The 2012 Hard Working Class Heroes festival takes place 4–6 October, with bands, industry events, and photography exhibitions.

Music and theatre group Béal have announced details of their three-day November festival, featuring new Irish music and works by Robert Ashley and Tom Johnson.

The Improvised Music Company plays with the anti-jazz protests in 1930s to promote contemporary Irish jazz acts in a Temple Bar festival.

This festival brings traditional, hip-hop and indie music out of the city centre and into venues across Dublin's north side for afternoon concerts and masterclasses suitable for all the family.

The electro-acoustic performance group will bring a programme of works for harpsichord and electronics to the Bucharest festival.

The line up for this year’s An Droichead Festival includes Iarla Ó Lionáird and Steve Cooney, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Pádraig Rynne, Dónal Lunny, John McSherry and Graham Henderson.

The Classical, Music and Wired strands all focus on artists that fuse or defy genres, with an eclectic mix of international and Irish music.

International jazz and world music acts come together for a week of fusion concerts and masterclasses in Sligo.

The weekend festival of new Irish and international music features a host of experimental and innovative acts, and a number of works from the festival's calls for work.

Béal have issued a call for scores of text-based pieces that respond to the work of composer Robert Ashley for this year's Béal Festival.

The Derry music festival has launched a 2012 programme that heavily features new Irish music.

The Malahide chamber choir win the awards for International Choir, Irish Mixed Voice Choir and Best Irish Language Song at the first Mayo Choral Festival.

The sixth annual festival, organised by children's charity the Musical Youth Foundation, has begun in Dublin, including music, art and food events.

This year's Galway Early Music Festival, with performances from early music specialists on authentic period instruments, takes place 17 – 20 May.

Ergodos present an intimate evening with the two musicians at The Back Loft in Dublin on 17 May.

Winning works by Solfa Carlile, Bill McGrath and J. Harry Whalley will be premiered during the West Cork Chamber Music Festival.

The twin exhibitions of Rua Red's annual digital arts and technologies festival open 11 May and close 15 June with a performance from the Spatial Music Collective

The festival brings together contemporary movement and music from across Europe.

Fleadh Nua in Ennis and the Skerries Trad Music Weekend are coming up later in the month and reflect how busy some traditional musicians are these days between workshops, sessions and concerts.

The annual gospel music festival brings together performers and enthusiasts for concerts and workshops in Bray 11 – 13 May

The Kilkenny Arts Festival has sent out an open invitation for singers to take part in its Festival Choir.

Sunday afternoon’s Four Winds concert in the Parochial Hall, Louisburgh features performers from Japan, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Zimbabwe, England and the USA.

Visiting musicians include Cormac Begley, Micheál and MacDara Ó Raghallaigh, Danny O’Mahony, Kevin Rowsome and Lorraine Hickey, Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Róisín White, Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh, and Rosie Stewart.

The line-up for the very first festival in the Mayo town includes Ray Davies and Jools Holland.

Irish jazz festival awarded for its innovative and adventurous programming

The Donegal surf and music festival takes place 29 June – 1 July, with Happy Mondays, The Kaiser Chiefs and The Coronas.

Peruvian singer Susana Baca and Norwegian Tord Gustavsen Trio to headline Bray Jazz Festival 2012

Two very different traditional music festivals are coming up after Easter. Clifden in Conamara plays it safe with a tried-and-tested formula, while the Flute Meeting in Baile Bhuirne is trying out some interesting formats.

The line-up has been announced for the Ballydehob Jazz Festival in May.

Éigse an Spidéil starts next week and includes a concert by Tommy Peoples, Dermot Byrne and French harpist Floriane Blancke, and sean-nós dancer Seosamh Ó Neachtain.

The eighth Scoil Cheoil an Earraigh festival will take place in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh on the Dingle Peninsula next week, starting on Wednesday, 15 February.

News of Altan's latest studio album, the Temple Bar Trad Fest line-up and concerts featuring Tommy Peoples, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich, Laoise Kelly, Kevin Burke, Paddy Keenan, Alan Burke and Guidewires.

There has been a late addition to the line-up for this year’s Ballincollig Winter Music Festival taking place in the White Horse on the last weekend of January.

Kevin Stevens travels to Ethiopia to find a tradition that has flourished against the odds.

The rise and fall of the Irish new music scene.