Dublin’s answer to Rage Against the Machine, The Scratch, will headline the closing day of the inaugural Momentum Festival in Oranmore, on Monday, May 4.
The four-piece, electric folk-metal fusionistas will be joined by Cliffords from Cork’s indie scene, and alt-folk madsers Madra Salach on the bank holiday Monday of the four-day festival.
The announcement comes after confirmations that The Stunning, The Riptide Movement and Tracy Bruen will play on Friday, May 1, followed by Sonique, B*witched, D:Ream, Rednex, Mark McCabe on Saturday, May 2, while Sunday sees The Coronas headlining, with special guests Oscar Blue and Calum Agnew.
The Scratch released their third album Pull Like A Dog last week to strong reviews. Renowned for their ferocious live shows, the band has built a devoted following at home and around the world with its explosive blend of heavy metal intensity, Irish folk rhythms and acoustic instrumentation.
Since a viral performance at the Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon first propelled them into the spotlight in 2017, the The Scratch has toured Ireland, Briatin, Europe and beyond.
Hailing from Cork, Cliffords are establishing themselves as one of the most exciting guitar-heavy indie bands to emerge from Ireland. Their EP Salt of the Lee last year introduced the five-piece to a wider audience, with NME calling them “a group destined to do something big” and Rolling Stone describing their sound as “the sound of a band on the cusp of greatness”.
Madra Salach are a Dublin-based alternative folk six-piece which has spent the past year building a reputation for their raucous live sets across the capital’s music scene. Formed by musicians who first crossed paths playing in different outfits on Dublin’s indie circuit, they bonded over a shared love of the Irish traditional canon during impromptu pub sessions. Their debut EP It’s A Hell of An Age, released in January, reached No. 1 on the Independent Charts and No. 3 in the Irish Albums Chart, while their British and Irish It’s A Hell of An Age tour has completely sold out.
This line-up will close out Momentum 2026, the newest and largest outdoor music festival in the West. Organisers expect a nightly audience of 4,200 people to the village of Oranmore.
“One of the main drivers for us when programming the inaugural Momentum Festival was to create a line-up that feels diverse, dynamic and genuinely exciting across the entire weekend. Closing the festival with artists like The Scratch, Cliffords and Madra Salach felt like the perfect way to do that," say organisers.
“These are three of the most exciting live bands to emerge from Ireland in recent years, building audiences not just across Ireland but all over the world, so to have them sharing the stage here in Oranmore on Bank Holiday Monday feels incredibly special."
“As local residents ourselves, it was also really important that the festival reflects the community and caters to the 75,000-strong catchment in Oranmore and the surrounding area, while also bringing something new and ambitious to the West.
“Across the four days you’ll see real diversity in the line-up, from established names to some of the most exciting emerging artists coming out of Ireland right now. We’re also really proud that we’ve managed to keep tickets reasonably priced. The chance to see three of Ireland’s most impactful live acts together under one tent on Bank Holiday Monday is going to be something pretty special.
"Additionally, we're really proud that we've been able to give a platform for up-and-coming artists to share the stage with these dynamic acts as supports. Nurturing new talent is a core part of our mission with Momentum.
“Now that the full line-up has been revealed, we hope people can see what we’re trying to build here. Momentum is about creating something a little different, a festival that feels distinct, ambitious, welcoming, inclusive and rooted in the place it’s happening.”
Tickets for Monday night’s Momentum are priced at €44.99 plus booking fee. On sale now from www.momentumfestival.ie and www.ticketmaster.ie
