The Immersive, Magical “Metropolis” Festival An epic lineup of acts take the stage at the RDS this bank holiday weekend.

With tickets entirely sold out, and an international-standard lineup, this year’s Metropolis Festival looks set to surpass previous years. The late additions to the lineup, with acts such as Todd Terje, Mall Grab and Denis Sulta, has driven up ticket sales and hype for the event, despite the TLC cancellation setback. Last year was an incredible experience, and ticket holders like myself will be hoping for the event to be taken up a notch again this year. The lineup is even more eclectic than before, and we can expect it to draw a wider range of punters in terms of age and taste.

The opening concert on Saturday will see two historical names in the development of house and electronic music play the RDS. Laurent Garnier and the duo Leftfield will be sure to bring us back to the 90s with classic, filthy sets. We can also expect the trio FJAAK to bring us some of their Berlin heritage techno to the stage on Saturday.

Sunday is jam-packed full of acts – the downside to this being that you can probably expect a clash between two or three acts you want to see. This is not a serious complaint as the lineup on Sunday has something for everyone (who is into electronic music), as well as acts such as Jungle and Mount Kimbie that will bring a more acoustic touch, and DJ Jazzy Jeff for hip-hop lovers.

For those with the Drum and Bass affliction, Adam Beyer and Richie Hawtin will bring a bit of Drumcode to Ireland. These will be incredibly impactful sets, given the sound and lighting capabilities of the RDS stages. That being said, I would steer clear of the centre of the crowd unless you are a seasoned raver and your valuables are strapped to you.

One of the acts I’m most excited for is Denis Sulta, a Glaswegian DJ with a good sense of humour, reflected in his online and stage presences. He performed at District 8 last Friday to great acclaim –  a friend told me it was the best DJ performance he’d seen live. Sulta won Breakthrough British Producer at the DJ Mag Awards 2016. Metropolis offers a good opportunity to catch him in Ireland.

Mount Kimbie are also gaining traction with their ‘post-dubstep’ sound, featuring King Krule on their most recent album. The ambience and more ‘live’ feel of their performances will be fitting for the Metropolis vibe and venue. Tracks such as “Made to Stray” and “Carbonated” encapsulate their unique sound.

Happily there will be Irish talent taking to the stages over the weekend. Bonzai is a Dublin artist who has toured with the likes of Mura Masa and Flume. Or:la is a Derry-born DJ who is quickly rising up through the UK DJ ing ranks. The Bulmers Irish Cider Live Stage will showcase yet more Irish talent such as DJ Deece, who never fails to disappoint. Off the back of his spectacular closing of Electric Picnic, anticipate great things.

There will also be a chance to catch Trinity Orchestra playing Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday on the main stage. Last year they performed David Bowie and they have a record of playing stellar sets at large festivals fusing the classical and the contemporary.

Metropolis has in the past hosted conversations with artists, producers and authors about their creativity and what goes into music production. Festivals have begun to widen their focus from music to the creative arts as a whole, which is allowing them to become forums for those involved as artists and the audience members. On Sunday the Red Bull Music Academy Conversations stage will host a number of individuals, including Sarah McBriar, founder of AVA Festival in Belfast, District Magazine staff, and Neil Barnes of Leftfield.

One of the particularly special aspects of Metropolis is the art installations and theatrics of the experience. The advantage of a man-made indoor festival is the capacity to transform the whole venue, and to avoid weather concerns. Last year was an immersive, fantastical and colorful experience. The installations help to create a synergy between the different halls of the RDS, making it a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. This year the festival will work with the RDS Visual Arts Awards programme by exhibiting thirteen projects from the programme from Wednesday to Monday.

The festival is a chance to experience an exam hall you might already be familiar with from your first year economics modules in a whole new way, and will make for a great form of escapism from gloomy Dublin this bank holiday weekend, with after parties taking the festival into town. See you there.

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