Playing at the Youth Music Festival last year.
Photography by Dylan Scully
Music festival is a stepping stone
“THE Youth Music Festival is more than just an event; it is a stepping stone for young musicians to reach new heights,” says Martin Moran, SubSounds Programme Manager.
Following the resounding success of the first two stagings of the festival in 2023 and 2024, the SubSounds Youth Music Festival, presented in association with Music Generation, is set to return in July 2025 to Tallaght.
The festival will feature approximately 150 young musicians, aged 10-24, from various counties across Leinster, including South Dublin, Kildare, Fingal, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin City.
Over the course of the day, on two dynamic stages, audiences will be treated to an eclectic mix of contemporary popular music, traditional, classical, and jazz ensembles.
SubSounds, a youth music collective based in South Dublin County, supports young musicians aged 14-18 in composing, arranging, recording, and releasing music.
Each year, the collective produces two albums, two EPs, and several singles, showcased at various gigs around Dublin.
This year’s album, ‘Class of 2025’, was launched at The Sugar Club in April.
Members will perform tracks from the album at the festival.
The festival highlights the work of numerous youth music initiatives such as SubSounds Music Collective, MGSD Hang Out Sessions, and NOISE Music. South Dublin County Council’s CONTACT Studio, an Arts Office initiative, and Music Generation will play a crucial role.
They will connect a wide array of musical expressions and make the festival a true representation of the creativity of the new generation.
Staying true to the SubSounds and Music Generation ethos, the focus will be on original compositions.
Young musicians will be encouraged to showcase sets predominantly featuring their own music, fostering a culture of originality and artistic expression.
Clondalkin-born Sarah Crean is this year’s headliner.
Sarah Crean began her music journey as a singer-songwriter in 2017.
Since then her music has received widespread global acclaim, amassing over 8 million streams across all streaming platforms, and leading to a signing with revered independent label AWAL.
Crean has spent the last 3 years touring the UK and Ireland, playing in venues such as ‘O2 Forum Kentish Town’, festivals such as ‘All Together Now’, and TV performances with the likes of RTÉ with ‘Other Voices’.
After spending a handful of years living and working abroad in the music industry, she now resides in Dublin as a full-time music teacher and songwriting mentor.
The SubSounds Youth Music Festival 2025 will be presented by SubSounds and Music Generation on Saturday, July 5, at 2pm at the TU Dublin Tallaght campus.
Attendance is free; be sure to check it out!
