Made in Darndale Festival 2023

The Made in Darndale 2023 Festival took place from 26- 28 May, filling Darndale with music, dance, stories, songs, circus acts, and performances in a vibrant cross-community celebration.

A massive Big Top tent took over Darndale Park on Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28, showcasing local favourite Jerry Fish and his Electric Sideshow. The award-winning CoisCeim Dance Theatre presented Francis Footwork, an uplifting virtual reality performance, while Courtney’s Daredevil Circus thrilled audiences with fire breathing, knife throwing, aerial stunts, and motorbike cage performances.

The Big Top also featured local artists Jitterbug Jackson, and Mark Flynn, alongside Dublin band Shakalak, whose powerful fusion of spoken-word rock and hip-hop energised the crowd.

For families, there were art workshops and face painting to keep children entertained, adding to the festival’s lively atmosphere.

D17 writer Amber Kidd, returned from London to debut her new three-part spoken-word piece, specially commissioned for the festival, which inspired many other performances throughout the event.

Photographs – Pati Guimaraes