Tourism Ireland is turning a digital billboard in London?s Westfield into a stage as part of a global music festival on St Patrick?s Day, March 17.
The Green Button Festival will enable Londoners, as well as citizens in New York, Berlin, Milan and Sydney to interact with the billboards and trigger sound and vision recordings of some of Ireland?s top talent performing at various locations around the island. The festival will be brought to life when passers-by use their smartphone to scan giant QR codes and press the green button to activate a performance.
Ireland is celebrating St Patrick?s Day festivities live and in-person for the first time in two years. But for those who can?t be in Ireland personally, the Green Button Festival is an invitation to celebrate Irish heritage, Irish tradition and Ireland?s national day in a new way.
In addition to the big city billboards, the performances can be viewed by anyone anywhere via Ireland.com. It will be the first music billboard festival to happen across cities and time zones controlled by individuals? mobile phones.
Festival-goers will be treated to an array of Irish and Northern Irish musicians playing to people around the world. Acts will include Hothouse Flowers performing at Temple Bar in Dublin, Clannad and Denise Chaila in County Donegal, Ailbhe Reddy at Dublin Castle and The Pale playing on top of the Tower Museum in Derry~Londonderry.
Ryan McMullan will be among several acts appearing from the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast. And also available on screen will be acts such as contemporary folk band Kila, DJ and vocalist Gemma Bradley, and Riverdance, performing at the Giant?s Causeway and Cliffs of Moher.
The Green Button Festival will run all day on March 17, 2022 at Eat Street in London?s Westfield, from 6pm to 11pm GMT.
Martin Harte, director of TradFest Temple Bar, said: ?This outstanding music festival will connect passers-by in major cities with some of Ireland?s best-loved musicians. By scanning a QR code on their smartphone at London?s Westfield they will activate a festival stage that will sound out toe-tapping Irish sounds set to giant, full motion images.?
The event will also be a celebration of Irish artists emerging from lockdown and making a welcome return to performing and gigging.
