the Undergrowth.

At around 4pm, Diffusion Lab star Sweet Lemondae graced the RTE 2FM stage to an intimate crowd, who she kept engaged throughout her entire set, teasing the audience with unreleased songs. "Should I release this?" she grinned cheekily at the fans cheering back at her. Her voice didn't falter once, a big feat for performing unbelievable tunes for 45 minutes straight.

Aby Coulibaly at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

After waving her crowd goodbye, those left standing were in for a treat as Aby Coulibaly appeared on stage only minutes after. The Dublin R&B singer stole the show with her attention grabbing sound, as well as her bright yellow jacket. This was her second appearance at Forbidden Fruit, and no doubt only the beginning of a long and abundant life of live performances. Her buttery vocals captivated the audience, giving everyone a dose of her brand new song, 'Patience'.

Stealing the Main Stage later that night was Rina Sawayama, whose strong clear vocals and energetic dancing captivated the devoted fans squashed together to catch a glimpse of her. Singing her signature tracks 'Hurricanes' and 'Beg for You', to the backing vocals of cheers and screams of glee from the crowd, she was by far the standout of Saturday night.

Rina Sawayama at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

London-born rapper Central Cee also headlined the Saturday lineup, however fans weren't too pleased when he failed to appear on stage at his allotted time. However, this was forgiven when he delivered a fantastic set, playing all his hits from 'Doja' to his and Dave's new track 'Sprinter'.

The two stars finished the night with spectacular shows and had people still dancing to the remnants of their respective sounds on their way out of the venue to go home and prep for another day.

KhakiKid at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Sunday arrived with yet another spell of glorious weather and quite possibly the most anticipated lineup of the year so far.

KhaKiKid owned the RTE 2FM stage, delighting the crowd with a lively and dynamic performance, following on from Winnie Ama's set. A difficult act to top, but both performances were superb and a credit to the singers, respectively. Both acts will definitely be going home with some brand new listeners.

49th & Main at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Absolutely demolishing their set at the RTE 2FM stage was 49th & Main. The energy they brought to the tent was unmatched, as Ben O'Sullivan and Paddy King ran circles round the stage, constantly hyping up the crowd and getting them to belt out the lyrics to some of their biggest hits, a fan favourite being 'Icy'. The two lads gave a performance that won't be forgotten soon, leaving some fans yearning for more and gaining a few new listeners.

Meanwhile, Crumlin-born artist Jazzy was driving her fans wild with her set in the undergrowth stage. Her glimmering, silver-strung hair swaying behind her, Jazzy delivered a spirited set where she played some of her top hits like, 'Giving Me', the perfect song to add to anyone's summer vibes playlist.

Finally, the last act of the day. By this stage, the entirety of Royal Hospital Kilmainham was full to the rafters (unlike Saturday, unfortunately). Glitter and glamour were everywhere to be seen, along with seemingly thousands of clout goggles and funny-shaped glasses that gave the entire place the vibe of some kind of futuristic utopia.

The main stage barrier was quite the war zone, with people grappling to get the best place for a full view of Galway DJ KETTAMA and lauded Aussie producer Mall Grab. The moment they walked on stage the entire crowd erupted in cheers that lasted all night long until the very last track.

Mall Grab b2b KETTAMA at Forbidden Fruit 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Stage hands were beaming smiles behind the duo as they began the show, seeming almost too happy to be there. This made the world of sense when all of a sudden, one of the staff ran to the front of the stage with a t-shirt cannon and fired it into the crowd with a whoop and a jump. These antics continued throughout the show, with people hoisting each other on shoulders for a better chance at grabbing the flying merch. They delivered an unbelievable audio and visual experience that seemed to stretch right up into the heavens themselves. The laser lights created a ceiling effect when mixed with the smoke machines, creating a highly intimate atmosphere for an open-air gig attended by hundreds upon hundreds of people.

G-Town Records' KETTAMA finished the show solo, with visuals of a head breaking into pixels and reforming behind him, before finally exploding altogether into a blinding white light, leaving the DJ's silhouette the only thing visible before the final fade to black.

Amongst these acts were other superb performers, such as Eric Pryd, Channel Tres, Romy, Annie Mac, Ben Böhmer, Knucks, DJ EZ, George FitzGerald, Sudan Archives and Olivia Dean, who all delivered sets bound to see them headlining Irish festivals again.

The Bank Holiday Weekend kicked off with an unforgettable bang, with Forbidden Fruit opening the festival season in the most fantastic manner: leaving die-hard fans aching for more.