There was a magical night of music at the Theatre Royal on Friday to celebrate Culture Night Waterford 2023. The evening kicked off in style with the young musicians, singers, and songwriters of Co. Waterford's Music Generation as they took over the entire theatre with the MGM Wind Band, Trad Seisúin with the MGM Traditional Ensembles in the Vestibule. Trad Tunes Hup! and Acoustic Corner in the bar and then Backstage the fabulous Salted Currents, Racún, The Bold, and Dried Mangoes. It was awe-inspiring to watch these young musicians and singers take to the stage and showcase their work and talent. It was also impressive to see the likes of Conor Clancy (Toucan) and Danny Dunford (Under Starling) involved in the music generation program as music educators.

Headlining on the night were three of Waterford's most talented artists. First up was Waterford-based Pop/Funk/Soul band 2Time Charlie. After forming initially as a cover 2-piece act in 2022 they received a positive response from the public. Since then, they have expanded to a 6-piece band featuring, funky keyboards, groovy drums, a driving bass, electric guitar, and soulful vocals. 2023 has been a huge year for the band, starting with taking part in the Three All For Music City Stages which culminated with a set at the recent Electric Picnic Festival. As of August 2023, they released their debut EP ‘Everything’s Delicious’ which they launched recently.

Next up was Cal Pacino. With a deep root in world folk music and an academic background in jazz guitar. Cal Pacino has a soulful role of poet, all nested within the funky-fresh 2020’s kaleidoscope of genres. Cal's Saturday set included songs from his debut album 'Sowing Seeds', some of his own rap material and some exclusive upcoming material, all of course served in his own inimitable fashion.

The night was closed by Shane Barry and his 10-piece Silver South Ensemble. The multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter is making a welcome return to the Irish music scene after a number of years of studying and writing. The band's Culture Night set included songs from Shane’s upcoming solo album release, ’Songs from the Silver South’, due for release in November.

The night was made particularly special as the Theatre Royal launched their all-new stage layout aptly called 'Flipped Venue'. This stage saw the building of a new stage within the seating area of the stall section of the theatre and the opening of what was the main stage as the viewing area. It made for a unique event that's sure to add even more prowess to the renowned Waterford venue.