Around five years ago, the Enjoy Travel Company, based in Blackburn, England, that pioneered the set dancing, céilí and country music ventures to Spain and Portugal over two decades ago, was among the first to pick up the folk revival vibes.
It inaugurated the Costa del Folk Festival and the venture has proven to be a resounding success.
While it still centres on the UK folk scene, plans are afoot to incorporate aspects of the Irish folk scene into the five-day festival.
In seven weeks’ time around 700 people will attend the next Costa del Folk Festival on the island of Ibiza.
The Irish interest will be provided by Sharon Shannon and Colum Sands from Co Down, while some of the top English folk acts have strong Irish roots and influences.
Sharon Shannon.Sharon Shannon.
The Costa del Folk now operates twice yearly, in April and October. Last April Enjoy Travel decided to stage the event in Ibiza, a place synonymous with many great events organised by the company up until 2010.
“We were overwhelmed with the response to the festival when we took it back to the Sirenis Seaview Country Club, Port Des Torrent, Ibiza, last year.
"This superb complex has such wonderful memories for so many of us,” says Mayo native Gerry Flynn, managing director of Enjoy Travel.
“Since launching the Costa del Folk Festival, we ran the shows on the Spanish and Portuguese mainland, with the exception of one event held in Majorca.
The response to Ibiza last April was amazing and we just had to book the venue for the folk festival again this April.
“Realistically, the image of a British folk festival for many people over the years couples good music with the downside of camping in a cold, wet field, inadequate toilet facilities and lengthy queues for overpriced food and drink.
“In complete contrast, Costa del Folk offers four- and five-star hotel accommodation, poolside entertainment, fine food and drink, plus good weather and great music.
“There will be music, singing, dancing and laughter aplenty from morning until the wee small hours, at venues situated throughout the complex.
"What makes this the ultimate feel-good festival is that it literally has everything you would want from a traditional folk festival, but without any of the drawbacks
“There’s an outdoor stage for afternoon concerts and an indoor venue for evening concerts, a comfortable hotel bar and break-out rooms for tutorials and sing-arounds, late-night folk club, impromptu sessions, as well as céilís every day.”
Rapid expansion
Gerry and the Enjoy Travel team are very pleased with the rapid expansion of their Costa del Folk Festival, with Ibiza proving a real winner.
“We are especially delighted with the increasing Irish interest in the folk festival and we have a good many people, especially from Dublin, coming with us to Ibiza for the first time at the end of April.
"We are expecting the Irish interest to expand rapidly when we incorporate more Irish folk acts into the festival.
“We are also delighted and honoured to have Mike Harding as our main compere at all the festivals.
Mike Harding at Costa del Folk.Mike Harding at Costa del Folk.
"Mike presented the Folk Show on BBC radio for 17 years and knows the scene inside out. He is also a hugely respected figure on the folk circuit.
“It will be great to have Sharon Shannon with us in Ibiza this April.
A lot of people in Ireland are totally unaware of the huge regard there is for groups like Show of Hands, who are special favourites of BBC TV presenter and former political editor Andrew Marr,” says Gerry.
Line up
The lineup for the Costa del Folk Festival in Ibiza from 26 April until 2 May includes Sharon Shannon, Colum Sands, Show of Hands, Rodney Brannigan, Skerryvore, A Fistful of Spookies, Three Daft Monkeys, Dan Walsh and Alistair Anderson, Oyster Band, Claire Hastings Band, Lucy Ward, Geraldine French, Molly Evans and Jack Rutter, the Banter Ceilidh Band and others.
Meanwhile, the regular Enjoy Travel April in Andalucía 10-day event is booking up nicely and several hundred people are already looking forward to the get-together in the Hotel Amaragua in Torremolinos.
This is a country music and céilí/set dancing festival and a mainstay of the Enjoy Travel overseas music holiday promotions.
The event enjoys a very high level of repeat business, which is always a good sign.
It runs from 17 April until 28 April and the artists taking part are Stephen Smyth Band, Art Supple, Glenshane Country featuring Pat McKenna and Hughie Turner, Champagne Shuffle, J & K Country, Brendan Magee and Eugene Cunningham, Showband Sounds, Galway Bay Jazz band, Michael and Philomena, Nicky James, Pat Jordan and Kieran Towey, Mick Mackey and friends, the Enjoy Travel International Showband, Annaly, Matt Cunningham, Johnny Reidy and Neily O’Connor Céili Bands.
• Full details on the Costa del Folk Ibiza Festival, as well as April in Andalucía (Torremolinos), can be had by calling 0044-1254445050 or visiting the website enjoytravel.co.uk Read more
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Around five years ago, the Enjoy Travel Company, based in Blackburn, England, that pioneered the set dancing, céilí and country music ventures to Spain and Portugal over two decades ago, was among the first to pick up the folk revival vibes.
It inaugurated the Costa del Folk Festival and the venture has proven to be a resounding success.
While it still centres on the UK folk scene, plans are afoot to incorporate aspects of the Irish folk scene into the five-day festival.
In seven weeks’ time around 700 people will attend the next Costa del Folk Festival on the island of Ibiza.
The Irish interest will be provided by Sharon Shannon and Colum Sands from Co Down, while some of the top English folk acts have strong Irish roots and influences.
Sharon Shannon.Sharon Shannon.
The Costa del Folk now operates twice yearly, in April and October. Last April Enjoy Travel decided to stage the event in Ibiza, a place synonymous with many great events organised by the company up until 2010.
“We were overwhelmed with the response to the festival when we took it back to the Sirenis Seaview Country Club, Port Des Torrent, Ibiza, last year.
"This superb complex has such wonderful memories for so many of us,” says Mayo native Gerry Flynn, managing director of Enjoy Travel.
“Since launching the Costa del Folk Festival, we ran the shows on the Spanish and Portuguese mainland, with the exception of one event held in Majorca.
The response to Ibiza last April was amazing and we just had to book the venue for the folk festival again this April.
“Realistically, the image of a British folk festival for many people over the years couples good music with the downside of camping in a cold, wet field, inadequate toilet facilities and lengthy queues for overpriced food and drink.
“In complete contrast, Costa del Folk offers four- and five-star hotel accommodation, poolside entertainment, fine food and drink, plus good weather and great music.
“There will be music, singing, dancing and laughter aplenty from morning until the wee small hours, at venues situated throughout the complex.
"What makes this the ultimate feel-good festival is that it literally has everything you would want from a traditional folk festival, but without any of the drawbacks
“There’s an outdoor stage for afternoon concerts and an indoor venue for evening concerts, a comfortable hotel bar and break-out rooms for tutorials and sing-arounds, late-night folk club, impromptu sessions, as well as céilís every day.”
Rapid expansion
Gerry and the Enjoy Travel team are very pleased with the rapid expansion of their Costa del Folk Festival, with Ibiza proving a real winner.
“We are especially delighted with the increasing Irish interest in the folk festival and we have a good many people, especially from Dublin, coming with us to Ibiza for the first time at the end of April.
"We are expecting the Irish interest to expand rapidly when we incorporate more Irish folk acts into the festival.
“We are also delighted and honoured to have Mike Harding as our main compere at all the festivals.
Mike Harding at Costa del Folk.Mike Harding at Costa del Folk.
"Mike presented the Folk Show on BBC radio for 17 years and knows the scene inside out. He is also a hugely respected figure on the folk circuit.
“It will be great to have Sharon Shannon with us in Ibiza this April.
A lot of people in Ireland are totally unaware of the huge regard there is for groups like Show of Hands, who are special favourites of BBC TV presenter and former political editor Andrew Marr,” says Gerry.
Line up
The lineup for the Costa del Folk Festival in Ibiza from 26 April until 2 May includes Sharon Shannon, Colum Sands, Show of Hands, Rodney Brannigan, Skerryvore, A Fistful of Spookies, Three Daft Monkeys, Dan Walsh and Alistair Anderson, Oyster Band, Claire Hastings Band, Lucy Ward, Geraldine French, Molly Evans and Jack Rutter, the Banter Ceilidh Band and others.
Meanwhile, the regular Enjoy Travel April in Andalucía 10-day event is booking up nicely and several hundred people are already looking forward to the get-together in the Hotel Amaragua in Torremolinos.
This is a country music and céilí/set dancing festival and a mainstay of the Enjoy Travel overseas music holiday promotions.
The event enjoys a very high level of repeat business, which is always a good sign.
It runs from 17 April until 28 April and the artists taking part are Stephen Smyth Band, Art Supple, Glenshane Country featuring Pat McKenna and Hughie Turner, Champagne Shuffle, J & K Country, Brendan Magee and Eugene Cunningham, Showband Sounds, Galway Bay Jazz band, Michael and Philomena, Nicky James, Pat Jordan and Kieran Towey, Mick Mackey and friends, the Enjoy Travel International Showband, Annaly, Matt Cunningham, Johnny Reidy and Neily O’Connor Céili Bands.
• Full details on the Costa del Folk Ibiza Festival, as well as April in Andalucía (Torremolinos), can be had by calling 0044-1254445050 or visiting the website enjoytravel.co.uk Read more
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