GazeFest – live gallery and review from The Grand Social, Dublin 28.08.2026

There is something quietly defiant about GazeFest. Now in its fourth year, the two day shoegaze festival has established itself as a fixture on the Irish alternative music calendar, despite having to share its August bank holiday weekend (UK) with the ever expanding gravitational pull of Electric Picnic. For the last three years, the clash has remained, yet GazeFest continues to thrive, a testament to both the loyalty of its audience and the strength of the scene it represents.

The reasoning behind the weekend makes sense. While Electric Picnic’s move created an unfortunate collision, GazeFest organiser Michael has kept the festival on the same weekend, with the bank holiday making it particularly well suited to a two city event spanning Dublin and Belfast. The result is a festival that feels less like a competitor to the larger event and more like an alternative universe running alongside it.

Dublin’s opening day at The Grand Social brought four bands to the stage, beginning with Skyless, whose roughly half hour set eased the room into GazeFest’s particular wavelength. Their sound provided an appropriate introduction, guitars that hang in the air, melodies emerging through layers of noise, and enough atmosphere to make the venue feel temporarily detached from the rest of Dublin.

Sunstinger followed, building on that foundation with a set that pushed the festival’s sonic palette further. The short running times meant little room for indulgence, each band had to establish its identity quickly, and Sunstinger made the most of the opportunity.

Silk continued the progression, adding another texture to an increasingly immersive afternoon. By this point, the room had settled into the rhythm of the festival, half hour bursts of distortion, melody and volume, each band offering a different interpretation of what shoegaze can be.

Then came Deary, taking the stage for their debut Irish show. Given the significance of the occasion, the headline slot carried a certain expectation, but their approximately 45 minute performance felt like a fitting culmination to the Dublin bill. Where the earlier sets had steadily built the atmosphere, Deary had the time and space to properly inhabit it.

That is perhaps GazeFest’s greatest strength. It understands that shoegaze is as much about creating an environment as it is about playing songs. Four years in, and despite the unavoidable festival competition surrounding it, GazeFest remains proof that there is an audience for something smaller, stranger and considerably louder.

Electric Picnic may have the numbers, but GazeFest has its own frequency and, judging by The Grand Social, plenty of people are still tuned in.

Skyless photos:

Sunstinger photos:

Silk photos:

Deary photos:

Photos & words – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic