The Big Bang Festival this year, as well as featuring guests from Brazil, Egypt, Keyna and European countries, is exploring the place of rhythm in Irish music through a ‘special one-off’ concert given by Dónal Lunny in the Button Factory, Temple Bar on Saturday, 28 July. He will be joined by Roisín Elsafty and Máirtín O’Connor, and there is support from Egyptian Bedouin musicians and Nick Roth and Francesco Turrisi.

The festival is running free workshops every Thursday night in July at 7pm in Walton’s New School of Music, George’s Street to prepare people to participate with 100 drummers, in the climactic Big Bang event for all the family at the band stand in St Stephen’s Green on Sunday, 29 July at 3.30pm.

Rhythm in theatre will be reflected in Brian Fleming’s one man show Gis a Shot of Your Bongos Mister, running at the Viking Theatre, from 24 – 29 July.

bigbangfestival.com.