Ahead of this year’s Open Ear Festival, the organisers of one of the best small music festivals in the world have just announced the release of a new documentary capturing the magic of the experimental music festival.
The documentary Island Rules is set to premiere this Friday, April 25th. Directed by James Redmond, the filmmaker behind Notes on a Rave, this 25 minute film revisits the unique energy of last year’s festival on Sherkin Island—a breathtaking and unique corner of Ireland that has become a haven for underground and electronic music.
With just over a month to go until the 2025 edition, Island Rules offers an immersive look at what makes Open Ear unlike any other festival. Set against the lush backdrop of Sherkin, a small island on the Western coast of Ireland, the film weaves together site-specific art, intimate performances, and great dancefloor moments.
From the intensity of Harga’s performance on the secret beach to the stage design by Sarah Murphy – Island Rules captures the liminal magic that happens when artists and audiences journey to the outermost fringes of Europe to share in something singular.
The full documentary will go live on Open Ear’s YouTube channel this Friday.
This year’s Open Ear Festival takes place from Thursday May 29th to Sunday June 1st. Tickets on sale here.
From our 2019 Archive – Sounds Around: – Chris Chapman, Open Ear Festival
