Nathan ClareBealtaine is a free party project rooted in a shared belief in community-led dance culture. Spearheaded by Equinox and Club 061, the collectives have taken it upon themselves to create a unique party and communal setting nestled in the West of Ireland.
Since its inception in 2023, Bealtaine has grown into a biannual gathering that marks both the opening and closing of summer. Built collectively by those who attend, from hauling sound systems across sand to painting canvases by the fire, each edition builds organically on the last, bringing people together under the free party ethos and a shared love of dance music. We caught up with the Bealtaine team to talk about their origins, what’s required to make Bealtaine tick, as well as the role that free parties play in preserving and fostering Irish dance music culture.
Can you recall who or what prompted the initial idea to try and organise a free party, which ultimately led to Bealtaine’s creation?
Bealtaine was started in the finality of Club 061 as a space. Equinox was a night that had its beginnings in the club, which is how we were all introduced to each other. Jack, one of the lads who ran the club with me, suggested that we should run a rave to mark the start of the summer. Equinox and Club 061 shared the same values for the scene and, importantly, what kind of music to push, so the collaboration between all of us was natural.
Senan: The rigidity of running nights in a venue and trying to balance expenses with ticket sales was something that had started to wear thin on me. I originally started out running raves. I never got into promoting to run a business; I just wanted to see more good stuff happening in the city. So, it made sense to go back to the roots and get out of the clubs and into the dunes. No marketing gimmicks, no tickets. Just a big sound system in a place we would call our own for the night.
When did you start Bealtaine? How many of these free parties have you thrown, and how have they evolved from the beginning up to now?
Equinox: We started Bealtaine back in 2023 and have run six editions so far, one to open each summer and one to close it. Whether it’s on the production end of things or just being more prepared on the day, we aim to improve on each show.
Something that made a huge difference this year was increasing the size of the team and the delegation of roles into sound, lighting, tech, art, and logistics. We’ve been very lucky to welcome James and Aaron to the team as the lighting crew. We were struggling to improve on the lights as we already had quite a lot to set up in a short space of time, and the addition of the lads’ lights really brought Bealtaine to the next level.
This year, we put more time into the creative side too, building light boxes from timber and bedsheets to stand either side of the stage. We also created a chill-out zone equipped with a firepit and canvases for people to paint on. These simple ideas added a nice touch.
There have been changes in terms of the music too, as time has gone on; house has naturally become the main sound down in the dunes. I think this comes from the fact that we are all aligned with the same vision in terms of the music we’d like Bealtaine to represent.
What does Bealtaine mean to you?
Senan: For me, Bealtaine at its core is about returning to the sense of community in dance music. As I was saying, club nights at the time had begun to feel a bit formulaic to me. With a free party though, there is an air of uncertainty around it, which creates this excited tension while it’s all being built. Pair that with an increased sense of inclusivity as everyone in the campsite gets to know each other, and the result is an unbelievable energy in front of the speakers when it all gets going.
With this party, especially, it truly takes a village to build it. Everyone who comes gets involved in moving equipment, building the stage, and making it happen. This strips away any barriers between the different roles and puts everyone back on the same team. When the stage is built and night comes and the lights are on, everyone out there, whether they’re behind the decks or on the dancefloor, knows that they are truly a part of the production and that’s one of the things that makes this party special.
Can you elaborate on the importance of providing a free party such as Bealtaine and what it means in nurturing the community you’ve grown, given that it is based in the West of Ireland and operates outside of Ireland’s licensing laws, as you have previously mentioned?
Equinox: A free party like Bealtaine is built on generosity. It’s not a business for us, it’s a community coming together to build something special. It’s funded by the donations of those who attend, and if you can’t or don’t want to donate, you don’t have to. When people do contribute, it shows they valued the experience, and that’s what keeps it going.
Can you explain how going later than what is typically allowed has had an effect on the moments created at these events overall?
Bealtaine Team: From the very first instance, the sunrise set became a very special part of the night for us. This kind of set is impossible anywhere with a license in Ireland, not even our biggest festivals have 24hr stages. There is something extremely special about house music in the early hours of the morning, and we’ve been missing out. Our first time doing the sunrise set was at a time when hardgroove, hard techno and speed garage were the dominant sounds in the club scene, so finding a place to play proper House music felt so good. It gave us an opportunity to wind down the night properly and share some music you might not hear out at club nights.
Given that Bealtaine is nomadic in the sense that it has no set location or areas for storage between each party, can you walk us through some of the logistical and physically demanding aspects of bringing the area/space/stage to life?
Senan: To be fair, we’re lucky that we have some storage space through my day job, our unofficial sponsor. We get access to the workshop, supplies, the van and the tools we need to build the rave. This has been huge for the growth of the project. In the first year, I stored materials and equipment at my house before the party, which worked fine, but as we’re growing, the sound system is getting bigger, there’s more artwork and more installations, without the space to build these things, meet up and discuss before the party we’d find it difficult to grow.
To keep costs down, we’re often only collecting equipment the day before or the day of the party, so being totally prepared with anything else that we can is everything. One thing always in the back of my head is that one missing or damaged cable could make or break the show, so while packing extras is obvious, last year for the first time ever we were able to run a full soundcheck with the system the night before, and honestly, knowing that everything worked as it should going into the van was a weight off the shoulders.
Unfortunately, one thing we can’t change is that we are limited by our time on site for the setup. We can’t really start setting up any earlier due to the nature of it, so making the loadout as quick as possible is what we’re always trying to improve on.
Can you give us a rundown of the music policy one can expect to hear at these parties?
Equinox: We believe that we don’t have to stick to one genre. At each Bealtaine there’s a mix of house, techno and garage, with the energy building up through the night before easing back into the morning. However, the sound that ties it all together, and in our opinion, suits the setting best, is house. It’s how we start every time, and how we bring it to a close in the morning.
Can you name each of your favourite sets witnessed at Bealtaine over the years?
Brian: Chaz Moloney’s set at the second Bealtaine will always be a memorable one. The fact that we pulled a live set-up off down in the dunes was an accomplishment in itself, and for it to be Chaz’s first time bringing his live set in front of a crowd made it that much more special. Seeing how far he has taken it since, with hardware and their improvised live sets, I’m delighted we were able to give him a space to road test it in the beginning.
Rory: Kule at the most recent Bealtaine was one of my highlights for sure. Seeing one of my good friends playing his own music to a crowd that is absolutely going for it will always stick with me. I think the set really reflected the work that he’s been putting in in terms of his productions lately, and I was glad we could give him the platform to show that.
Ceadan: In August 2024, Charlotte Walsh b2b Stitch was a particularly memorable set. Both had been doing bits on the run-up to it, and we had always thought that their two styles together would make for a really cool set.
Rory, Ceadan, Brian: The set from Senan and Eamo in the morning of each Bealtaine has become a bit of a classic at this stage. The pair of them together bring such a perfect selection of house for that time of the morning, and it’s always a perfect ending.
Senan: The first Bealtaine will always be my favourite. The energy was pure magic. I thought every one of our mates played so well and did such an unbelievable job, but the highlight set for me was Charlotte’s. The opening of her set was iconic and I think great sound selection coupled with the rain and an energetic dance floor is a recipe for something special.
Do you have a dream act you’d like to have play at Bealtaine in future?
Bealtaine Team: It’s not too much about big names for us. Bealtaine is more an opportunity for our friends and lesser-known Irish DJs to showcase their talent than to bring in a big name. The DJs who play are part of the team that helps build it, and I think that collective effort makes it more special. That being said, if it continued to grow, and we had the opportunity to have a big act, someone like Ryan Elliot or The Trip would really fit the sound we’re pushing.
What are each of your most memorable moments from these raves that you’d like to share?
Senan: Honestly, one of my favourite memories is probably also one of our most stressful moments from May last year. The rain was pretty brutal as we were loading in and it delayed the stagebuild, which slowed everything else down. As the stage was completed and we were setting up the equipment, the wind started to pick up. Just as the music was getting started, the wind turned into a gale and we were scrambling trying to tie the stage and stretch tent with sandbags. After a minute, we realised there’s literally nothing we could do but hold onto the stretch tent and stage physically.
During the first set we had about 25-30 people all lined up along the tarps holding them down, taking shifts, stopping the tarps from getting damaged and the structures from folding. After a couple of hours, the wind relaxed, but honestly, this was a very humbling experience.
This reminded us that while we gain certain freedoms, what we’re doing is very far removed from the comforts of renting a space and having everything laid out for you. The reason why this has stuck out to me as one of my favourite moments, though, was the camaraderie within the community we’ve built. Everyone knew something had to be done and got involved in making it work, and when the wind subsided, we could all have a laugh about it. I believe it was this collective effort against the weather that turned this show into one of our highest energy parties, nothing but smiles in the rain.
What improvements or adjustments do you plan to implement for future editions?
Bealtaine Team: One thing we’ve talked about is taking the stage build up another level and experimenting with a more ambitious design. For the next edition, we also plan to put more time into the creative side of things, building more art installations that add to that festival feeling we’re aiming for.
An improvement we brought in this year, which was an absolute game-changer, was welding a sled together so we could pull the heavy objects instead of lifting them. Those Void tops are no joke, great sound comes at a cost and to be honest, you’d have to be a bit nuts to do what we do.
We would also love to incorporate more activities into the weekend. There’s been yoga sessions and sea swims, but we’d love to get a football match going too.
Would you like to share some words of advice to other people who may be interested in trying to organise something similar?
Bealtaine Team: Free parties like Bealtaine are possible, but they take a lot of work and responsibility. One thing that we wouldn’t want to get overlooked is maintaining the environment where you throw your party. We make sure not to leave a trace on that beach, which means spending hours collecting rubbish, sorting it into the van and disposing of it properly. If you’re looking to do something like this, respect the space you use and clean up properly – local communities will always be upset if you leave a mess.
Beyond that, build a team that shares your vision, be creative and keep in mind that understanding your sound system is the most important part of the show. These parties aren’t about profit. They’re about creating something for the community and for the love of the music.
Keep up to date with the organisers here and here.
