On Saturday 18th March, a selection of this year's RTÉ 2FM Rising Acts - KhakiKid, Aonair, Sweetlemondae and Winnie Ama - will join Irish international sensations Pillow Queens at Festival Quarter at National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
The evening will see the iconic site transformed into a unique urban Festival from 6.30pm, with live music across 4 stages. There will also be live DJs, the best in Irish food and drinks, art installations, pop-up performances and much more.
Get your tickets to Pillow Queens & Friends
RTÉ 2FM Rising Act KhakiKid has had a whirlwind of a start to his career - exploding onto the scene just over two years ago, drawing in fans instantly with his alt-style and distinctive tone.
His debut EP Elevator Music, along with new single and video Babybrown, featuring previous singles Woodstock, Sports & Tattoos and Shlumped Up, has racked up over 2 million streams. Elevator Music cements KhakiKid as an undeniably fresh presence in the burgeoning Irish rap scene, capturing the essence of summer in his unique sonic world. With this EP KhakiKid is just getting started and is marked as one of the most exciting new artists to watch.
RTÉ 2FM 2023 Rising Act Winnie Ama is part of a new breed of electronic artists blending conscious lyrics, soulful alternative RnB vocals with dance, house and pop rhythms.
The Belfast born and raised Northern-Irish-Ghanaian artist has had success with multiple MusicWeek UK Club Chart top 10’s and support from, RTÉ 2FM, FM104, BBC Radio Ulster, with BBC Introducing Gemma Bradley referencing her fresh writing style and distinctive voice. Winnie Ama’s writing style is inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse. She switched from writing poetry and stories to writing music and studied jazz vocals before making her commercial music debut in 2019.
RTÉ 2FM 2023 Rising Act Aonair's sound combines lush electronic production with dreamy reverbs, huge drum sounds and soaring vocal melodies to create a dreamy but powerful sound. Influences include The War on Drugs, Tears for Fesrs, Julie Cruise and The Blue Nile.
During the COVID pandemic, Aonair began working on a collection of songs between studios in Dublin and his grandparent's house in the picturesque seaside Donegal village of Rathmullen. The results of this are big and bold, synth-drenched upbeat indie-pop tracks with an 80's edge. Off the back of a super busy summer appearing at Electric Picnic, Kaleidoscope, All Together Now, Stendhal and more, Aonair released the new EP Loveheart Birthmark in Oct 2022 to high acclaim.
23-year-old MC, Sweetlemondae - RTÉ 2FM Rising Act - started releasing music on Soundcloud and YouTube at the age of 15.
Her first festival appearances at Body&Soul and Electric Picnic saw Sweetlemondae captivate her audience with her commanding stage presence and profound lyrics as she raps passionately about relatable topics. She was chosen as one of the 50 artists selected for the biggest Ireland showcase Ireland Music Week in 2022. Sweetlemondae gets her MC sound and style inspiration from a variety of artists, including 070 Shake, Little Simz, Coi Leray and IAMDDB.
