Since 1998, Kilkenny Roots Festival has attracted some of the finest names in the Americana/Roots canon, including Calexico, Giant Sand, Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Alejandro Escovedo, Guy Clark, Chuck Prophet, Ray LaMontagne, Richmond Fontaine, Rodney Crowell, Phosphorescent, Sturgill Simpson and Alabama Shakes.
Audiences wind their way through the medieval streets sampling the huge range of music in the 30 plus venues, hosting over 40 Irish and international acts, with over 90 ticketed and free shows from early afternoon until late into the night.
There’s a mixture of old and new acts on the free pub gig trail and all styles are catered for, from swing to bluegrass, rockabilly to cajun, folk, blues and beyond.
More programme info coming soon!
Friday 2nd May
Arborist
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
In 2023, Belfast-based Mark McCambridge aka ARBORIST took the critical acclaim, success and unique production and songwriting of his first 2 LPs to new heights. An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros, his 3rd LP, was released in April and won the prestigious Northern Ireland Music Prize 2023.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Jenny Don’t and the Spurs
Location: Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Based in Portland, Oregon in the US Northwest, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs have spent over a decade building a reputation as hardworking and musically-driven stalwarts of the Country Western scene. Despite facing challenges – singer Jenny had vocal surgery in 2019 and drummer Sam Henry was lost to cancer in 2022 – they have remained resilient and fully committed to their musical journey. They have independently released the majority of their output (three albums, ten singles) on their own label, cultivating a vast international following.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Saturday 3rd May
Steven Wynn
Location: Ryan’s
In 25 years, Wynn has released at least that many albums and has seen over 300 of his songs recorded. He has played over 2000 shows in more than 25 countries. His songs have been recorded and/or performed by REM, Luna, Concrete Blonde, The Black Crowes, Yo La Tengo and Eleventh Dream Day, among others; his “That’s Why I Wear Black” became the #1 single of 1993 in Norway as the leadoff track from the debut album by Somebody’s Darling. He has been prominently featured in Rolling Stone, Mojo, Uncut, Entertainment Weekly, People, The Los Angeles Times, New York Times and countless other publications all over the world.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Chimers
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
Singer-guitarist Padraic Skehan and drummer Binx met while the latter was holidaying in Padraic’s then-hometown of Dublin. A two-week visit that turned into two years and ultimately caused Padraic to uproot in 2001 and find himself in the former steel town of Wollongong, 80 mins south of Sydney. Chimers combine their love of noise pop, post-punk and garage rock. A dynamic sound of discordant guitar, off-beat drum line and brash melodic vocals.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Jenny Don’t and the Spurs
Location: Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Based in Portland, Oregon in the US Northwest, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs have spent over a decade building a reputation as hardworking and musically-driven stalwarts of the Country Western scene. Despite facing challenges – singer Jenny had vocal surgery in 2019 and drummer Sam Henry was lost to cancer in 2022 – they have remained resilient and fully committed to their musical journey. They have independently released the majority of their output (three albums, ten singles) on their own label, cultivating a vast international following.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Lizzie No
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
New York singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist Lizzie No is one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary American music. After two stunningly eclectic albums, Hard Won and Vanity, Lizzie’s acclaimed new record, Halfsies, finds her still searching for freedom from the constraints of categorisation, but more importantly, freedom from the depths of despair and from an increasingly violent and nightmarish American cultural and political landscape.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Cory Gray, Old Unconscious / Freddy Trujillo
Location: Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Cory Gray is a musician, composer, and producer from Portland Oregon. He is a member of The Delines and composer and band leader of instrumental group Old Unconscious. The band has just released their 2nd LP “The Circular Ruins” on Jealous Butcher Records. Old Unconscious draws on a mixture of world music, jazz, and psychedelic rock to invoke trance like performances.
Freddy Trujillo is a singer/songwriter/bassist who hails from Simi Valley, CA. He grew up in a highly musical family. He played with Pat Smear (Nirvana, Germs) and many other local L.A. acts during the explosion of punk/alternative music that hit L.A. in the ’80’s/’90s. Freddy soon relocated to Portland, Oregon and released his acclaimed debut solo record Hawks & Highways, which dealt with the intertwining of Native American and Chicano experiences in rock & roll form.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
Location: Kyteler’s Inn
At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana – just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky – multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis’ Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper ‘solo’ release with Dancing On The Edge – a rich, 2-LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It’s a pure collage of modernity and heritage.
Tickets €25 + booking fee
The Courettes
Location: The Set Theatre
A rock’n’roll sensation from the word go, Danish-Brazilian The Courettes are back with their fourth and best album to date – The Soul Of… The Fabulous Courettes. And this time, they’re bigger, wider and deeper than ever before as they add more to the blistering ramalama that’s seen them cause pandemonium across the venues, festivals and airwaves of the UK, Europe, USA and Japan. Hitting the sweet spot that straddles garage rock, girl groups, doo-wop harmonies and heartache.
Tickets €25 + booking fee
Sunday 4th May
The Delines
Location: The Set Theatre
The Delines will make a welcome return on May 4th 2025 in support of their 4th album, released February 2025. This will be The Delines only Irish date next year.
Willy Vlautin has been a regular visitor to Kilkenny since his first visit in 2004 with his band Richmond Fontaine. In recent years he has played here with hisnew project The Delines featuring the exquisite vocals of Amy Boone.
€35 + booking fee
Steven Wynn
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
In 25 years, Wynn has released at least that many albums and has seen over 300 of his songs recorded. He has played over 2000 shows in more than 25 countries. His songs have been recorded and/or performed by REM, Luna, Concrete Blonde, The Black Crowes, Yo La Tengo and Eleventh Dream Day, among others; his “That’s Why I Wear Black” became the #1 single of 1993 in Norway as the leadoff track from the debut album by Somebody’s Darling. He has been prominently featured in Rolling Stone, Mojo, Uncut, Entertainment Weekly, People, The Los Angeles Times, New York Times and countless other publications all over the world.
€20 + booking fee
Andrew Combs
Location: Ryans Bar
Dream Pictures, the sixth album from songwriter Andrew Combs, is a dreamy, dusky record for the quiet hours that bring each day to a close. It was during those nightly stretches of solitude, after his children had gone to bed, that Combs penned the record’s 12 songs. “That’s the best time for me to do anything creative,” says the Nashville resident, who’s become a fixture of modern-day American roots music over the past decade. “Six nights a week, I’ll come out to the garage to write or paint, and it’s a time for me to escape into my little world for awhile. A chance to take a big breath, in and out.”
Tickets €20 + booking fee
The Breeze
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
The Breeze were formed in March 2023 with long-time collaborators Chris Coll (Lost In The Fog), Decky McManus (The Basement) and Stevie Scullion (Malojian) combining their individual sounds to create something new. Their debut album Thin Ground was released on Style Records in March 2024 to much critical acclaim and was nominated for the coveted Northern Ireland Music Prize. Recruiting their friend Lee Martin (Blue Stragglers) on bass duties to help present the record live, The Breeze finally felt complete and officially became a 4 piece before embarking on an extensive and well-received tour of the UK and Ireland.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
Location: Cleere’s Bar and Theatre
At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana – just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky – multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis’ Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper ‘solo’ release with Dancing On The Edge – a rich, 2-LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It’s a pure collage of modernity and heritage.
Tickets €25 + booking fee
Lizzie No
Location: Cleere’s Bar and Theatre
New York singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist Lizzie No is one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary American music. After two stunningly eclectic albums, Hard Won and Vanity, Lizzie’s acclaimed new record, Halfsies, finds her still searching for freedom from the constraints of categorisation, but more importantly, freedom from the depths of despair and from an increasingly violent and nightmarish American cultural and political landscape.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Freeman’s Country Carvery & Very Special Guests
Location: Kyteler’s Inn
Freeman’s Country Carvery serves up a finger lickin’ feast of classic country tunes and songs from honky tonk heroes of the 1960’s and 70’s. Twanging Fender Telecasters and tasty vocal harmonies with a side-serving of cosmic pedal steel goodness will feed your insatiable appetite for Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Marty Robbins, The Flying Burrito Brothers and more!
Tickets €15 + booking fee
SBT [Sarabeth Tucek]
Location: The Pumphouse
American singer-songwriter Sarabeth Tucek returned in 2023 after a decade-long intermission with the new moniker SBT and her long-awaited third album ‘Joan Of All’, which was issued world-wide on her own imprint Ocean Omen. After the first single “The Gift” received heavy play on BBC Radio 6 Music courtesy of Marc Riley, Gideon Coe and Cerys Matthews, anticipation for the new double-album kicked into high gear, and it did not disappoint, hailed by critics and fans alike as her masterwork.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Monday 5th May
The Breeze
Location: Ryans Bar
The Breeze were formed in March 2023 with long-time collaborators Chris Coll (Lost In The Fog), Decky McManus (The Basement) and Stevie Scullion (Malojian) combining their individual sounds to create something new. Their debut album Thin Ground was released on Style Records in March 2024 to much critical acclaim and was nominated for the coveted Northern Ireland Music Prize. Recruiting their friend Lee Martin (Blue Stragglers) on bass duties to help present the record live, The Breeze finally felt complete and officially became a 4 piece before embarking on an extensive and well-received tour of the UK and Ireland.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Ben de la Cour
Location: Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
With songs that explore life’s murky corners and shadowy characters, Ben de la Cour’s music occupies the intersection between gothic Americana and dark, gritty folk. It’s a sound fueled by the stories and struggles of its creator, a lifelong searcher who’s never been afraid to shine a light on his own demons. Albums like Ben’s 2012 debut, Ghost Light and 2018’s career-shifting The High Cost of Living Strange chronicled not only that deep sense of restlessness but also his various attempts to wrestle his own vices into submission. The result is a haunting, harrowingly personal version of folk music that earned praise from outlets like American Songwriter and NPR.
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Andrew Combs
Location: Billy Byrnes Bar
Dream Pictures, the sixth album from songwriter Andrew Combs, is a dreamy, dusky record for the quiet hours that bring each day to a close. It was during those nightly stretches of solitude, after his children had gone to bed, that Combs penned the record’s 12 songs. “That’s the best time for me to do anything creative,” says the Nashville resident, who’s become a fixture of modern-day American roots music over the past decade. “Six nights a week, I’ll come out to the garage to write or paint, and it’s a time for me to escape into my little world for awhile. A chance to take a big breath, in and out.”
Tickets €20 + booking fee
Carsie Blanton
Carsie Blanton is a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. “It is possible to face the world as it is – rapidly heating, ruled by grifters, ravaged by profitable wars – and still have hope.” Tracks like My Good Friends evoke her childhood in Appalachia, while Ain’t We Got Fun showcases a musical roux earned from a long stint in New Orleans and fifteen years of touring with her band.
Tickets €25 + booking fee
2nd - 5th May
