Ireland in Music will be broadcasted on RTÉ tonight and will then tour festivals in 2021, to broadcast Irish talent to the world. Sharing the trailer on Instagram, the Ireland in Music account said; “The world premiere of a new platform for Irish music. Our aim is to promote Irish music globally with high quality projects.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by IrelandInMusic (@irelandinmusic)

The film was formed in May of this year with the creators of TradFest with the aim of showcasing Irish musicians to people abroad. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, artists couldn’t tour and felt they lost that connection to their fans. Tradfest decided to create this piece to bring people together and show the stunning landmarks Ireland has to offer.

The film was recorded throughout September and October with varying degrees of lockdown and social distancing rules. Producer and director, Donal Scannell spoke about the special saying that “in many ways Ireland In Music is a celebration of what’s possible even during the darkest days.” He also added; “This musical mixtape is a snapshot of Ireland as filtered through the ears, mouths, hearts and souls of the enlightened.”

Donal Scannell also said in a piece he wrote for RTÉ about his obsession with Irish music and television said; “Netflix, although still only a small percentage of the total TV market, has helped us all realise that TV has been globalised. This is a great opportunity for Irish programme makers to make shows not only for Ireland, but for the world.”

Ireland in Music will be broadcasted on RTÉ tonight, the 29th of December, at 8pm. It will also be available on the RTÉ player in the UK.

The concert is to support the live music initiatives Minding Creative Minds and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians Hardship Fund as the Irish music industry continues to face an uncertain future during this pandemic.

View this post on Instagram

Catch ‘Songs from An Empty Room’ on RTÉ 2fm, @rte2 and @rteplayer from 8.30pm on Saturday, July 25th Hosted by our very own @eoghanmcdermott and @jennygreene, watch some of Ireland’s best bands perform from live music venues across the country #WeAreTheSupportAct #SupportingArtistsSupportingUs

A post shared by RTÉ 2FM (@rte2fm) on Jul 14, 2020 at 1:00am PDT

The event is being produced by RTÉ and EPIC (The Event Production Industry Covid-19 Working Group) and hosted by radio stars Eoghan McDermott and Jenny Grenne. In an Instagram post, Eoghan McDermott spoke about the purpose of the event saying;  “Music From An Empty room celebrates and supports the people behind the scenes of the music that improves all of our lives. Like so many people and maybe more than many of us, their industry has been absolutely battered, which means their ability to make a living is majorly hindered.

“Every special moment of magic from a live gig was made possible by this community of sound and light crew, stage crew, front of house staff and all the behind the scenes heroes. This gig sees some of Ireland’s best artists playing for free to raise money for this community.”

Acts include; Aimée, Denise Chaila, Eve Belle, Fia Moon, Gavin James, Jafaris, James Vincent McMorrow, Lisa McHugh, Lyra, Mother DJs, Noel Hogan (The Cranberries) with Danny O’Reilly (The Coronas), Picture This, Sorcha Richardson, Soulé, The Academic, The Blizzards, The Coronas and The Stunning.

View this post on Instagram

Getting ready for my first gig of 2020 it’s called ‘Songs from an Empty Room’ and will be broadcast on @rte2 and @rte2fm next week! I’m extra proud of this one as it’s showcasing the amazing people that work behind the scenes of events in Ireland aaand raising awareness for mental health within the music industry. Finally I’m no longer literally singing to an empty room #SongsFromAnEmptyRoom #WeAreTheSupportAct

A post shared by Fia Moon (@fia_moon) on Jul 14, 2020 at 12:10pm PDT

These acts will be preforming from some of Ireland’s most iconic venues such as; The Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Cyprus Avenue in Cork, Galway’s Roisin Dubh, INEC in Killarney and Dolan’s in Limerick.

Ireland’s €3.5 billion a year live music industry has come to a complete halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no clear roadmap of when they can start back up. This has totally left backstage crews with no income. The event will feature footage from behind-the-scenes of the events industry to show how these hard working people, who are often forgotten, have been severely impacted by this pandemic.

Viewers will be able to donate by text and a GoFundMe page during the event, and will be able to purchase branded merchandise. All of these proceeds will go to Minding Creative Minds and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians Hardship Fund.

Viewers in the UK will be able to watch from the RTÉ Player.