Fermanagh's Laytha perform at Stendhal as festival leads the way back to live music recovery

Laytha, featuring Philana Nolan (guitar and vocals) and Niamh Carney (vocals) graced the Henry McCullough Stage on the Saturday afternoon, delighting their Stendhal audience with their fusion of contemporary Indie melodies and harmonies with dark, traditional Folkish rhythm.

Some 2,000 visitors enjoyed the first music festival to take place in the whole of the island of Ireland for almost 18 months, as they were treated to music from more than 60 acts across five socially distanced stages.

The attendance was around 20 per cent of that of the last Stendhal event in 2019, but the atmosphere generated was quite unlike anything experienced on site before.

A mix of joy and relief was found throughout the site as a large-scale setting for live music was once again on the agenda in Northern Ireland.

Festival Director Ross Parkhill said it was an emotional weekend for many: “We’ve had some amazing events on this farm going back to 2011,” he said, “but this one will always stand out and will always probably be our most important event ever

“When I heard that first guitar ring through the air on Friday afternoon, I got goose bumps. It was so amazing to actually be back and putting on a show.”

He added: “I know it was really special for the performers, too; they have waited a long time to have the opportunity to get back to doing what they do best, and you could see it in their faces and hear it in their performances that this really was a special moment for them.”

Ross also paid tribute to the team at Stendhal Festival for being able to actually put the show on with just one week’s notice: “It was a massive effort from everyone this past week to not only get the site built, but to run the event on just a week’s notice.”

Due to the reduced capacity, Stendhal will also be running a second event from August 12-14.