We are delighted to present AOIBHA as this year’s CQAF Artist in Residence. The last 12 months have seen AOIBHA begin to make a serious impact with a host of impressive support slots and a sold-out full band show.

A native of Co. Down, AOIBHA’s indie-folk textures pulse with a gothic energy that subtly echoes her love for dusky literary classics like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

AOIBHA’s music is woven with vivid imagery and soundscapes, drawing inspiration from Irish artists like Joshua Burnside and Lemoncello, whose sublime folk storytelling and haunting harmonies resonate deeply.

Details of AOIBHA’s festival slots and own headline show will be published here shortly.

“AOIBHA is a master at crafting music that exudes serenity… If there was ever music for late night listening while getting lost in your thoughts, this is it.” – Chordblossom

“The singer-songwriter’s lyrics are vulnerable but her sound is still 100% her own. This is only the beginning of AOIBHA’s journey…”– Hot Press

AOIBHA’S APPEARANCES AT CQAF 25

Guest of The Magic Numbers – Monday May 5

Guest of Luca Fogale – Tuesday May 6

Guest of Bernard Butler – Sunday May 11

Headline Show: The Harrison Hotel, Saturday May 10, 8.00pm

Tickets for Headline Show: https://cqaf.ticketsolve.com/shows/873672605/events

 

Photo Credit: Aaron Cunningham

Bonded an evening in honour of the recording craft. The request is simple; sit back and listen to an LP in a safe and attentive group environment.

An intimate and limited ticket event to celebrate the release of the new Joshua Burnside album, Teeth of Time.

This is an event designed to slow the listening process down. To delve into the details and grow closer to the art of the recorded format.

Joshua will also be in conversation with Stephen McCauley.

This show is strictly for audiences aged 18 and over.

If you have access needs, feel free to email Aoife at aoife@cqaf.com for more info—we’re happy to help!

A love letter in song, Camille’s new show celebrates her dear friend Shane MacGowan, plus the work of Sinéad O’Connor, David Bowie, Radiohead, Nick Cave and more.

Performing with accompaniment from long-time collaborator Feargal Murray, Camille has created an intimate, heartfelt show capturing the honest response to those much loved and lost.

“Queen of the Edinburgh Festival” (BBC) and original star of Olivier Award-winning LaClique, Camille O’Sullivan enjoys a formidable reputation for her intensely dramatic interpretations of the songs of Brel, Cave, Waits, Bowie and more.

The multi-award-winning singer has stunned audiences around the world with her five-star sell-out performances, including at the Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, La Clique, Royal Albert Hall, Later With Jools Holland (BBC) and she won the coveted Herald Angel award for her RSC solo performance ‘The Rape of Lucrece’.

Dark, sexy, fierce, amusing and mesmerising, Camille transforms each song she performs into an intense, emotional, and theatrical experience. Expect joy and pure passion.

“When she sings it’s as though her breath is soaked in paraffin – one spark, and the whole room would ignite” ***** Daily Telegraph

“Ravishing, a superb performer and great singer… the star is her singing voice, a deep sultry instrument that might have been created to express desolate love” **** The Guardian 

This show is strictly for audiences aged 18 and over.

If you have access needs, feel free to email Aoife at aoife@cqaf.com for more info—we’re happy to help!

Réalta, the dynamic Ulster-based Irish traditional group, will be performing on home ground for a special concert of traditional and contemporary tunes and songs.

Formed in Belfast in 2012, Réalta quickly established themselves as an exciting act on the Irish music scene, earning stellar reviews for their live performances and innovative approach to traditional melodies.

Irish Music Magazine described their debut Open The Door For Three as “A full-bodied pipe and whistle extravaganza” and summarised their follow-up album Clear Skies by writing “Réalta have grown bigger, bolder and braver and this is one of the best CDs to have come out of Ireland this year!”.

For their most recent release Thing of the Earth, Irish Music Magazine confirmed “Réalta have a sound all of their own – exciting, dynamic and addictive”.

Réalta have toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia and North America and their unique approach to the genre have made them a festival favourite. Featuring dual uilleann pipes, whistles, guitars, mandolin and bodhrán, the bands’ infectious energy, impressive musicianship, creativity and deep love for the music is evident throughout every performance.

Listeners can expect to journey through energetic reels, rhythmic jigs, soulful airs and thought-provoking songs… blending words and melodies from sources both old and new.

If you have access needs, feel free to email Aoife at aoife@cqaf.com for more info—we’re happy to help!

Dublin’s avant-garde punk sensation Meryl Streek brings his hard-hitting mix of protest, spoken word, and electronic influences to Belfast for a powerful live show at Ulster Sports Club.

Following the success of his debut album, ‘796’, which confronted institutional abuses in Ireland, Meryl Streek released his second album, ‘Songs For The Deceased’, on October 25, 2024. His music explores themes of injustice, corruption, and working-class struggles, making for a raw and uncompromising live experience.

Renowned for live performances that are both confrontational and exhilarating, Meryl Streek’s shows are described as a “weird blend, but worth listening to if you want something you’ve never heard before.” – Kerrang

“His biting, coarse Dublin delivery combined with a convergence of electronic textures and punk ethos creates an unforgettable live experience.” – Farout Magazine

This show is strictly for audiences aged 18 and over.

If you have access needs, feel free to email Aoife at aoife@cqaf.com for more info—we’re happy to help!