Breaking news! Northern Ireland's Inter(net) Cultural Radio station, Homely Planet, will be supporting the Peace Day campaign and will be recording activities at the event on the 21st September to be included in a 24hr broadcast dedicated to the International Day of Peace. www.homelyplanet.org

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Springboard is holding the first local Belfast Peace Day Concert to raise awareness of the International Day of Peace on 21st September 2008. Springboard wants to create a talking point about this international day of ceasefire and non-violence, and this free music festival will be a fantastic day for the whole community.

When and where?

The music festival runs from 1.00pm-7.00pm at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Cathedral Quarter, Gordon Street, Belfast. Doors open at 12.30pm, and hot food, refreshments and confectionery will be available for purchase throughout the day. Admission is free.

More than just music...

The whole event will be officially opened by Belfast Rose of Tralee Mary Frances Loughran. There will also be performances by the Belfast City Breakers, poi dancing, the Motion Project and a Chinese Dragon dance!

Homely Planet will also be present throughout the day recording the proceedings for streaming on their internet radio station exploring religion, race and cultural diversity.

Fun for the whole family

More than just a free music festival, the event will be a fun day for the whole family, with an interactive information room; arts, crafts and activities room for children; face-painting; bouncy castle and more!

For music lovers of all ages, there will be not only some of the best local bands around as well as a free DJ music-production master class led by Beat 'n' Track between 1pm and 4pm, giving festival goers an opportunity to learn music production methods and software.

What bands are playing?

An amazing range of local bands have been confirmed, each doing their bit to promote and celebrate Peace Day with the whole community. See our list of bands below, and don't forget to check out their MySpace sites!

Jason Clarke - Website

Jason Clarke is a self-taught singer-songwriter from Belfast. In 2006 Jason released an EP of six songs and earlier this year decided it was time to getting working on a full set - having now reworked the EP and added new tracks he's completed his debut album - Talking In Hindsight. Late last year he showcased some of his songs when he supported Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini.

Armed with advice from Brian Kennedy and Paolo Nutini, Jason is set to release his debut album, Talking In Hindsight, on 12th November.

Driving by Night - MySpace

Driving By Night are named as "Belfast's hardest working band" and looking at everything they've achieved this year you'll understand why. Fresh from a sold out show in New York’s Mercury Lounge with critical acclaim from around the world after three showcases at 2008’s South By South West festival the guys returned to studio to work on their album, due out in late 2008.

On 21st July they release their second single with Ireland's Dental Records, which will be available through iTunes, Amazon and other major download sites. An intense live experience, delivering tracks both introspective and euphoric, Driving By Night consistently prove that they are the must-see band of the moment.

"A charismatic, fiery performance and melancholic, crooning vocals match perfectly their lively dynamics, while the acoustic 'Weakness' brings a few wistful, mournfully laid back moments" - BBC: Across The Line

The Jahm Band - MySpace

The Jahm Band are a collection of musicians who play the kind of music you’ve always wanted to hear. Originally set up by Will Hawkins and Ciaran Laverty a few years ago, the Jahm Band is now made up of five fantastic musicians from around Northern Ireland. They play a funk/jazz/rock fusion that explodes from the stage with incredible energy, taking their audience on a journey… and pretty much sucking them up onto the dance floor!

Joe Echo - Website

DAILY MIRROR FEATURE By Gary Gilliland 31/Aug/07: THE word about experimental Co Derry singer-songwriter Joe Echo is spreading faster than a holler through the Grand Canyon. The former front man of rockers Leya, aka Ciaran Gribbin, has been working on a few tracks with Verve maestro Chris Potter, who produced Urban Hymns. Joe, who puts together a rich platter of acoustic-electronica (if that makes sense) also features on The Waves, a dance remix by Dj Liam Shachar from Israel. And as if that's not enough he has just come off the back of an Irish tour pairing up with Corkman Eoin Coughlan, a fine crafter of songs if ever there was one.

Kagura - MySpace

Formed in January 2005, Kagura are a Belfast-based Indie Rock band. Fronted by joint male/female vocalists, Kagura employ contrasting acoustic and electric guitars seamlessly fused with soaring harmonies and melody. Drawing upon their collective influences, including artists such as Damien Rice, Biffy Clyro, Imogen Heap and Jeff Buckley, the band has created a hugely unique and definitive sound of their very own. The band are currently writing and recording material for their next EP, which will hopefully be released in Summer 2008.

"Belfast quintet Kagura blend Irish folk, indie and epic rock to create astounding music as an alternative at V. Opener 'The Wedding Song' lures the crowd into a false sense of security with anthemic, heartfelt indie that isn't over ambitious. Wow. One song in and Kagura establish their sound and its longevity [...]."
(Maria Pinto-Fernandes - Road To V)

Olympic Lifts - Website

The single 'I Am Cursed' is a poptastic assault on the ears and has been described as "Great. Funny, catchy and a sweet punch in the face to boot" by Snow Patrol front man Gary Lightbody. Before finalizing any new recordings, Olympic Lifts always like to try out the new songs on a live audience, and their new third album has been no exception. After a UK Tour over December 2007 and January 2008 the band are teamed up with old pals Oppenheimer for an Irish tour in May 2008.

The Rusty Shacklefords

The Rusty Shacklefords are a supergroup of talented musicians from some of Belfast's best bands. Featuring a selection of vocalists including Jonny Black (LaFaro), Neal Hughes (Driving by Night) and Nick McCallan (God Talking Soul) they play good old fashioned Rock 'n' Roll music and encourage real audience participation!

Skruff - MySpace

GLASGOWBURY REVIEW:

Describe in 3 words: Absolute Crowd Favourites
Crowd reaction: A huge turnout for these lads. From start to finish the crowd couldn't get enough of them and their immense stage presence. With crowd surfing and pogoing a-plenty, the energy from both the band and those dancing around was going to be tough to beat.

Remarkable moment: As mentioned, the stage presence from these guys gets better every time. The stand out track and highlight of the moment for me was 'Fabulous Weapon'. Funky, rocky, catchy. Without doubt, one of the overall festival highlights.
Glasgowbury rating out of 10: 9