Four local festivals in running for Irish award

Nile Rodgers of Chic visited Londonderry as a guest of Celtronic.

Celtronic, the City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival, Stendahl and Glasgowbury are all in the running.

Celtronic has been nominated in three categories including Best Small Festival, Best Lineup and Family Festival Awards.

Some of the biggest names in electronic music played at venues across the city including Chic and Nile Rodgers, Henrik Schwarz, Metro Area, Ben Klock, Francois K and DJ Hell in 2013.

A spokesperson for Celtronic said: “To be nominated for these awards is a bonus at the end of a great year for electronic music in the city.

“Our aim at the start of 2013 was to expose as many as people as possible to the best electronic music in the world. Nearly 15,000 people of all ages from throughout Ireland and further afield attended our events in 2013 making Derry the hottest destination in Ireland for fans of electronic music.

“Hopefully if Celtronic wins one of these awards, it will continue to raise the profile of the festival and Derry throughout the country.”

Organiser Ross Parkhill said: “We are all chuffed to bits to have been nominated.

“To see us up there in the same categories as massive events such as Electric Picnic, Oxegen and Glasgowbury, it really is a tribute to everyone who has got behind us, gave us huge amounts of their time and helped to get the festival to where it is today.”