29.07.2006: SPRAOI Festval - a week away:	SPRAOI
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The Spraoi Festival, held over the August Bank Holiday weekend, is an annual riot of colour, energy and excitement with an atmosphere that is unique among Irish festivals. It takes over the city centre of Waterford for three days, transforming the streets and quays of the city into a giant stage for acts from all over the world. Spraoi is committed to the advancement of street arts, and the festival produces and showcases some of the best in the world. The festival is also a platform for top quality world music. And it's all free! Friday lunchtime it all kicks off with the official re-opening of Wyse Park, which features the first performance of 2006 of Spraoi Drums. Then at 4pm, throughout the city centre, the festival really gets into its stride. There’s music and street theatre, with Dot Comedy, Split Whiskers and Bull Circus. Waterford Folk Club is in Cathedral Square and the Teenage Kicks stage is on Gladstone street. Music on the William Vincent Wallace Plaza kicks off at 5.30, and at 7.30 in the windows of Sherwood's there’s the first showing of Delits de Façade. Unmissable! Fidget Feet present the aerial show “Wired and Free” in Lombard Street car park at 10pm. Not forgetting the Carlsberg Rhythm Route which will be getting under way also on Friday evening. And the Spraoi Festival Club in the Forum opens it’s doors at 11.30pm! Saturday between 1pm and 4pm the focus is on the city centre again. Some of the highlights include Trukitek in Cathedral Square, street theatre in Wyse Park and great music on the John Roberts Square stage. Saturday evening the focus of the festival switches to the Peoples Park/Lombard street area of the city. For three hours from 5pm, from Lombard Street to the corner of Water Street, and including William St and Canada St., the entire area will come alive to all manner of sights and sounds. There’s something for everyone, whether you want to sit and watch, or walk around. There’s shows by aerial company Upswing, Dot Comedy and James Hessler among others, and music from The Matzos and Tórann. Not forgetting walkabout entertainment by Big Rory and The Blokes. There’s also The Drummers of Burundi on the John Roberts Square stage on Saturday evening at 9.15pm, and Musiklab on the Plaza. This is just a sample of what should be a wonderful evening’s entertainment, culminating in “Wired and Free”, the aerial show by Fidget Feet in Lombard street carpark at 10pm. Sunday is wall to wall activity from 2pm, with no less than twelve city centre areas programmed over four hours. Tumble Circus and Upswing will both present aerial shows, and these are bound to be a huge draw. Gladstone Street features the New Band Stage. Then at 9.30pm there’s probably the highlight of the festival, the Spraoi Parade “WAAARGH”, followed by Pyrofantasia with a spectacular firework display to bring the festival to a close See here for further information, or click here to save the full program of events as a PDF.

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