Alt Blos Stage

ALT BLOS STAGE* - FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE ALTERNATIVE BLUES STAGE HAS BEEN RENAMED IN MEMORY OF ITS FOUNDER AND CHAMPION BEN LAMB O’SULLIVAN (1989 - 2023).

The Alternative Blues Stage was founded back in 2009 by a group of young local musicians under the name of “Sketch!” eager to showcase their talent at the Harvest time blues - a festival with international acclaim. After the inaugural year and successful reviews, the founding organiser and singer of the band “Sketch!”, Ben Lamb O Sullivan, saw the opportunity to give back to the artists of Monaghan. Ben became the sole organiser and manager of the stage for nearly ten years, personally funding it and advocating against drawbacks from County councils, TDs and Gardaí for the stage to become an official part of the festival, which it is now today.

Ben never wavered from the original vision he had for the stage - to create a place where young and upcoming musicians from Monaghan could showcase their talent on an international stage. his dedication to help nurture and fight for young musicians paid off and Many musicians from both up and coming and major established acts got their start on this stage over the 14 year run it’s had to date.

Although Ben is not with us physically today, the stage runs with his original vision in mind, and the hope is that it helps inspire another generation of musicians to pursue their passions.