Nathan ClareOpening Paraghaph
Intro
Can you recall who or what prompted the initial idea to try and organise a free party, which ultimately led to Bealtaine’s creation? (Collective Answer)
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. We shared the same values for the scene and, importantly, what kind of music to push. The rigidity of running nights in a venue and trying to balance expenses with ticket sales had started to wear thin. I never got into promoting to run a business, I just wanted to see more for the city. Naturally, the next step was to go back to basics; out of the Club and into the dunes. No marketing gimmicks, no tickets. Just a big sound system in a place we would call our own for a night.
There had been parties happening in that spot for a couple of years, but we wanted to take things up a notch. We’d both been running club nights for a while, and we had always talked about throwing a rave. When we spoke with Senan, he had the location scoped out, so we decided to give it a go. It had been a long-term goal for us since the start, and that first Bealtaine was a big milestone.
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? (Collective answer)
We started Bealtaine back in 2023 and have run 6 editions so far, one to open each summer and one to close. Each one has evolved as we’ve learnt and built on what came before. Every year we’ve improved the production and added new art installations, pushing closer to that festival-like experience we aim for. The most recent edition was the first time it felt like everything came together exactly as we’d envisioned, which was really rewarding.
What does Bealtaine mean to you? (Individual or collective answer.)
For me, Bealtaine at its core is about returning to the sense of community in dance music. Club nights for me had begun to feel very formulaic, dancers became customers, DJs became staff and agents became management. Very commercial, very far from the idea of ‘rave culture’ I would’ve had when I got involved in this scene. With this party, 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 it back and puts everyone back on the same team. When it’s built and night comes and the lights are on, everyone out there, whether they’re behind the decks or on the dancefloor, they know that they are truly a part of the production.
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?
A free party like Bealtaine is built on generosity. It’s not a business venture 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. It’s ran off of kindness and respect. 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?
From the very first instance, the sunrise set became a very special part of the night for me. This kind of set is impossible anywhere with a license in Ireland, not even our biggest festivals have 24-hour 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?
It just means Bealtaine is a multi-day operation driving around in a van for me, collecting the sound system, lighting, building materials, generator; it all takes time. We need to plug everything in once it’s gathered and make sure we have everything, and some more. One missing cable could make or break the party, so being totally prepared is everything. This also means making the cuts in the timbers for the stage build so it can be assembled quicker on site. One thing we are limited on is time; we can’t set up a day before, so everything needs to happen in the few hours before we start. A huge advantage for us has been having access to the workshop from my day job. As materials are gathered, this is where they are stored and it has also been the home for us to make our art installations and cut the timbers for the stage build.
There’s a lot of work that goes into making Bealtaine happen. In the weeks leading up to it, there are nights spent in the workshop building art installations, cutting timber for the stage, collecting equipment and making sure everything is ready to go. When it comes to the day itself, it’s all hands on deck, loading the van, double-checking gear and driving to the location, before hauling everything over the dunes to the site. The set-up is tough work, but there are moments throughout the night when you stop to take it all in, and seeing what we’ve built, plus everyone enjoying it makes it all worth it.
Can you give us a rundown of the music policy one can expect to hear at these parties?
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? (Individual answers)
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 it was class to 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 is always a set to look forward to.
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? (Individual answer)
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. If there were to be a big act, they would also have to understand that due to the nature of it being a free party in an isolated location, we’re not in a position to provide the hospitality they would be used to. (Suggest taking out this last sentence)
What are each of your most memorable moments from these raves that you’d like to share? (Individual answers if possible)
Something that comes to mind which was particularly memorable, was the fire juggler at the most recent Bealtaine. This wasn’t something that we had planned; we didn’t even know the guy, he arrived with his equipment and put on a show in the middle of the night. This is a prime example of what we have said previously about the community involvement in this, one of the rave goers bringing something of their own that added to the night.
Honestly, my favourite memory is probably one of our most stressful moments from May this year. The wind picked up into a gale for a couple of hours just as we were starting to set up. The rain was brutal and delayed the build, so we were scrambling trying to tie the stage and stretch tent with sandbags as the wind picked up. We literally could do nothing but hold onto the stretch tent and stage physically, about 25-30 people all lined up along the tarps holding it down, taking shifts, trying to beat the weather. We won in the end, 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 comradery within the community we’ve built. Everyone knew something had to be done to make this happen, and when the wind subsided, we could all have a laugh about it. I believe it was this effort against the weather that turned this show into one of our highest energy parties.
In May 2024, coming back over the dunes to see the campsite packed with tents was a good feeling. It was so many more than the previous year – it showed how much it had grown in that space of time. There were moments like this at every Bealtaine really, because we are finishing setting up, we’re not over at the campsite before the music has started, so it’s always nice to come back to see how many people have shown up and a nice buzz around the place.
What improvements or adjustments do you plan to implement for future editions?
We are constantly improving on each show, either logistically or on the production end of things. Number one was increasing the size of the team and the delegation of roles into sound/lighting/tech/art/logistics; it makes a huge difference. We’ve been very lucky to welcome James and Aaron to the team as the lighting crew. I was struggling to improve on the lights as I already had quite a bit to be thinking about. This was an absolute game-changer for the one in May. Another big improvement was that I welded a sled together so we could pull 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.
Each year, we’ve gotten better at organising things as we learn from previous editions and are more prepared on the day. One thing we’ve talked about is taking the stage build-up to another level, experimenting with a more ambitious design, and adding new art installations that add to that festival feeling we’re aiming for.
[We’re also focused on making the setup more streamlined. For the most recent Bealtaine, we built a sled to pull the sound system and generator over the dunes instead of carrying them, a small change that made a big difference.] (Best to get rid of this paragraph due to repetition about the sled)
We would also love to incorporate more activities into the weekend. There have 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?
Free parties like Bealtaine are possible, but they take a lot of work and responsibility. Respect the space you use, clean up properly, and make sure you leave no trace. Build a team that shares your vision. We believe it’s not about profit, it’s about creating something for the community and for the love of the music.
Honestly, one thing I wouldn’t want to get overlooked here is the importance of maintaining the environment where you throw your party. We don’t even leave a single bottle on that beach, which means spending hours collecting trash, sometimes the sun is blazing or it’s lashing rain, neither is a fun time when you’re hungover. There’s usually about 30 black bags that come back with me to the workshop in the van, which then need to be sorted into glass, aluminium and general waste before being skipped. This takes time, and it’s not glamorous. If you’re looking to do something like this, respect the responsibility. Local communities will always be upset if you leave a mess. Apart from that, be creative and keep in mind that understanding your sound system is the most important part of the show; good sound will elevate the energy and keep people dancing longer.
Keep up to date with the organisers here and here.
