Talented musicians answer call to make Culture Night a special event

Since early August, nine young Tipperary-based musicians, aged 16 to 25, have been coming together to play music, arrange songs, co-write original tracks and collaborate creatively with each other. Taking their creativity and bolstering it with professional support and experience is the idea behind Enter The Night 2026, a project that will come to life for one night this September, on Culture Night.

The idea is simple. Through an open call, singers and instrumentalists from all over Tipperary were invited to apply to be part of the Enter The Night Mentorship Project, targeting the next generation of musicians in the county who are serious about pursuing their craft. From an incredible pool of talented young applicants, the selected nine musicians are in the throes of a truly special programme, involving access to support and mentorship from some of Ireland’s most seasoned musicians.

The Supergroup is a collection of Tipperary's next generation of musicians: Jonathan Cummins on drums, Killian Wierczynski on bass, Fergal Bradshaw and Harry McMahon on synth and piano, Michael Pollard and Peadar Bradshaw on electric guitar, and vocalists Kit O’Regan, Zoe Gavin and Callum Laverty.

At the musical helm is Stephen McGrath of Crow Black Chicken and Tipperary Battle of the Bands, who is working with the group as Musical Director. Rather than teaching the musicians a set of songs, Stephen is working with them to develop arrangements, experiment with ideas and find the sound of this very particular group of musicians.

The musical influences in the room are varied, moving from PJ Harvey to Olivia Rodrigo, My Chemical Romance to Bob Dylan, with the musicians bringing their own interpretation and energy to songs that span generations of music.

Adding another dimension to the project are three very special guest Artist-Mentors, Sarah Corcoran of Pillow Queens, Cathal Mac Gabhann of The Altered Hours and MayKay of Fight Like Apes and Le Galaxie. Each brings years of experience of songwriting, recording, touring and performing, and each will spend time with the Supergroup sharing the kind of knowledge that can only really come from having lived it.

The mentors will also become part of the performance itself, collaborating with the Supergroup on stage on Culture Night. They will perform their own original material backed by the young players, giving the nine musicians the opportunity to share a stage with artists whose careers they are only beginning to imagine for themselves.

The result will be presented as a large-scale outdoor concert on Kickham Plaza on Friday, September 18th, running from 9pm to 11pm and completely free and open to all ages.

Enter The Night has been designed as a genuinely collaborative performance, bringing together young musicians, established artists, theatre and community performance. Stagecraft Youth Theatre will present a promenade piece developed in collaboration with Clonmel Junction Arts Festival’s Tom Campbell masks, adding a visual and theatrical element to the evening.

Finally, the full Supergroup, guest Artist-Mentors and Stagecraft will be joined on stage by Clonmel Community Choir, bringing the musicians and performers together for a huge collaborative closing performance involving over 50 people.

For Kate Twohig and Eoin Hally, the creative producers behind the project through When Next We Meet, it is another opportunity to bring artists together in Clonmel and create a space for new work to develop.

Now in their third year of producing Culture Night Late in Clonmel, in partnership with Tipperary Arts Office, When Next We Meet is perhaps best known for its flagship summer festival at Raheen House, which recently brought The Waterboys to Clonmel. Enter The Night, however, represents a very different kind of project. This time, the focus is firmly on the next generation.

Together with Stephen McGrath, they are creating a professional environment in which the young musicians can develop their own creativity rather than simply rehearsing a preconceived finished product.

“Creating opportunities for this age group was something we really wanted to do when we applied for funding. There’s a transition that happens after structured music programmes in schools or rock camps, where you’re suddenly figuring it out for yourself. You know you want to make music and play in bands, but you might not know where the opportunities are or how to take that next step. Enter The Night is really trying to make that feel real and tangible for the Supergroup, and give them access to amazing industry mentors as we prepare for the concert on September 18th.” Kate Twohig, Creative Producer.

That investment in young artists is reflected in the support the project has received. Enter The Night 2026 is funded by the Arts Council through the Culture Night Late Strand 1 programme and Tipperary Arts Office, and delivered in partnership with Music Generation Tipperary, Stagecraft Youth Theatre, Tipperary Battle of the Bands, Clonmel Junction Arts Festival and Clonmel Community Choir.

The audience can expect a night that moves from emerging local acts to the Enter The Night Supergroup, from established guest artists to theatre and choir, before bringing everyone together for a finale that promises to be a strong statement of youth creativity in Tipperary.

And there is something particularly special about the fact that this performance will happen only once.

The music has been arranged with these nine musicians. The collaborations have grown out of this particular group. The finale will bring together more than 50 performers who have spent recent weeks creating something that didn't exist before.

Enter The Night is a Culture Night Late project for one night, in one place, with a new generation of Tipperary musicians at its heart.

Friday, September 18th, 9-11pm, on Kickham Plaza, Clonmel. Free and open to all ages.