Name: Lúnasa
Start: 2026-02-22T19:00:00
Location: Blackstone River Theatre

Get ready to embark on a musical journey celebrating the richness of global folk traditions with a series of captivating performances at the Blackstone River Theatre. This upcoming season, the theatre hosts an array of talented artists who blend traditional sounds with modern influences, offering a diverse lineup that spans Irish, Celtic, Scandinavian, Tuvan, and Québécois music. From the legendary Irish band Lúnasa to the unique throat singing of Alash, these events promise to bring the world to your doorstep through the universal language of music.

Celebrating Global Folk Traditions: A Journey Through Music at Blackstone River Theatre

Cillian Vallely

Kevin Crawford

Trevor Hutchinson

Ed Boyd

Sean Smyth

Blackstone River Theatre

Lúnasa

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade, an early review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an “Irish music dream team.” From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. The Irish Echo described the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet”; MOJO magazine named the band “the new gods of Irish music.” Having since performed over 3,000 shows across 36 countries, Lúnasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music. Inspired by the legendary Irish group The Bothy Band, Lúnasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking arrangements. Lúnasa features Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys and Sharon Shannon; piper Cillian Vallely was a member of Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; flute player Kevin Crawford, considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players, was a member of Moving Cloud; award-winning fiddler Sean Smyth, who performed with Donal Lunny’s legendary Coolin and accordionist Alan Kelly; and guitarist Ed Boyd made a name for himself in the UK folk scene with Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few weeks early!

Lúnasa

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