The absence of the Festival of World Cultures may not be as conspicuous as was first thought, if a group of south Dubliners have anything to do with it.

Although 2011 marks the first year that the huge celebration of ethnic diversity won’t be held in Dún Laoghaire since its inception in 2001, an alternative event, The People’s Festival, will fill the gap that it has left behind on August 20th and 21st. The festival is the brainchild of Daryl Southern, who was disappointed to hear of the local council’s decision to axe the Festival of World Cultures, reportedly due to financial losses. “It has been suggested that if it comes back, it will be a much smaller, parade-type multicultural event with none of the music and arts elements.”

Although much smaller in scale than the Festival of World Cultures, the new festival will incorporate music, dance, poetry, film, comedy, fire performance and more. The long line-up of bands includes The Hot Sprockets, Retarded Cop and Paranoid Visions. facebook.com/dlrpeoplesfestival