In yet another creative alternative, Lisbon based festival ‘PORT to PORT’ is going online.

Emerging initially to strengthen the longstanding relationship between Ireland and Portugal, ‘PORT to PORT’ festival was started by a Lisbon based crew of Cork natives, Garden Collective.

The cancellation of their festival that was due to showcase music, art and poetry from both countries has led the Garden Collective crew to get creative. They have converted their two day festival into a one day live-streamed festival starting in the afternoon Saturday 21 March. Going well into the night the recently renamed online festival (PORT to PORT Connected) will consist of two main parts. First, a livestream that will feature a mix of artists streaming from their homes. And second, a “virtual festival” which walks people through how the festival could have been — this allows the team to showcase the up-and-coming artists who would have played and support what they are doing, an aspect of the festival that is very important to all the Garden Collective members.

The details of the festival are vague thus far, but this is because it’ll be happening on the fly. So far, the crew have several Irish and Portuguese musicians digging out cables, blowing dust off of keyboards and plugging in mics in order to get ready to join the craic.

One of the festival organisers, Cork man Eddie Ivers, commented “Although our festival needed to be postponed, we wanted to give people a feel for what it would have been like this weekend in sunny Lisboa. We were excited about sharing magical moments and listening to amazing music with all you beautiful people, and we think we still can. Just through the use of imagination, an internet connection and a screen.”

“We put a lot of time, energy and love into the organisation of the festival and were excited to be working with such a massive group of talented musicians, performers, DJs, artists and just all-round lovely folk. With all this technology at our fingertips, we think it would be silly not to support all these artists and expose all this beautiful art to the world!”

Anybody interested click here.

Alternatively follow Garden Collective on social media @agardencollective, where they will be broadcasting across multiple platforms.

The Original Line-up (to give an idea of how we were dividing acts)

Time for T (solo) (Street Mission Records) – PT

Mariana Badan – BR

Citrus Fresh (PX Music) – IRL

Hazey Haze (PX Music) – IRL

Atelier Francesco – IT

Will Grant – UK

Mark Waldron-Hyden (Sunshine Cult Records) – IRL

MagMell – PT

Elaine Malone – IRL

Foggy – IT

Actualacid (Hausu) – IRL

SmokedFalmon – PT

KONE (Con O Brien) – IRL

Sean Being – IRL

Soft Focus (Sunshine Cult Records) – IRL

Senhor Santos (County Vinyl) – IRL

Palavra Lisboa – UK / PT

The Crossover, a collaborative multi-disciplinary performance, in association with Garden Collective and supported by Cork City Council Arts Office, featuring Irish artists: Shaunna Lee Lynch, Spekulativ Fiktion, Molly McAliste, Shane McIntyre, Roisin McCabe, Katie O’Grady, Joe Madigan, The Choke Collective, Alexander Edgar, Emmet Brickley, Ciaráin Mac Artain; and Portuguese artists: Mr. Bubble, Shaka’s lo-fi Experience and Jay Graca.