Max HeyraudIreland’s longest-running electronic music festival, Celtronic, presents a bold new commission in collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, as part of a landmark event hosted at The Guildhall and Guildhall Square in Derry.
Taking place on Saturday, April 19th, 2025, The Triumph of Music is a one-off public art experience that celebrates the city’s deep-rooted connection to rave culture. The event marks a defining moment in Celtronic’s history, not only as part of the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary celebrations, but also as a highlight of the festival’s final ever edition.
This ambitious project is the result of a unique partnership between Celtronic, The Playhouse Derry, and Jeremy Deller, whose past works, from reenactments of miners’ strikes to explorations of acid house and protest culture, have consistently merged art, politics, and counter-culture.
As part of The Triumph of Music, Derry-based artist David Campbell has produced a visually striking comic, Common Ground, an illustrated deep dive into the untold story of rave culture in the North West. Tracing the path from Deep Fried Funk to the rise of Celtronic, the comic blends personal memory, local folklore, and underground resistance into a powerful visual narrative.
Common Ground will be available for free at The Guildhall on the day of the event and is recommended for mature readers.
