With the summer festival period about to kick off, Heineken Ireland has signed a major new partnership with Aiken Promotions and POD Festivals that will give it “pouring rights” at over 40 live events in Ireland this year.
The agreement covers 38 concerts and three outdoor festivals, including Live at the Marquee in Cork, Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens concert series, All Together Now in Waterford, Forbidden Fruit at IMMA in Dublin and the Boucher Road concert series in Belfast.
Under the deal, Heineken will have exclusivity when it comes to selling its brands like Heineken, Heineken 0.0, Birra Moretti, Orchard Thieves, Beamish, Murphy’s as well as SERVED pre-mixed cocktails.
“This new partnership with Aiken Promotions and POD Festivals represents a significant milestone for Heineken Ireland and provides access to a market-leading portfolio of high-quality outdoor music and comedy events,” said Fiona Curtin, marketing director, Heineken Ireland.
Curtin said the deal builds on the company’s long-standing association with music in Ireland and follows the recent launch of Heineken Greenlight, its new music platform.
“This summer alone, our brands will be showcased at over 40 world-class Aiken and POD events across Ireland,” she said.
Peter Aiken, managing director of Aiken Promotions and POD Festivals, said the promoters were “delighted to welcome Heineken Ireland as our official beer, stout, cider and non-alcoholic beer partner across our portfolio of live events.”
The deal with Aiken Promotions and POD Festivals also means that Heineken will not be returning as a sponsor of Electric Picnic (EP) in Stradbally, Co Laois this. The company has a long-standing involvement with EP and its owners, Live Nation and Denis Desmond. The brand has also won numerous awards for its experiential activations at EP.
Last year, the Heineken House stage was a centerpiece of the EP while The Greener Bar, a Heineken initiative, brought sustainability into the mix with smart power plans, bio-generators, lower-emission lighting, and reusable cup systems designed to minimize waste.
This year’s Aiken/POD programme includes 22 concerts at Live at the Marquee, 11 concerts at Iveagh Gardens, two concerts at Boucher Road and one at IMMA, alongside Forbidden Fruit and All Together Now. Acts across the programme include Pulp, Kneecap, Paul Weller, James Taylor, Kesha, Bell X1, David Gray, Underworld, The Mary Wallopers, Nile Rodgers & Chic and Elvis Costello & The Imposters.
