Irish Music and Dance London have announced the full programme of events for this year’s Return to London Town Festival which takes place Friday 28 to Monday 31 October 2022.
This will be the 24th edition of the festival which was originally known as Return to Camden Town.
The programme includes an array of musicians and singers from Ireland, alongside a large number of London-based artists.
The programme includes three major concerts, two set dancing céilís, one céilí for all, twenty instrumental/singing workshops and a huge programme of sessions.
Something new for this year’s festival are céilí dancing and singing workshops specifically for children.
The festival will also be hosting a triple bill album launch on the Sunday evening, highlighting new releases from Wicklow concertina player Paddy Egan, Galway’s The Kane Sisters (celebrating the music of Paddy Fahey) and West Cork accordionist and singer Diarmuid Ó Meachair.
Most events will take place at The Crown Hotel in Cricklewood, others at Ashford Place and at local public houses in Cricklewood and Kilburn. Set dancing events will be held at Mazenod Social Club.
Artists on the bill include: Bríd Harper, Dermot Byrne, Steve Cooney/ The Kane Sisters and John Blake/ Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch/ Máire Ní Cathasaigh, Chris Newman/ Sorcha Costello, Elaine Reilly, Catherine McHugh/ Tommy Fitzharris, Dónal McCague/ Bróna McVittie/ Diarmuid Ó Meachair, James Carty and Jonas Fromseier/ In Good Company/ Paddy Egan, Mick O’Connor/ Parish Céilí Band and more.
Festival director and founder Karen Ryan said: “When we rebranded and relocated London’s annual Festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance in 2019, we felt we were doing something very special – rewarding our regular audience with a new, bigger venue (with the option of staying overnight on site) and giving our much loved event the capacity for further growth, to welcome more visitors from further afield.
“After the most difficult of Covid 19 times (where we strove to keep our audiences connected to traditional Irish culture in the best way we could), our ‘near normal’ 2021 Festival was warmly received by the London Irish community.
“Now we can detect signs that the further growth of the Festival which we were keen to facilitate, is starting to happen in 2022 – with more rooms booked for Festival goers at the venue’s host hotel, musicians planning to ‘Return to London Town’ to spend time with the community they immersed themselves in when they lived here, and more lovers of Irish music planning first time visits to the Festival from abroad.
“Big changes inevitably come with teething problems – the IMDL team are grateful to the London Irish music community for feeding back in a positive and constructive way to help shape logistics and more at our new host venue since 2019. IMDL and the ‘Return to London Town Festival’ Organising Group are enjoying working with the new AG Hotels management team, who recently acquired The Crown Hotel London (June 22) from the previous owners (Clayton Hotels/ Dalata Group). The new management are very excited about hosting our event and look forward to welcoming you.
“We have a wonderfully impressive array of artists due to arrive in Cricklewood from Friday 28th – Monday 31st October 2022.
“I would like to personally thank my close knit and hard working IMDL Organising Group: James Carty, Margaret Reilly and Sam Screene as well as the large numbers of fantastically dedicated Festival volunteers for all their great work – you truly are the backbone of what we do!
“One of the positive things to have come out of the pandemic, is the absolute appreciation of our London Irish community and the opportunities to celebrate our traditional Irish culture – I feel it is something that we will never take for granted in the future, and I love that we are planning to come out in force to revel in all its wonders this October.
“Come and join us. Wishing you all a fabulous Festival.”
The full programme for Return to London Town 2022
Friday 28 October 2022
Evening Concert: Ivy Suite, The Crown Hotel (Doors 7.30pm, Tickets £20/ £6 U18s)
Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch/ Sorcha Costello, Elaine Reilly, Catherine McHugh/ Bróna McVittie
The Crown Hotel (Cricklewood) and Colin Campbell (Kilburn) – FREE Sessions
Saturday 29 October 2022
Instrumental Workshops at various Cricklewood venues (11am-1pm, Tickets £10)
Fiddle: Sorcha Costello
Banjo: Elaine Reilly
Accordion: Dermot Byrne
Concertina: Alex Kelly
Flute: John Rynne
Whistle: Brogan McAuliffe
Harp: Máire Ní Chathasaigh
Uilleann Pipes: Rita Farrell
Accompaniment: Jim Murray
Programmed Music Sessions from 1pm until late: The Crown Hotel, plus other Cricklewood and Kilburn venues – FREE
Afternoon Children’s Céilí Dancing Workshop: Sala Room, The Crown Hotel (1.30-2.30pm, Tickets £5): Anne Drury
Afternoon Singing Workshop (2-4pm, Tickets £10): Bróna McVittie
Afternoon Concert: Ivy Suite, The Crown Hotel (Doors 2pm, Tickets £10/ £6 U18s)
Diarmuid Ó Meachair, James Carty and Jonas Fromseier/ Tommy Fitzharris, Dónal McCague and John Blake/ In Good Company
Tutor Led Session: Sala Room, The Crown Hotel (3pm FREE) Sorcha Costello, Paddy Egan, Peter McAlinden
Set Dancing Céilí: Mazenod Social Club, Kilburn (4-7pm, Tickets £12)
Music by the Parish Céilí Band
Evening Concert: Ivy Suite, The Crown Hotel (Doors 7.30pm, Ticket £20/ £6 U18s)
Dermot Byrne, Brid Harper, Jim Murray/ Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman/ Liz and Yvonne Kane and John Blake
Sunday 30 October 2022
Instrumental Workshops at various Cricklewood venues (11am-1pm, Tickets £10)
Fiddle: Brid Harper
Banjo: Jonas Fromseier
Accordion: Diarmuid Ó Meachair
Concertina: Paddy Egan
Flute: Tommy Fitzharris
Whistle: Peter McAlinden
Accompaniment: John Blake
Programmed Music Sessions from 1pm until late: The Crown Hotel, plus other Cricklewood and Kilburn venues – FREE
Afternoon Children’s Singing Workshop: Venue tba (1.30-2.30pm, Tickets £5):
Set Dancing Céilí: Mazenod Social Club, Kilburn (2-5pm, Tickets £12)
Music by the Parish Céilí Band
Tutor Led Session: Sala Room, The Crown Hotel (3pm FREE):Tommy Fitzharris, Bríd Harper, Peter McAlinden
Acoustic Album Launch: Sala Room, The Crown Hotel (7pm FREE)
- Paddy Egan – ‘Tobar Gan Trá’
- The Kane Sisters – ‘In Memory of Paddy Fahey’
- Diarmuid Ó Meachair
(Sala Room, The Crown Hotel) – FREE ENTRY
Evening Céilí for All: Ivy Suite, The Crown Hotel (8-10.30pm, Tickets £5)
Mc Cool Trad
Monday 31 October 2022
Afternoon Concert: Ivy Suite, The Crown Hotel (Doors 2pm, Tickets £10/ £6 U18s)
Paddy Egan, Mick O’Connor, John Devine and Mick Bailey/ London Irish Pensioners Choir / Dermot Byrne and friends
For more information, click here.
