Stendhal Festival has come and gone for another year and what a belter it was! Even the rain couldn’t stop those who arrived to set up camp on Thursday night, while the Friday saw the likes of Newton Faulkner and The Wailers playing to the packed fields of Ballymully Cottage Farm. Gone are the gloomy days of social distancing, as Stendhal 2023 saw the return of the crowds in full force with the festival’s most well attended Friday night ever.

@pastiebapni That’s Stendhal Festival over for another year! What a weekend 🎪🥁🎤🎸✨#nimusic #tiktokireland #nitok #festivalseason #nifestival #stendhal #stendhalireland #ecofestival ♬ Leave Me My Name – No Oil Paintings

With the sun shining, and the winds dying down we arrived on Saturday for a full on day with two 2 year olds in tow. From the Woolly Woodland filled with fun and games, to the Big Top Family Tent, there was plenty to keep the kids amused even between musical acts on the main stages. Highlights for us adults included All Folk’d Up and Cara Dillon on the Karma Valley stage and CAITYY on Anann’s Arch stage, but to be honest it’s hard to pick favourites when the quality of everything on offer was top notch as always. 

Having attended Stendhal both with and without kids in the past, it’s clear to see why it’s previously won Ireland’s Best Family Festival. Here’s to 2024!

 

Laura Caldwell

Author: Laura Caldwell

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm 30 years old and have a degree in Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as writing for BBC Across the Line.