This year Dergfest features the biggest acts… and a top tent

JUST like the weather, things are hotting up in Castlederg, with the return of the famous Dergfest – and this year, a massive top tent in the historic Castle Park will be the centrepiece of the musical festivities, which promises four days of unforgettable fun.

Quite literally ‘going undercover’, organises say they are ‘very excited’ to transform the festival from an outdoor affair to a comfortably covered one; especially as shelter will be provided from any summer showers, while the production quality will be dramatically improved, with the lighting and effects being concentrated to the indoor area.

The hottest town

Now in its eighth year, the Dergfest Music Festival is loved for breaking the norm, and bringing some of the most well-known names in music to the sleepy town of Castlederg – famous mostly for its weather station… and being the hottest town in the North last year.

Previous headliners at the fantastic festival include UB40, Westlife’s Shane Filan, Judge Jules, Toploader, Chesney Hawkes, Dave Pearce, and Mundy, while many more local artists have also graced the tranquil Castle Park surrounds.

Teenage kicks

This year, the fun kicks off on Thursday, July 28, with TeenFes’, the North’s biggest teenage festival night – and it is a strictly-alcohol free event. Designated for secondary school ages, the festival organisers felt it important to add a ‘dry’ night for this demographic this year, given that, due to alcohol-licensing laws, other festival dates are 18+.

To ensure safeguarding and welfare of attendees, ticket sales for this event are online only, to allow the organisers to collect details of their parents/guardians.

Country at the castle

On July 29, country comes to the castle – so have your cowboy boots and Stetsons at the ready.

At the wheel is Derek Ryan, who has returned by popular demand, making it a hat-trick of headline slots in recent years. He has sold-out his two previous shows, and will be hoping for more of the same this time round.

His special guest is another act returning to the ring due to impressing the crowd on previous occasions: Singing star, Jamie Donnelly of Strabane, while Johnny Brady is also looking forward to entertaining the Derg masses.

Triple-line up of DJs

On Saturday, July 30, the jewels in this year’s DergFest crown are set to shine, with the arrival of Sigma, KC Lights and Kissy Sellout.

The triple line-up of the internationally-acclaimed DJs give the festival even more bragging rights for successfully enticing high calibre acts to the small, rural Tyrone town.

Qween are the champions

Closing the festival under the big tent will be Qween – Europe’s number one Queen tribute act, who are fresh from playing to a crowd of 10,000 people at the recent Forever Young festival in Dublin. Special guests on the night are Bruce Springsteen tribute band, The Human Touch, fronted by US Navy veteran, Monte Thompson, who performs with an incredible likeness to The Boss.

Curtain call

Then closing fervent festivities for another year will be local lads The Logues who will bring down the curtain on a massive weekend, ahead of jetting out to the USA and Europe for a string of tour dates in August and September.

• Tickets for this year’s Dergfest can be purchased by visiting  this website, or you can buy tickets directly from the co-organisers, Micky Joes, The Logues, The Derg Arms, and The Townhouse Venue.