Ireland's Folk Conference. 14th - 18th of January, 2026, Belfast. ***Plus a special One Night Only LIVE Concert 13th January, 2026***
PRIVATE SHOWCASE - JAN 15 - STAGE 1 - 4PM - 6PM
Reflecting our mission to connect creativity with opportunity Midnight Mango is proud to present four standout artists from our roster. As a multi-award-winning agency representing over 250 artists worldwide, we deliver thousands of shows each year. This showcase is your chance to discover talent that embodies our ethos: grassroots passion, global reach, and unforgettable performances.
MICHAEL MCGOVERN
Michael McGovern is a Glasgow-born singer-songwriter whose poetic lyrics and fingerpickednylon-string guitar craft a deeply emotional folk sound. His debut album, Highfield Suite (2021),recorded during isolation in 2020 and produced by Bill Shanley, earned critical praise acrossthe UK and Ireland. Including BBC Album of the Week, RTE Lyric feature, and an“unexpected gem” nod from folk legend Paul Brady.
His new album Thin White Road marks a confident step forward, expanding on his folk rootswith full-band arrangements, layered harmonies, and touches of saxophone and strings.The breakout single “Evelyn” went viral in early 2025, sparking a wave of online covers. Thealbum draws on literary influences like Laurie Lee, Hunter S. Thompson, and T.S.
Michaels live shows are celebrated for their emotional impact and warmth. Thin White Roadconfirms him as one of the most compelling new voices in contemporary folk.
THE DEADLIANS
The Deadlians are a Dublin based band with a cult following playing folk songs, punk rock, psychedelic segues. With thumping drums, a humming synth, evocative guitars and inventive vocal ornamentation, The Deadlians come together in catchy arrangements. They are looking to create their own identity in the alternative folk music scene. Their music is phenomenal. With melodic and rhythmic tunes, their sound evokes a faintly darker edge to a new generation of Irish alternative trad/folk groups performing today. Dublin man Sean Fitzgerald, singer, balladeer, songwriter, poet, storyteller and musician fronts The Deadlians started in 2017 as a four piece are now an Irish trad rock five-piece. One of Ireland's best kept secrets.
RÍOGHNACH CONNOLLY
Ríoghnach Connolly is a professional vocalist, flautist, lyricist, workshop facilitator, and musical activist. She has a worldwide publishing deal with Real World Records as a writer and holds titles for RTÉ’s and BBC Radio 2’s Folk Singer of the Year.
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Ríoghnach grew up surrounded by a rich musical familial heritage and through Armagh Pipers’ Club in Armagh City, in the northeast of Ireland. Now based in Manchester, she has toured internationally and extensively, performing and recording in bands The Breath (Real World Records), HoneyFeet (Stardust Works) Band of Burns (Órd Bán) and Afro Celt Sound System (ECC).
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When accompanied with Ellis Davies: Ríoghnach Connolly and Ellis Davies have been playing together for nearly 20 years – as long as long as they have been a couple. Together they have graced stages as far away as Brazil and Singapore, and recorded under Ríoghnach’s name, as festival favourites Honeyfeet and as Beware Soul Brother, along with Mendi Singh. As a duo, they explore the traditional music of Ríoghnach’s upbringing, gently underpinned by Ellis’ fingerpicking guitar style.
THE WRAN
Emerging from the Comeragh Mountains of County Waterford, The Wran are four brothers: Tommy, Danny, Seán and Stephen Dunford. They bring a fresh voice to Irish music, blending trad with punk and a hint of psychedelia to create music that feels both timeless and new.
Drawing inspiration from Planxty, The Pogues and Lankum, The Wran combine traditional and modern instrumentation, including banjo, harmonium, acoustic guitar, bass VI and drums. They are dedicated to keeping the Irish language, traditional songs and storytelling alive while continuing to push it forward in their own way.
2025 marks a breakthrough year with performances at Glastonbury, All Together Now, Electric Picnic, Green Man, Greenbelt and Beautiful Days. The Wran are quickly carving their own path through the modern trad landscape and they won’t be Ireland’s best-kept secret for long.