Global Sensation 'Of Monsters and Men' Set to Rock Bushmills Live 2013 - Only Indie Music Festival in an Irish Whiskey Distillery

BUSHMILLS VILLAGE, Northern Ireland, March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The Old Bushmills Distillery today announced that it will throw open its doors to play host to world class headline acts and emerging indie talent at 'Bushmills Live' - a unique two-day festival celebrating handcrafted whiskey and music.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130311/600786-a )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130311/600786-b )

Bushmills Live 2013 ft Of Monsters and Men: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjyzNFGuRmo

Bushmills Live will take place on Ireland's stunning North Coast on 19th and 20th June 2013 and is the only indie music festival in an Irish Whiskey distillery.

Internationally acclaimed indie folk band, Of Monsters and Men will headline the two day festival - their first ever gig in Northern Ireland.

The Icelandic five-piece are currently enjoying enormous worldwide success having just won the 2013 European Border Breakers Award*, which honours the best new European music acts. Of Monsters and Men have been dubbed the 'must see act' of the year and this summer marks the beginning of a busy festival schedule for the group which will include a performance at one of the biggest international festivals, Coachella in California - making their intimate appearance at Bushmills Live unlike any other that fans will experience this year.  

Only 500 tickets are available globally for Bushmills Live, which will see both iconic and emerging artists share the stage for a series of intimate gigs in age-old buildings at the historic Old Bushmills Distillery, where the art of distilling has been perfected over generations.

The 'money can't buy tickets' will not go on general release**. Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page - http://facebook.com/bushmills1608.  

Ragnar Þórhallsson, singer with Of Monsters and Men, said: "Playing a show in such a unique location, around the centuries-old warehouses and whiskey barrels, to such an intimate audience, is an experience we are very excited about.  It's going to make our first gig in Northern Ireland a memorable one, and not just for us, for the fans too, we hope!"

Of Monsters and Men are in good company. They join a list of fellow indie rockers such as the iconic Snow Patrol, singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Iain Archer, Elijah Wood, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements who all played electrifying performances at Bushmills Live last year.

Bushmills Live can also be credited with providing a great platform for up-and-coming music acts to launch their careers. The Staves have gone on to support Bon Iver on his global tour while Foy Vance has had continued success and is set to support Ed Sheeran on the European and US legs of his 2013 tour.

Speaking at the launch of this year's event Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, Helen Mulholland, promised fans that they can expect to enjoy "great music between great friends."

"Whiskey and music have always gone well together," added Helen Mulholland. "And at Bushmills Live we like to make both by hand, bringing this fusion of handcrafted whiskey and handcrafted music together against the backdrop of our beautiful distillery with performances from artists who are friends - which makes for a cracking atmosphere!"  

"It goes without saying that we're looking forward to extending a warm Bushmills welcome to our new friends, Of Monsters and Men, and to emerging artists who we're proud to support by creating a music platform that allows fans to discover new and upcoming talent.

NOTES TO EDITORS

* http://www.europeanborderbreakersawards.eu/eng

Twitter: @BushmillsGlobal

Hashtag: #BushmillsLive

ABOUT THE COMPETITION:

** To win tickets to 'Bushmills Live' or to find out more, visit http://facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry opens at 16:08GMT 17th March 2013 and closes at 23:59GMT 5th May 2013. Winners will be notified by 9th May. Terms and conditions apply.

The Facebook competition is open to people of at least 18 years, in:

• Great Britain
• Republic of Ireland
• Northern Ireland
• Germany
• Portugal
• Russia
• USA
• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Latvia

From each, one pair of finalists will win tickets to 'Bushmills Live'.

ABOUT BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY

With a heritage rooted in authenticity and quality, Bushmills Irish Whiskey is produced, aged and bottled at Ireland's oldest working distillery in the village of Bushmills in County Antrim on the far north coast of Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery uses 100% malt barley to make triple distilled malt whiskey, which is what creates the rich, mellow and distinct flavour that is the house style. The Bushmills portfolio includes: Bushmills Irish Whiskey; Black Bush, Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 1608 and now Bushmills Irish Honey.

ABOUT DIAGEO

Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards Wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit http://DRINKiQ.com.

SOURCE Bushmills Irish Whiskey