Culture Night 2026: How I Became A Wave

18 September 2026

This Culture Night, experience the extraordinary sound of How I Became A Wave, the shapeshifting orchestral folk project fronted by Pat Carey.

Bringing together an ensemble of guitar, cello, violin, pedal steel, keyboard, saxophone and percussion, How I Became A Wave creates performances that are impossible to predict — songs transform and evolve, moving from intimate, quiet moments into soaring waves of orchestral sound.

At the centre of it all is Carey’s voice: vulnerable, powerful and completely captivating.

The project’s self-titled debut album, released in March 2026, received widespread critical acclaim, with The Irish Times describing it as “flawless” and Hot Press calling it “deeply compelling”.

Drawing inspiration from poetry, literature and landscape as much as music, the project brings together a diverse circle of artists and musicians. Its influences range from Max Porter, Eavan Boland and Sylvia Plath to Big Thief, Bon Iver and Nils Frahm.

Following sold-out album launches, festival appearances and performances alongside artists including Lisa O’Neill, Villagers, Gemma Hayes, Lisa Hannigan and John Spillane, How I Became A Wave arrives in Kinsale for a very special Culture Night performance.

📅 18 September 2026
📍 Kinsale

A night of music, poetry, landscape and sound — and an experience that, like a wave, will never quite happen the same way twice.