The 2020 lineup (before Covid took over) included headliners Metronomy, Róisín Murphy, King Kong Company, Princess Nokia, Kojaque, Marc Rebillet and many more.
Subverting expectations of a line-up-led festival format, Body & Soul is set to kick off the 2022 edition without naming its confirmed headliners.
Taking place from June 17-19 at Ballinlough Castle Estate, this year’s festival instead invites audiences to take part in an immersive and adventurous weekend full of surprises. Now in its 12th year, Body & Soul runs under an annual theme and this year it will be ‘Betwixt & Between’ – a nod to the concept of liminality and where we find ourselves after the past two years.
After a two-year hiatus and some time to rethink and reinvent – the pioneering music and arts festival is reversing its usual format, halving its workforce and doubling its curatorial commitment.
With just 5,500 weekend tickets made available, the surprisingly smaller 3-day event will be an adult affair and will go on sale this Tuesday, March 1 at 9am, with the promise of an unrivaled creative experience yet. secret.
From secret scenes to forest feasts, intimate performances and moments of transcendence, Body & Soul 2022 will focus on collaboration. Fusing commissions of never-before-seen works with music, dance, comedy, art installations, spoken works and performances, the meticulously curated festival will see a complete reimagining of its beautiful grounds, which transforms woods, lakes and gardens at Ballinlough Castle, Westmeath.
For the first time in Body & Soul history, the central “meeting point” of the festival will be The Beacon Stage – a new 35-foot tall, wooden, totem-like structure. A 360-degree performance space with surround sound speakers, The Beacon features a 100-foot laser, which acts as a light tower at night.
The Body & Soul main stage will be in the spotlight at key points throughout the weekend, hosting a carefully condensed selection of exceptional musical performances. The center of the festival will be centered on the “Avant Garden” – a tightly programmed 17th century walled garden dedicated to incredible cuisine and captivating performances.
With a buzzing program of innovative music, from acoustic to jazz, orchestral and electro, Avant Garden is where guests can expect the unexpected – from an experience from ‘First Tastes’ meet-and-greet, a drag brunch and mini restaurant with some of Ireland’s most exciting chefs, to creative workshops, engaging talks, scavenger hunts and the annual ‘Solstice’ costume ball of masquerade.
Food on board will offer a celebration of magnificent Irish cuisine, with fine treats complementing imaginative interludes and original performances.
2022 marks the return of The Sanctuary, the restorative cornerstone of Body & Soul. Completely revamped and revamped, it features a new wellness program, amazing therapists and workshops, plus hot tubs, seaweed baths and saunas.
The Woodlands will host a specially commissioned, site-specific art gallery with large-scale immersive environments merging sculpture, video, performance and sound, as well as the infamous Woodlands Stage and its very own party cabin in the woods.
Lakeside, Body & Soul presents for the first time in Ireland an immersive and innovative symphonic experience by a world-renowned composer of electronic music. The specially commissioned surround sound performance will transport the audience to different time spaces at regular intervals over the weekend.
Those who know the Festival know that sustainability is a key factor. In 2022, it will be Ireland’s first circular festival, through a program to recycle, reuse and repurpose all elements of the festival’s production, with a five-year plan to become carbon neutral by 2027.
Further details on special guests, unique orders and a sparkling weekend experience will be revealed in due course on bodyandsoul.ie.
Avril Stanley, Director of Body & Soul, says: “Despite all the challenges, an enforced hiatus has allowed a new incarnation of Body & Soul to take shape and instead of just returning to our roots, we are cultivating shiny new ones. . We are excited to return this summer with a renewed vision and the opportunity to harness the immense creative energy that stems from these times of transition.
The creative production house focuses on curating diverse experiences that celebrate life, music, culture and the arts. Winner of numerous awards for innovation, sustainability and business, the female-led team has launched many multidisciplinary projects over its 20-year history, each more ambitious than the next.
The festival cut its creative teeth during the 2010 recession, when wallets were light and creativity was in high demand. Since its inception, Body & Soul has hosted a sold-out event year over year, growing from 1,800 attendees in 2010 to 15,000 in 2019 and continues to push convention, push boundaries and prioritize the extraordinary experiences of attendees.
The event has previously hosted Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Glass Animals, Caribou, Kae Tempest, Jon Hopkins, Solange, Four Tet, Bonobo, Fever Ray, St. Vincent, Goldfrapp, John Grant, Spiritualized, The Villagers, Nicholas Jaar , Fat Freddy’s Drop, Of Montreal, James Murphy (DFA), The Gloaming, Modeselektor, Chronixx, Iron & Wine and M83.
2022 ticket packages:
Early Bird presale: €200 + service charge
General release: €250 + service charge
Installment plans, motorhome, bus tickets and boutique camping available.
Revisit our Saturday and Sunday review of Body & Soul 2019 here.
