Here Ye, Here Ye! Merchy Christmas returns for a sixth year of music, merch, and merriment at The Grand Social this weekend, featuring Lankum, Soda Blonde, The Mary Wallopers, David Kitt, Pillow Queens, The Murder Capital, Bricknasty, Madra Salach and loads more…
The brainwave of Conor Cusack and the band Saint Sister, the event was first established during the Christmas lockdown in 2020, and emerged while they chatting about ways that they could create a personal connection with their listeners and thank them for their support over the difficult year. In a eureka moment they came up with the idea of a communal merch stall mixed with a Christmas market, and so Merchy Christmas, a real-life merch market where all your favourite artists flog their wares directly to their fans, was born!
Working with Keiron Black and the folks at The Grand Social, who have been longstanding champions of the independent music community, they put together a two-day event across multiple floors, which was hugely successful. 2021 saw the market return in full force, when once again, amidst challenging restrictions and venue closures, it raised much-needed funds for Irish artists and for an important cause – combatting Homelessness in Dublin.
Now in its sixth year, the crew are once again raising much-needed funds for those in need. Levels of homelessness in Dublin are higher than ever, and they hard at work and planning to help raise funds to support the work of Dublin Simon Community.
In addition to helping those at home, Merchy Christmas is also raising money for those who need help further afield. Specifically, children suffering in Palestine. This year, alongside Dublin Simon Community, the event is proudly partnering with The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).
In 2024 the event raised over €18,000 for the two charities. This year organisers are hoping to raise more to share between the two charity partners. A jumbo raffle will take place each day, with limited-edition merch kindly donated by the artists taking part across the weekend.
Some great prizes include a pair of weekend camping tickets to All Together Now, two weekend tickets to Forbidden Fruit, and two tickets to see the CMAT at St Anne’s Park, and two tickets to The Mary Wallopers at The SSE Arena Belfast. All that and much more, including a chance to win a full day in The Clinic Recording Studios for the hardcore muso in your life.
Across the weekend, market goers will be treated to some great live performances from the likes of Big Sleep, Bon Voyage, Caoi De Barra, Child Of Prague, Curtisy, Dani Larkin, DIVIL, Ispíní na hÉireann, Kean Kavanagh, May Kay, Sexy Tadgh, Soda Blonde and The Bonnymen (Smoking Area Session).
There’s also a host of foot stomping DJ sets from Arveene, Ben Bix, Ben Reinhardt, Bon Voyage, Caoi De Barra, Common Threads, DJackulate, Emmy Shigeta, Fleeting Devotion, Ian Blake, Jasmine Wood, Nialler9, Papa Romeo, Rory Sweeney and Sally Cinnamon.
Come into town, meet the music makers, and browse your way through some great wares…
See ya there!
Merchy Christmas takes place at The Grand Social on Saturday December 13th and Sunday December 14th from 11am – 7pm. Free admission (with a suggested donation of €6) Donations will be split between Dublin Simon Community and The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).
This year’s full vendor line-up is as follows:
AE Mak | Affection to Rent | Anamoe Drive | Basht | Beano | Big Sleep | BOLD LOVE | Bon Voyage / Arveene | Bricknasty | Bucket | Burglar | CABL | Cable Boy | Caoi de Barra | Child of Prague | Cliffords | Cooks But We’re Chefs | Cruel Sister | Curtisy | David Kitt | Daithi (COMMON THREADS) | Dani Larkin | Danny Carroll (Littany of Failures) | Danny Groenland | DIVIL | Djackulate (Jack Dempsey) | Don Kobz | Emmy Shigeta | Ezra Williams | Fizzy Orange | Gilla Band | House of Hibernia | HousePlants | Ispíní na hÉireann | Jasmine Wood | Julia Louise KnifeFist | Junior Brother | Just Mustard | Kean Kavanagh (Soft Boy Records) | Landless | LANKUM | Louise Gaffney | Madra Salach | Makeshift Art Bar | Maria Kelly | May Kay | Méabh McKenna | Meltybrains? & The Line | Morgana | Nealo | Nerves | New Jackson | Niamh Bury | Olan Monk | Overhead The Albatross | Paddy Hanna | Papa Romeo | Pauric O Meara | Pebbledash | Pier | Pillow Queens | Poor Creature | Really Good Time | Rory Sweeney | SACK | Saint Sister | Scustin | Search Results | SexyTadhg | Shampain | Silverbacks | Soda Blonde | Sorcha Richardson | Tebi Rex | The Mary Wallopers | The Murder Capital | The Null Club | THUMPER | Unique Freaks | Varo | Walshy | YARD
