Limerick gets in the groove for Top 8 Hip Hop & Street Dance Festival this April 19-21

The 2024 Top 8 Festival will see performers take to stages across a number of venues in Limerick city. Picture: Damien McCarthy

2024 Top 8 Hip Hop & Street Dance Festival promises an unforgettable weekend celebrating Ireland’s Hip-Hop culture from April 19 to 21

Limerick City’s vibrant urban culture will take centre stage as the city is set to host the 2024 Top 8 Hip Hop & Street Dance Festival, showcasing the best in hip-hop and street dance talent.

Excitement is building for this year’s festival which offers a weekend of events taking place in indoor and outdoor locations across and around Limerick city. With a lineup packed with battles, workshops, and dynamic performances, the festival promises an unforgettable experience for people of all ages, cultural backgrounds and ethnicities.

The 2024 Top 8 Festival will see performers take to stages across a number of venues in the city including The Commercial, The Record Room,The Church, Dance Limerick, The Monk, Angel Lane, and Wickham Way.

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Top 8 has been organising Hip-Hop events to promote all four elements of the Hip-Hop culture in Ireland: Breakin’, DJing, MCing and Graffiti since its foundation. A key focus area for Top 8 is supporting multiple ‘Streetdance’ styles including Breakin’, Hip-Hop, Popping, Afro and K.R.U.M.P. since being formed in 2010 and later reformed by Tobi Omoteso and Deborah O’Connor in 2014.

This year’s festival kicks off on Friday, April 19, with Beat Box Battles hosted by the Irish Beat Box Association (IBA) and will see the Top 8 ranked Beatboxers take part in a vibrant exchange in a 7-to-Smoke battle live in the Record Room for a chance at the cash prize.

Don’t Flop, Ireland’s original battle rap league will then brace the stage with rappers battling it out to claim the top spot. Other performances on the night will see Cork rap legend, producer and educator 0phelia McCabe joined on stage by DJ Jus’Me. Ophelia, DJ Jus’Me, and Jimmy Penguin will round out an incredible opening night.

Saturday, April 20 will see the highly anticipated Top 8 Street Dance Battle at The Church, Dance Limerick where street dancers from Ireland and beyond will showcase their moves, competing in categories ranging from popping to breakdancing.

Hosted by MCs and judged by big names in the dance community such as B-Boy Mouse and Suleman Sode, the event promises to be a highlight of the festival. Saturday will conclude with an Over 18’s event in Angel Lane, featuring performances by leading DJs Ceese and KhanFu, who will keep the party going with their mixes of hip hop, R&B, and more.

Sunday, April 21’s free ‘Family Fun Day’ event will kick-off at 3PM, with face painters, balloon modelers, music showcases, DJs and Graffiti artists taking over Wickham Way for 3 hours to bring a well-needed celebration of Art, Music and Dance with DJ Stevie G providing the soundtrack for the day.

Renowned street artists from all over the world such as Darrin Rask, Neto Vettorello, and Louise Keeley come to Limerick to make their mark, and what they leave behind are vibrant, evocative, uniting murals and messages.

The festival will conclude with dance workshops at Dance Limerick, offering participants the chance to learn from industry experts such as B-Boy Mouse and The Duke LDN.

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