Three City Stages returns for another year at Electric Picnic 2025 and from hundreds of entries, three emerging Irish artists have won the opportunity to perform alongside three acclaimed global music artists at Ireland’s biggest music and arts festival.
After a countrywide digital hunt for fresh talent, run exclusively on TikTok, hundreds of aspiring musicians answered the call, from indie guitar heroes and genre-blurring producers to trad innovators and bedroom pop visionaries. From over 1,250 #CityStages2025 song submissions and 500 acts, 20 were shortlisted and performed for a judging panel featuring award-winning producer Cian Boylan, RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford, Lorcan Byrne, Booker, MCD Productions and City Stages ambassador Robert Grace, whose own journey from Kilkenny songwriter to 1B+ Spotify streams has made him a blueprint for Irish artists making it globally.
Now, the chosen finalists Roe Byrne,singer/ songwriter with a unique sound that’s gained strong support across social media and led Dermot Kennedy to call him “the next big thing in Irish music” in a 2023 Joe.ie interview, Emily Doyle, hailing from The Midlands of Ireland, (who is carving a distinct niche in the modern folk-pop scene with her honest, relatable storytelling and acoustic guitar-driven performances across Dublin and the Midlands, drawing inspiration from artists like Lizzy McAlpin) and Rebecca Lane (singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who blends soulful pop grooves with the multicultural influences of her Irish roots and French upbringing) will perform with global names which will remain a secret until the weekend of the festival, giving them a massive opportunity to showcase their talents and create a career-defining moment.
As part of this year’s City Stages experience, the three artists will also take part in studio sessions and rehearsals in advance involving a creative collaboration with the global artists they are paired with.
After hearing the announcement, Roe Byrne said “I am in complete shock! Playing Electric Picnic has always been a dream, one of those goals you keep in your head as something you might reach one day, if you’re lucky. To have it happen now, and in this way, is honestly surreal. City Stages has given me a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
“It’s hard to explain what an opportunity like this means when you’re still finding your feet as an artist,” said Emily Doyle when ask about the news. “For me, it’s the chance to stand on a stage I’ve always admired, in front of thousands of people, and share music that’s so personal to me. To do it alongside artists I look up to, and with the support of City Stages, makes it even more special. It feels like the start of something bigger, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.”
Rebecca Lane commented, “I have always remained confident I could develop my career by just constantly making music and sharing it with the world. This is a huge opportunity. Not just performing at EP but also to be mentored by an established artist along the way. Hopefully this is the next step that will allow me to pursue a music career full time.”
Since launching in 2022, City Stages has evolved from a grassroots busking platform into a national accelerator for Irish talent. This year’s TikTok-powered search reflects Three’s continued commitment to breaking down barriers and connecting Irish artists to bigger stages, bigger audiences, and bigger possibilities.
“City Stages has always been about more than music, it’s about opening doors,” said Tanya Townsend, Senior Sponsorship Manager at Three Ireland. “Since we launched in 2022, we’ve watched artists go from playing street corners to stepping onto some of Ireland’s biggest stages, and that’s exactly the kind of journey we want to keep creating. Taking the search digital this year meant that geography, budget, or background weren’t barriers, if you had a phone and a song, you had a shot. Seeing Aimee and Conor now preparing to perform at Electric Picnic is proof of what can happen when talent meets opportunity. This is the heart of All For Music, empowering the next generation to dream bigger, play louder, and be heard by more people than ever before.”
Follow the City Stages journey at @threeireland on social media and join the conversation at #CityStages2025.
