Irish Got Talent

Irish Got Talent! Contest

Join us as the best and brightest of Irish culture and talent compete for a chance to perform on stage during Irish Fair. The Irish history is full of legendary artists in all genres and lyrical usage of the voice is no exception. The contest is open to any music or dance act that is not already booked for a set at this year’s festival. The winner will perform on Saturday of the Fair and will receive $250 cash. 1st Runner up will perform on Saturday of the Fair.

The Preliminary contest will be held at Kieran’s Irish Pub, date TBD. Each contestant(s) will be allotted a 10 minute set. The Final Four will go on to compete on the at Irish Fair on Friday, from 3pm to 5pm. The Winner and 1st Runner up will be announced from the Main Stage no later than 7:00pm that same evening.

Completing a brief application is all you need to do to enter the contest. Application will be available in late spring, early summer.

CONTEST DETAILS:

Eligibility

  • All acts must be Irish or Celtic in nature and can be music or dance (no dance floor available), instrumental or voice, solo or group.
  • Dancers must use recorded music for the contest.
  • Singers can use recorded accompaniment – music only, no recorded voice.
  • Contestants do NOT need to be from Minnesota.
  • Groups or acts cannot be already booked to perform during the festival.
  • Contestants must have enough polished material for a 45 minute performance in the event that they win the contest.

Logistics

  • Maximum of 12 contestants. If six contestants aren’t confirmed by July 27th, the Irish Fair reserves the right to cancel the contest. If more than 12 groups apply, contestants will be determined by the Entertainment Committee.
  • Each contestant gets 10 minutes max to perform. Contestants must be able to move on stage and be ready to perform in 4 minutes (or their performance time is shortened) and exit the stage in 1 minute (or they will be penalized by the judges). Failure to set up, perform and tear down within 15 minutes is grounds for disqualification.
  • There will be 3 judges. If you want to suggest a judge, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Contestants will be judged on artistic merit, stage presence and audience response.
  • The winner will receive the opportunity to perform on Saturday for 45 minutes, a $250 performance cash stipend.
  • The first runner-up will receive $100 in gift cards from one of our sponsoring pubs and the opportunity to perform on Saturday.
  • The second runner-up will receive $40 in gift cards from one of our sponsoring pubs.
  • Winners will be announced no later than 7pm on Friday.

Please contact us if you have additional questions.

2012 Winners:
1st Place – The Jolly Groggers
2nd Place – Mike Lovestrand
3rd Place – Alex Shaleen