Forbidden Fruit Festival – day two live gallery & review from Kilmainham Dublin 01.06.2025

June 1^st, a day where you could run a mini-marathon or attend one of the country’s biggest garden shows, the only destination in my mind was the Royal Hospital Kilmainham for Day 2 of Forbidden Fruit. Similar to the first day, it was quieter on the grounds when I arrived, but I found myself wandering towards the sounds of instrumental music where I caught a part of Zaska’s set where they were playing the main stage alongside three other guest performers; Jess Kavanagh, 2FM Rising stage performer Shiv and Melina Malone who each came out and performed a song or two with the band. The performers blended excellently with Zaska’s sound, and Shiv’s voice really drew me in, so when she mentioned her set at the 2FM stage later that evening I a note of it, so I wouldn’t miss it. The 2FM tent was absolutely packed throughout most of the day, none more than during the F3MIII and Clifford’s sets. F3MIII was a new artist to me at I was so impressed by his performance, definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Clifford’s however were different. A work colleague had mentioned these guys to me a few months back, so naturally I looked up their work and I really liked it. So, when I saw that they were going to be performing at Forbidden Fruit I was really eager to see them live and wow they did not disappoint. It is clear that since their formation in 2020, this group have built up quite a fanbase already, the enthusiasm and hooting at the barrier, gave the impression this wasn’t the first time some of the crowd had seen them perform and I can understand the appeal. The stage presence of Iona Lynch is something to behold, with a confidence and swagger of a performer decades older than her and a voice that you can’t help but turn and listen to.

The raw emotion and contagious energy exuded from this group paired with catchy choruses, evocative lyrics and the interesting addition of a trumpet to their arrangement could easily turn any passer-by into a fan, and safe to say they’ve gained another in me from this set.  Another performance that stood out in so many ways to me was that of Khakikid, whose energy would rival that of Benson Boone. If you were to switch out Boone’s backflips for a bit of crowd surfing with a Rockshore in hand, that would be this Dublin-born performer. Similar to Zaska, his set incorporated appearances by other artists, like F3MIII, Carsten2X and Chameleon, who matched this guy’s energy to a tee. Similar to Sam Austin on Saturday, Khakikid was barely on stage five minutes before he had hopped into the pit and was running up and down, climbing the barrier, slapping hands with the crowd and at one point was even having beer poured into his mouth but a fan. He also found his way into the sea of a crowd that had gathered to watch him perform and was performing from there.  This is lad is a natural-born showman and an act I would love to both see and photograph again (especially photograph again.

I found myself back in the 2FM tent especially to hear Shiv’s performance and what a voice, her set was personal and authentic and at one point she became slightly emotional at the occasion, who could blame her. Definitely an artist I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.

The Undergrowth stage play host to some incredible DJ talent for the evening including Sahana, Nimino, Bunt and Jazzy. However, the place to be as the evening drew on was on the hill or bar side at the main stage for the highly anticipated Peggy Gou. I know absolutely nothing about this type of music, but even I knew who Peggy Gou is, and what a treat it was to see this woman perform. Everything was curated to ensure a good time and based off of the vibes in the crowd, safe to say she executed this set perfectly, minus a technical difficulty that she powered through on. Underworld had a tough act to follow, but strong visuals and a great setlist delivered an enjoyable end to what was a great weekend of music and entertainment. Would recommend this festival to a friend.

Photos of acts from Day two Saturday 1st of June from various stages.

Bunt:

Cable Boys:

Cliffords:

Dave Treacy:

F3miii:

Fcukers:

Jazzy:

Khakikid:

Negro Impacto:

Nimino:

Pastiche:

Peggy Gou:

Sahana:

Shiv:

Spooklet:

Underworld:

Zaska:

Photos & Words – Lisa Hamilton @lisahamiltonphotography