Why the Irish dance scene is taking over right now

Ireland’s dance music scene is stronger than ever right now. Over the past year or so, new names like Jazzy, Belters Only and CamrinWatsin have been scoring record-breaking chart hits off the back of their at-first underground tracks picking up heat on SoundCloud. It’s having such an ascendance that Spotify even launched its own Irish Dance playlist last year. 

“This isn’t just a moment – this is a tide, and it’s been coming in for centuries,” ponders elusive Irish producer Sloucho. “Maybe it’s the wind, the way it shapes us, sharpens us, but we have always had to carve something out of nothing—songs from silence, colour from grey, stories from the spaces in between,” he adds. “Or maybe it’s the weight of history pressing us forward, or the hunger to redefine ourselves beyond old narratives.” Cultural context aside, Sloucho is clear on one thing when it comes to Ireland’s hotbed of talent: “the world is listening now—not just to our myths, but to the voices shaping the present, bending the future.” 

Christy Leech - of the Irish duo Le Boom - feels the same way: “the arts have always been an intrinsic part of Irish life, culture and identity,” he says. “And, globally, I think the Irish have a long history of punching above their weight in the arts.” What’s changed more recently, however, is the fact that “audiences outside of Ireland are opening their eyes to what’s been going on here for a long time”, he says, citing the worldwide rise of Fontaines DC and Kneecap. “But it’s not a fluke or a coincidence or a fleeting moment,” he adds. “It’s down to visibility and helped by the fact that Irish artists are being correctly labelled as Irish as opposed to British by people in the media.” 

On a personal level, he and his brother Andy - the second member of Le Boom - are grateful for the new audiences they have been able to perform in front of. However, they say “we’d be doing it anyway – regardless of whether the British media thought Irish accents were cool or not”. He concludes: “The moment has been happening here for hundreds of years, but I guess it’s an exciting time for people outside of Ireland who are getting a better glimpse of it”.

With all this in mind, Skiddle has spotlighted six of the most exciting acts that you need to know: from live groups who have built a following from top-class performances to producers storming the international club circuit. 

Jazzy

If there’s one artist who has been instrumental in putting the new Irish dance scene on the map, it’s history-making vocalist Jazzy. She originally broke through as the voice of Belters Only’s Irish chart number-one hit ‘Make Me Feel Good’. It made them the first homegrown dance act in 22 years to top the Irish charts, the track also reached the top 5 in the UK chart. Then, in late 2023, Jazzy reached the top of the Irish singles chart by herself with the infectious ‘Giving Me’ – a feat not achieved by an Irish woman for 14 years, it also reached number three in the UK chart. Since then, she’s released two EPs, toured with Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics band, collaborated with cassö and Headie One, and scored more chart and viral hits (‘Somedays’ and ‘No Bad Vibes’). Having surpassed Sinéad O’Connor and Enya to become the most popular Irish female artist on Spotify, Jazzy’s voice is sure to be everywhere in 2025. 

CamrinWatsin 

This hotly-tipped Irish youngster struck gold in 2024 when he teamed up with producer BL3SS and vocalist bbyclose for the addictive viral hit ‘Kisses’. Not only did it dominate radio playlists, festival stages and club speakers throughout the summer, but landed in the top five of both the Irish and UK singles charts. It's now officially a UK platinum record – a rare feat for an Irish producer. As if that wasn’t enough, it has scored the trio - who reunited for equally massive rave anthem ‘Craving 4 U’ in November - a BRIT Award nomination. The future looks very bright indeed for CamrinWatsin, whose most recent single, ‘Blew My Life Up’, finds him reflecting on his whirlwind success.  

Le Boom 

A world-of-mouth success story, Irish brothers Le Boom - aka Christy and Andy Leech, from Navan, Meath - have built a reputation for their energy-filled live shows at which they perform alongside their best friends. The duo’s afters-inspired fusion of pop melodies, fast-pumping beats and reflective spoken-word moments always connect – no matter the size of the stage, their passion for community shines through. Alongside packed festival gigs, their sold-out pop-up parties - which are announced exclusively through WhatsApp groups - have built a tight-knit, late-night audience where the lines between performer and crowd blur.

With more pop-ups planned for Ireland, UK and Australia this year, and having been named by BBC Radio One as Ones to Watch for 2025, Le Boom are about to take their live energy global.

SHEE

Not much is known about Irish producer and DJ SHEE, other than that, according to the bio on their Spotify page, their name is David SHEErin and they were raised on classic French house, disco and Guinness. Despite the mystery, their releases since 2017 have made them a popular name in the electronic scene, with tracks out on Method 808, Part Four and Edible. The pulsing beat and emotive vocal of recent single ‘close to you’ is one for fans of a Fredagain… They also teamed up with fellow Irish act 49 & Main for poignant banger ‘Hold On’. 

KETTAMA

Galway’s adored party-starter KETTAMA has climbed the ranks of the international dance scene over the past few years. Having edged towards tougher techno compared to the house music he started out creating, he’s released on tastemaking labels such as Steel City Dance Discs, Shall Not Fade, Dance Trax, Madhouse and Mutual Pleasure. His star has risen so much that, recently, he teamed up with British rave icons Underworld - not once, but twice: first for ‘G-Town Euphoria (Luna)’, a reinvention of Underworld’s 2023 single ‘Denver Luna’, then again last year for the pumping collaborative track ‘Fen Violet’. 

Sloucho 

Off the back of a raucous Boiler Room debut at last year’s AVA Festival, elusive Irish artist Sloucho has become somewhat of a cult figure in the underground scene. An artist whose cinematic live show blurs the lines between virtual reality and the physical world, exploring the uneasy trade-off between AI and human creativity in the process, fans of Two Shell are sure to fall entranced by such meticulous world-building. His new single ‘i found u’ - a glitchy, sentimental, and futuristic slice of hyperpop, blending broken beats, shimmering synths, and ethereal vocals - is a first glimpse of his new EP ‘ECHOES’, which is out March 28.

To see these artists and more play clubs from around the UK and Ireland, head to our clubs page. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.