We may already be halfway through festival season, but there’s still plenty to look forward to – not least Electric Picnic later this month.

There are many gems waiting to be uncovered and some stellar Irish artists amidst the big-name headliners, however. Here are ten Irish acts you really need to see live right now, be it at a festival or elsewhere…

1. Florence Road (Electric Picnic, Irish tour in December)

One of the buzziest Irish bands at the moment, this young Bray grunge-pop quartet have been making incredible inroads in the music business before they’ve even released an album – largely on the back of a couple of impressive EPs and their live performances. With support slots with Olivia Rodrigo and The Last Dinner Party already under their belts, as well as a major label deal with Warner, expect to see them playing a bigger stage at Electric Picnic 2027.

2. Gurriers (Electric Picnic/Irish tour in autumn)

Post-punk outfit Gurriers have thrived since the release of their debut album Come and See in 2024 – and with their second album Nobody’s Coming to See You imminent in September, the Dublin-based four-piece are set for even bigger and better things. Gurriers’ raucous and rambunctious live shows have become fabled in recent years; fresh from a memorable appearance at All Together Now, they next play at Electric Picnic, with a standalone tour scheduled for autumn.

3. Cardinals (Button Factory, Dublin in November)

Purveyors of one of the best albums of 2026 so far, Cork band Cardinals are a force to be reckoned with live. Euan Manning and his bandmates crafted a stunning debut in Masquerade, a beautifully-pitched record that swings wildly from goth-rock to tunes from the indie slacker songbook; hearing them live, with that brooding atmosphere and simmering undercurrent of anxiety, will be a real treat. They headline Dublin’s Button Factory in November – grab a ticket before they graduate to bigger rooms.

4. George Houston (Oh Yeah, Belfast in October)

Here’s a good example of an artist in danger of slipping through the cracks. Donegal’s George Houston was handpicked by Paul Weller to support him on his US tour in 2024 (he’s been on the road with The Divine Comedy of late) and went on further acclaim with a stunning performance on Later with… Jools Holland in support of his most recent album, TODC in 2025. The young alt-folk-pop songwriter, with shades of Sufjan Stevens and John Grant to his sound, is well worth catching live – festival setting or no.

5. The Wran (Irish tour, autumn)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware of the Irish folk and trad revival, as a new generation of artists raised on their parents’ Planxty records emerge from the shadows. One of the most promising is The Wran, four brothers from Waterford who tread a line between psych-rock and trad – which is a lot more convincing than it might sound on paper. The Dunfords play several nationwide dates this autumn in support of their debut album The Stone Man, including two gigs at Dublin’s Workman’s Club.

6. Thumper (Irish tour, September)

Here is a band ready for the big-time. Thumper have forged a reputation as a fearsome, somewhat chaotic live act – two drummers certainly doesn’t hinder them on that front – but that would mean nothing without the songs to back it up. The Dublin six-piece’s second album Sleeping with the Light On, released earlier this year, has added a new depth and intensity to their raucous punky sound; they take it out on the road with various Irish dates in September.

7. Stella and the Dreaming (Another Love Story, August)

If you happened to catch The Cure at Marlay Park recently, you may have seen Stella and the Dreaming as one of iconic band’s support acts. This mysterious Waterford project, the brainchild of Stella (who provides the vocals, instrumentation and production) has been tipped for greatness by several tastemakers for some time – could this be the year she breaks through? It’s certainly worth hearing her elegiac, opaque songs live in an intimate setting; in other words, when she plays Another Love Story in August.

8. Ye Vagabonds (National Concert Hall, September)

You could never accuse brothers Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn of not working hard enough; the Carlow natives have traversed the globe in recent years spreading their close-harmony folk balladry far and wide. Ye Vagabonds’ latest album All Tied Together is arguably their best yet, and if you’ve already seen them live you’ll know what a special band they are. This gig, part of the NCH’s Tradition Now series, will see them paired with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland with arrangements by The National’s Bryce Dessner: in a word, unmissable.

9. Madra Salach (Electric Picnic, tour in December)

One of the most exciting Irish bands of the moment? That’s Madra Salach. With members drawn from various bands on Dublin’s indie scene, the six-piece led by Paul Banks bring their own individual experiences to folk and trad, which makes for a unique live show; they’re just as likely to cover a Neutral Milk Hotel song as they are a Ewan MacColl tune, while their original output ain’t too shoddy, either. Their forthcoming Electric Picnic date may go down as a touchpoint in their history, but either way they’ll be playing much bigger stages this time next year, so catch them live when they tour nationwide in December.

10. Morgana (Irish tour, December)

One half of ‘atmosfolk’ duo Saint Sister, Morgana has spread her wings in glorious fashion as a solo artist over the last couple of years, growing in confidence and stature as she embraces pop. Last year’s Party Killer EP showed her range; standalone single I’m Not Going Anywhere has become a firm fan favourite since its release, while her forthcoming debut album The Whole Thing Was Very Emotional will surely make her a star further afield, too. She plays several Irish dates in December – make sure you’re there.