Knockcroghery to host hybrid music festival

Knockcroghery is set to host an innovative hybrid festival with sustainability at its heart, on April 2 next.

Organisers say 'Music in the Forest Hybrid Festival' offers an alternative solution to the environmental impact generated by pre-pandemic music festivals, supporting artists who want to share music and art in a more sustainable and innovative way.

It takes place on Saturday, April 2 next from 3pm to 6pm with a live stream direct from Birdland Music Studio, Knockcroghery, a facility created using recycled materials.

The festival features a growing community of people who are getting together motivated to make things happen differently in the current and

challenging times to protect and strengthen their future's generations on this planet.

Music Festivals, on average, generate 23,500 tonnes of waste which includes plastic bottles, food scraps, abandoned tents and clothing.

Bianca Fachel, Brazilian singer songwriter, is the person behind the idea of the innovative festival, which will showcase artists from different parts of the world performing their original songs via different ways,

recorded videos, music video clips and live videos.

This live Festival will be streamed direct from Birdland Music Studio in a little forest in Roscommon, Ireland. A retreat to nurture creativity, write,

produce and record songs. The studio was built with recycled materials, reused pallets, doors and windows and second-hand furniture.

After releasing her single 'The Way Back Home', Bianca’s first online show 'Land of Dreams - A Journey to Inspiration Vol. 1' was a huge success drawing an audience from all over the world to come together in the delightful ambience of Birdland.

The second show 'The timeless River - a wrinkle in time Vol. 2' was repeated successfully in 2021.

"Music in the Forest Hybrid Festival 2022 is a local event that generates a small, tight-knit live audience but also a broad online audience that combined can be around thousands of people,” Bianca commented.

“Coming from a music festivals background, as an attendee and musician I always questioned how much rubbish and impact these festivals bring to the environment. We need to take action now, it is our problem. Our responsibility.

"Hybrid events are a mix of virtual and in person events. The best thing about the tickets is the audience can choose how much they want to pay. The audience can participate and engage with the event, no matter where they are,” the local singer/songwriter added.

There will be several add ons and activities following the event: Music in the Forest Podcast, featuring the artists on Youtube, Tree of Life Combo (each add-on ticket bought in Europe, USA, England and Ireland, we will send a tree cutting from one of our sponsors Gardens for Life), ticket giveaways, mysterious gifts and much more as a reward.

“I once heard an old proverb: 'The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.'" Bianca Fachel, the director of the Festival says.

The festival will be held 90% online and 10% in person audience by invitation-only due to limited spaces. This is an independent pilot project, dreamt up by Bianca Fachel and hosted at Birdland Music Studio in Knockcroghery.

“The main goal is to raise awareness for a sustainable and less impactful way of doing music events in the environment. To deliver an unique experience to the audience through music, new interactive art performances, doing so effectively as its ethos says.

“We cannot deny that the festival music industry has created an enormous impact on the planet, generating tons of rubbish that ends up in a landfill. Many musicians are far away now from this industry and I want to help create a new alternative to act for climate justice through music and art,” Bianca, who is the Festival Director ended.

More information can be found at http://birdlandmusicstudio.ie/music-in-the-forest-hybrid-festival/ or on Instagram.