In the digital age an hour glass wouldn’t be the most modern way of measuring time, but with regard to a seasoned style of music a very appropriate one. Watching the sand pouring through an hour glass promotes calmness and relaxation. Very much the same can be said about listening to Irish traditional music and Folk. It is like a rainbow making its way through your ears into your soul. The more you listen, the lighter and more relaxed you will feel. The hectic way of digital time measurement and Irish Folk do not match. People with a passion for Ireland strive to feel the continuity of time and share the following philosophy with a homestead in many Irish bars: Change lasts; what is able to change will last.

Ireland has undergone a massive change within the last two decades and so has Irish traditional music and as a result, the Irish Folk Festival. It is one of the most seasoned but hopefully one of the freshest cultural events Europe has to offer. This year the festival goes on tour in times of change and crisis but also with new possibilities. While Ireland is struggling with its battered economy there is also a crisis of values and the soul of this island nation. From an economic point of view Ireland lost a lot but spiritually its culture and traditions will prevail. Ireland might be broke, but on the other hand it is rich in tradition and a sense of humour.

The three hours long festival programme will make this evident by delivering a snap-shot of Irish culture in stormy times. “Between now and then” is the name for this year’s tour featuring a style of music in transition however unaffected by recession and the erosion of time.