Craig David Bray Headliner Delayed 365 Days

Craig David’s day in Bray may never come…

nnounced in early March, a four-day music festival at the Bray Wanderers’ Carlisle Grounds quickly got the red card.

And that’s because independent promoters Bad Apple seemingly forgot to sign, seal and deliver all the music festival permission slips and licences needed for a four-day music festival at the Bray Wanderers’ Carlisle Grounds.

Entitled Under The Giant Festival, and listed as running from Thursday, August 20th to Sunday 23rd this year, Craig David was the first act to be confirmed. And now the lad will have to wait an extra 365 days to sample the delights of Bray.

Bad Apple’s Zack Dutton has said the aim of the festival was to bring international headline artists to “what is one of the most beautiful coastal settings in the country“.

He’s talking about the Carlisle Grounds, by the way, the football club going into partnership with Bad Apple, thanks to a capacity of 4,999 people per night. That one of Dutton’s grandfathers, Joe, was a founder of Bray Wanderers was a big part of the inspiration, the Under The Giant title also coming from the old man‘s description of a rock formation on Bray Head as a sleeping giant.

None of which came up at the April meeting of the Bray district meeting, Councillor Joe Behan instead expressing his frustration at the lack of communication from Bad Apple, as well as the premature promotion of the event and the absence of legally required licences.

The announcement of Under The Giant last month came as a surprise not only to council staff but local residents too, with district manager Jackie Carroll also confirming that she had not heard about the festival until the advertisements appeared.

And so she held a meeting the Bray Wanderers management team, Carroll being assured that they were “very apologetic” for what had happened, with the promoter now instructed to cease all advertising and promotional activity. And to wait a whole year, mainly because of a lack of Garda numbers.

“Residents needed to be consulted with,” Carroll went on to explain, the first in a list of requirements the promoters must now undertake if the festival is to go ahead.

Meanwhile, Dutton and co-founder Gary McGuinness has confirmed that alongside Mr David other acts lined up for Under The Giant include Irish electronic duo 19th & Main, Patrick Nazemi and Bray DJ Fionnuala Moran.

And if any of those get your mojo rising, you can grab your tickets for August 20th 2027 right about here.