British indie rock musician Bakar will headline the upcoming Trinity Ball, Trinity Ents has announced in a post on Instagram.
Other acts to play at the ball include HorsegiirL, kingfishr, Charlotte Plank, SHEE, The Cope, and Bruising Shins.
From College, Tradsoc and Bruising Shins were chosen to play at the ball through a vote. MOIO, DUDJ, Trinity Orchestra, and Deep Cuts will also play at Trinity Ball.
Bakar, also known as Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, is known for his experimental indie rock style. He made his professional solo debut with the mixtape Badkid in May 2018. In 2019, he released Hell n Back, the single he is most commonly associated with since it became viral on Tiktok. Bakar officially independently released his debut single, Big Dreams in March 2017, which then featured on the official soundtrack of FIFA 19 the following year.
HorsegiirL is a German DJ, singer, and songwriter who hides her identity behind a horse head mask. Her 2023 single My Barn My Rules became a popular sound on TikTok and later that year, the song appeared on Dazed’s “20 best tracks of 2023” list.
Speaking to Trinity News about the lineup announcement, current Ents Officer Olivia Orr said: “I’m really excited to announce the lineup for this year, I think there’s such a variety of music for the night, so there will be something for everyone.”
“We are so happy to have such a range of Trinity acts playing too – MOIO, Trad Soc, Raw Cuts, DUDJ, and the orchestra. This shows how diverse the talent in Trinity is. I hope everyone is as excited for it as all of us on the ents committee are!”
Often described as “Europe’s largest private party”, this year’s Trinity Ball was not a guarantee. There was previously doubt as to whether the ball could be held on campus, with
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) previously announcing that Trinity Ball 2023 would be the last on campus for 5 years, due to conservation works associated with the Old Library Redevelopment Project.
Orr ran on a platform of fighting to “keep the Trinity in Trinity Ball”, and announced that she had succeeded in her promise last month in an Instagram post.
The main stage of Trinity Ball was moved from New Square to Front Square last year as construction work began for the redevelopment project. This year New Square is occupied by the newly-built Book of Kells Experience and the main stage is expected to be on Front Square once again.
Trinity Ball has been held on campus every year since its inception in 1959, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when the event was not held due to pandemic restrictions.
Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, February 29 at 9am.
