Life Festival Or Forbidden Fruit? This Week’s Big Question

Now that we've answered the big question in the Marriage Equality Referendum, the next question is Life or Forbidden Fruit?

The coming bank holiday weekend is set to be a big one, and with two of Ireland’s premier music festivals taking place across the same three day stretch, music lovers are faced with a tricky decision..

Life Festival is an open air camping festival, taking place in the stately setting of Belvedere House and Gardens in Westmeath. Starting out as a small spin off of the Glade arena at Glastonbury in 2004, Life has grown up into Ireland’s most loved electronic music and arts festival. From the small recorded crowd of 500 in 2006 to upwards of 5000 in 2014, participants of this intimate festival have enjoyed an eclectic mix of house, techno and electro to name but a few.

This year Life have added hip hop to that repertoire with the announcement of headline act Nas. Other big names gracing the stages at Life 2015 include Maceo Plex, Robert Hood, Ten Walls, Ejeca, Kolsch, Optimo...you get the drift.

The entire weekend promises to have no shortage of amazing acts, whether you find yourself grooving to Motor City Drum Ensemble's disco-filled set or else bopping to Ben Klock’s techno by the lake on Sunday.

However, If waking up in a sweaty tent isn’t your thing, then why not just stay at home?

No really, Forbidden Fruit is offering you that luxury.. Whilst the full timers will be trampling the fields of Westmeath in their wellies, Forbidden Fruit’s cobblestone setting in the heart of Dublin City is offering an urban alternative to Life.

Another festival experiencing major growth in recent years, this year Forbidden Fruit have added a Friday night line up to what was previously a two night affair. Headline acts include Fatboy Slim, Nicolas Jaar, Wu Tang Clan, Groove Armada, Cyril Hahn, Tensnake, Bakermat, Hot Since 82, Floating Points, and Jamie xx.. Not too shabby!

They will also have plenty of stand up comedian helping festivalgoers nurse their hangovers at the beginning of each day. Forbidden Fruit promises “a combination of music, art, fashion and simple good vibes” - and given the mammoth names it can boast on its books, this will prove to be the festival’s biggest, and most ambitious year to date.

Finding it hard to decide? We feel you. We're crippled with indecision too, but wherever your money has been invested, this much can be guaranteed; you can thank your lucky stars that June 1st is a Bank Holiday Monday!

What a weekend for music events in Ireland. We've made up our mind though,a nd we’re going to go to Life, or actually Forbidden Fruit, well, maybe Life, or.... fuck.

Photo Credit: Ste Murray.