UK & Ireland artists announced for Horizons Stage at Womex 24

09 July 2024 - Press release

WOMEX 24, Manchester, 23-27 October

Delegate Passes and Festival Passes now on sale

 

Manchester Music City and Horizons have today (9 July) announced the nine artists selected to play the Horizons Stage at this year’s WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo). 

The Horizons Stage will platform and celebrate the diverse music from England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland/Alba and Cymru/Wales - helping homegrown artists gain international recognition on the world stage.

The Horizons partnership - comprising Arts Council England, Culture Ireland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Wales Arts International, Arts Council of Wales, British Council and British Underground - was founded over 10 years ago at WOMEX 13 in Cardiff, the last time the UK & Ireland hosted this major event. Since then the Horizons partners have come together each year at WOMEX, providing advice, funding and showcasing opportunities to grassroots musicians from each of the five nations. 

The WOMEX 24 Horizons Stage artists were chosen by a panel of music industry professionals following an open call for applications earlier this year. The line-up includes one act from the host city, in partnership with local producer Manchester Music City. 

 

The WOMEX 24 Horizons Stage artists are:

Amy Laurenson (Scotland/Alba)
Balimaya Project (England)
Cerys Hafana (Wales)
Córas Trio (Northern Ireland)
Gnoss (Scotland/Alba) 
Gwenifer Raymond (England)
N’famady Kouyaté (Cymru/Wales)
Rioghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet (Manchester) 
Strange Boy (Ireland)

A Spotify playlist and more information about each of the artists can be found on the Horizons website. 

Dr Claire Mera-Nelson, Director of Music at Arts Council England, said:

“On behalf of the Horizons partnership, we are delighted to announce the nine artists performing on the Horizons Stage at this year’s WOMEX. Over the last 10 years the Horizons partners have joined together at WOMEX to showcase the very best of the UK and Ireland’s rich musical offer to peers and industry professionals from across the globe. We are excited to be working with this year’s host partner Manchester Music City to kickstart the global careers of many more talented homegrown artists.”

With the announcement of the second wave of jury-selected showcase artists, alongside club summit DJs and the Horizons stage, altogether 47 acts from 37 countries are now lined up to entertain delegates and audiences later this year. For a full list of showcasing artists, visit the WOMEX website.

Recognised as the largest gathering of the global music industry with 2,600 delegates from 90 countries expected to attend, WOMEX 24 will take place in Manchester between 23-27 October. Manchester Central will host the main daytime conference and trade fair, with live music showcases, club nights and films at Albert Hall, Aviva Studios, Manchester Central, O2 Ritz Manchester, The Bridgewater Hall and HOME. 

This prestigious music industry event will also open its doors to the public with a limited number of WOMEX 24 Festival wristbands now on sale via the host organisation Manchester Music City. 

 

Horizons Partner Quotes: 

Siobhan Anderson, Music Officer at Creative Scotland said: “WOMEX provides an incredible opportunity for Scotland’s vibrant emerging talent to connect with people working across the breadth of the world’s music industry. With their roots in Orkney and Shetland, Gnoss and Amy Laurenson capture the unique traditions and innovations that Scotland’s music has to offer. Four-piece Gnoss already have a wealth of original material to draw upon from their three acclaimed albums, while Amy is ready to share the musical heritage that saw her named BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2023. Creative Scotland is proud to be part of the Horizons partnership, collaborating with peer organisations in the UK and Ireland to help these young artists reach new audiences and embark on the next part of their career.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “Congratulations to Belfast’s Córas Trio and all those artists that have been selected to perform on the Horizons Stage at WOMEX 24. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to take part in the Horizons Partnership, thanks to funding from The National Lottery. This funding is a game changer in enabling these artists to take that all-important next step in the development of their professional music careers. We are committed to providing valuable, meaningful opportunities for our artists to grow and reach their full potential, and the Horizons Stage offers artists not only the opportunity to connect with the UK-wide industry, but also to showcase the tremendous talent that is inherent to Northern Ireland on an international stage.”

Eluned Hâf, Head of Wales Arts International said: “I am extremely proud that two special artists are representing Wales on the WOMEX world stage this year. Cerys Hafana and her Welsh triple harp and N’famady Kouyaté and the Balafon will create a multilingual performance for delegates from around the world on this year's Horizons stage. Eleven years since we welcomed this incredible event to Cardiff, so much has changed and many Welsh musicians have had the opportunity to nurture relationships all over the world.”

Jen Cleary, Director North, Arts Council England said: “We’re proud to be working with our Horizons partners again and are looking forward to this exciting showcase of diverse musicians from across the UK and Ireland. The 30th edition of WOMEX in Manchester offers a fantastic stage for these artists to present their work to key international contacts and future partners and it’s clear how much the music sector values the opportunities created.  There’s such an exciting breadth of talent in this 2024 line up and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the performances in October.”

Sharon Barry, Director, Culture Ireland said: "As WOMEX comes to Manchester, we're so pleased to be working with our partners from across these islands in bringing the best of emerging voices to global (and Manchester) audiences on the Horizons stage. Our dual mission at Culture Ireland is to promote Irish arts worldwide and to highlight new and vibrant talents. With that in mind, we couldn't be prouder that Strange Boy will join the Horizons Stage line-up. Recipient of the Liam O'Flynn Award, he has been acclaimed for his innovative melding of rap and traditional Irish music. WOMEX audiences are in for a treat."