Stendhal strengthens 2025 soundscape with 50 more acts announced

Mr. Scruff, Sprints, John Francis Flynn and more added to Stendhal Line-up.

Stendhal Festival’s 15th birthday celebrations have gotten much bigger with the release of the second wave of musical acts set to take to the stages at this summer’s edition of Limavady’s multi-award-winning event.

Stendhal had already announced the likes of The Lightning Seeds, Kate Nash, Ed Byrne, Mark McCabe and The Orb and now with 50 more acts announced, the soundtrack to Stendhal 2025 has been completed.

Heading up the second wave of musical acts are hugely influential UK DJ Mr. Scruff (joined onstage by MC Kwasi), one of the fastest rising Irish acts right around the world in Sprints, the inimitable John Francis Flynn, Derry rockers Tramp and Irish songwriting legend David Kitt.

Festival Director Ross Parkhill says he is delighted with how the full line-up has shaped up this year.

“I’m really pleased with it overall,” he said, “We have some amazing acts top to bottom and while it's great to be able to say the likes of The Lightning Seeds, Kate Nash, Mr. Scruff and Ed Byrne, all great names to have on any bill, are playing this year, it gives me a bit more pleasure to be able to say that the likes of Sprints and Joshua Burnside are at the top of the bill too. Acts that have been on our bill before at lower levels, that have grown into powerful draws and can now rightfully command higher billings and bigger stages. Josh sells out the Ulster Hall, while Sprints, who played our Henry McCullough Stage in 2023, absolutely exploded in popularity in 2024 after they released their first album.”

Ross added: “As always we have an eclectic mix of genres, loads of absolutely brilliant up and coming acts from the UK and Ireland and of course the very best indigenous acts Northern Ireland has to offer, so we are positive that the music helping us celebrate our 15th year will allows us to do so in some fine style.”

Festival goers can also look forward to performances from the emerging talent of Tommy Wa, a return to the stage from 80’s Belfast pioneers The Adventures, the Crosby, Stills Nash and Young inspired California Irish, fronted by The Answer frontman Cormac Neeson, the band with the most wins in NI music prize history, Junk Drawer and a fantastic collective of musicians coming together to pay tribute to the music of John Prine.

The Nerve Centre showcase includes some of the finest acts that they have been associated with, past present and future including; Rioghnach Connolly, Paddy Nash, Declan Mclaughlin, Tessio, Mima Merrow, Rosborough, Polar Bolero, Connor Hutcheon, Klyda, Pilosa, Cora Harkin, The Tuned in Project, Ilse of Song, Marc Rigney, Pseudonym, Seventh Heaven and Our Space.

Stendhal is delighted to also be partnering with Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre to present The Sundown sets, some lo-fi late night DJ sets courtesy of; Marion Hawkes and Conor Schmutz,  HY:LY and Balcony Sunrise.

The annual Elixir Hip-hop Showcase also returns with; The Belfast Groove Collective with Gael Force Wins, Jay Suttin, Rare Witch, Shane Deane, Amanda Healy and Jambi.

 Also announced are Deep Fried Funk, Mulu, Noble Jonson, Aqua Tofana, Midnight Massid, The Suite, Cellofella and Mandolin Muse, Calum Campbell, John Devlin and the Revolvers, Lucy Aiken, The Shrub, Inner West, Cooke B2B, Byphil, Risteard O Cearnachain, DJ Ruairi, Winemom, Ink on paper and John Garrity.

The 15th edition of Stendhal Festival takes place on July 4th-6th 2025 at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady, Co. Derry/Londonderry. For more information and tickets visit www.stendhalfestival.com