CONCERT REVIEW: THE SEISÚN IRISH MUSIC FESTIVAL

From Friday September 6 to Sunday September 7, 2025, Boston welcomed the two-day Irish music festival at Suffolk Downs.

The event this year features a star-studded lineup, including Drop Kick Murphys and The Hold Steady on Saturday; The Pogues, Glen Hansard and the Waterboys on Sunday.

The festival kicked off with Holy Locust hitting the stage at 2:10 p.m. on Saturday. The New-Orleans based five members band was exceptional. An acoustic folk band, Holy Locust, blend the raw energy and ideals of punk music with refined folk traditions from around the world.

During the performance, Holy Locust songs were accompanied by a group of talented musicians, while the crowd was clapping and enjoying moody lyrics and powerful singing.

Holy Locust

At 3:13 p.m.  although the forecast alerted severe storm, the event continued with “Dance like Nobody’s Watching.” The band played from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

After a very short break, The Rumjacks came on stage. The group performed from 4:19 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The next group to perform on Saturday was The Scratch. The Scratch’s set was cut about 15 minutes short due to the storm. 

Rumjacks

The Scratch

“Due to severe weather in the area, please evacuate the event and seek shelter immediately,” the PR agent of the event Nicole Kanner declared.

Following that announcement, most festival attendees quickly left the area while several hundreds of them found shelter in the Suffolk Downs Club house, which was opening for simulcast beating daily.

After three hours rain delay, the Seisiún festival resumed with a performance by The Hold Steady at 8:15 p.m. Many festival attendees were still present to listen to the music. They were very excited that the show was still going on. They were also happy as the venue decided to open the pit area to all ticket holders. 

At 10:15 p.m. Dropkick Murphys, the headliner, took the stage. The Quincy-born band played a 75-minute set. They received a 15-minute extension to the city’s curfew due to the rain delay.

The second day started with John Francis Flynn coming on stage at 1:49 p.m. The folk singer from Dublin played a terrific instrumental set accompanied by some hundreds of fans scattered around the festival grounds, including Saturday’s performer Holy Locust and Sunday’s headliner, The Pogues.

Following Francis Flynn’s performance, the music continued with folk singer Lisa O’Neil, playing the banjo and the acoustic guitar.

Accompanied by a bassist, O’Neil sang “Rock the Machine” about the automatization of the workplace historically and said it seems to be relevant today as well.

Between songs, O’Neil told stories of her life and the historical context of her music.

At 3:30 p.m. after O’Neil’s performance, Mairéad brings her big band on stage. Mairéad graced the crowd with powerful vocals supported by seven other musicians, including her two songs on horns.

At 4:27 p.m. Dancers from the Irish Cultural Center in Canton hit the stage. Two Irish step dancers from the club performed a jig, accompanied by two live musicians. The dancers perform every Wednesday at Boston’s The Dubliner pub and plan to attend the ICC’s 6^th annual Boston Irish Beer Festival on October 18 in Canton.

Following the dancer's performance, at 4:45 p.m. Just Mustard came on stage. The Irish band performed a very exceptional set. Among the group’s five members, lead singer Katie Ball attracted the most attention with her strong vocals, pink hair, and red tambourine.

The group announced the release of a new album, “We Were Just Here”, on October 24. 

Just Mustard

The next group after Just Mustard was Cardinals. From Cork, Ireland, the Cardinals composed of five members played a list of songs with strong beats and emotions.

“I’d like to thank the Pogues for having us. It’s an honor”, said the lead singer to the crowd.

Cardinals

At 7:02 p.m. Glen Hansard hit the stage. Missing the key members of his band due to flight issues, Hansard played with five other artists, including the two musicians performing with Irish Step Dancers from Canton’s Irish Cultural Center.

Throughout the set, the crowd sang, jumped, and clapped along to Hansard’s songs sharing in his lyrics his political views, on the current administration, especially on President Donald Trump. 

“There’s so much heart in this country. It’s a great thing. It’s always been there but just be proud of it because you guys are f-ing amazing, he said. “You got to work on your Uber drivers. Those f- ers are psycho.”

The crowd enjoyed every moment of Noah and Ezekiel joining Hansard on stage playing fiddle and flute.

Glen Hansard

After Glen Hansard, at 8:16 p.m. The Waterboys came on stage. The band arrived a little late at Logan Airport due travel delays. The group played with six musicians on Sunday. The crowd went crazy when the band performed the songs “Woo-ooo-ooo" and “And a bang on the ear.” 

“We better be good after this,” said lead singer Mike Scott.

The group played a mix of mellow Irish songs and rock ballads where the bass caused the festival grounds to vibrate. 

Waterboys

At 9:40 p.m. The Pogues came on stage. They were the last group performing to close out the Seisiún music festival at Suffolk Downs Sunday night. The English Celtic punk band founded in King’s Cross, London, in 1982, were terrific. 

The band played a mix of traditional Irish songs and original compositions from several albums – Red Roses for Me, (1984), Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985), EP Poguetry in Motion (1986), Peace and Love (1989), “Hell’s Ditch (1990), The Irish River”, which reached number one in Ireland and number 8 in the UK. 

The three members of The Pogues were accompanied by as many as 11 other musicians including Sunday’s performers Lisa O’Neil and John Francis Flynn joining the vocals. 

The Pogues

With several thousands of fans attending the two-day Irish music tradition, the Seisiún music festival was a success. Featuring an incredible lineup of artists across multiple genres, this is a must-see show. As a photographer of live music, I enjoyed the moment, and I would like to invite others to attend the next Seisiún music festival scheduled for 2026.