The MTU Music Society is the beating heart of the university’s creative scene — bringing together musicians, singers, producers, and music lovers of all kinds. We’re all about collaboration, creativity, and community, giving every student a platform to explore and share their passion for music.
Over the next year, we’ll be working hard to make music a bigger part of life at MTU than ever before. Expect regular jam sessions, open mics, live performances, and hands-on workshops covering everything from songwriting and sound engineering to performance techniques and music production. Whether you play guitar, sing, DJ, or just love the energy of live music, there’s a place for you here.
Our biggest project this year is the MTU Battle of the Bands 2026, taking place in March 2026 at Cyprus Avenue — one of Cork’s most iconic live music venues. This flagship event will showcase the incredible talent within MTU, giving bands and solo acts the chance to perform live on a professional stage, compete for amazing prizes, and make their mark on the local music scene. Leading up to the competition, we’ll host workshops, mentoring sessions, and rehearsal opportunities to help performers bring their best to the stage.
Whether you’re here to perform, produce, or just enjoy the show, the MTU Music Society is your home for everything musical on campus. Come jam with us, meet other artists, and help us make this the loudest, most exciting year yet!
Over the past year, MTU Music Society has had a vibrant calendar of events — from competitive stages to community-friendly nights and meaningful charity work. Here’s a breakdown of what we achieved together.
In our biggest live-event of the year, we held the Battle of the Bands competition where student bands and solo acts from across campus came together to perform live. The event offered a professional-style stage, lively audience, and great exposure for everyone involved. It was a major opportunity for emerging artists within our society to shine, build confidence in live performance, and collaborate with fellow musicians. The energy in the room, the teamwork behind each band, and the audience support were tremendous.
Participants ranged in style from rock to indie-pop and acoustic; judges provided feedback and prizes were awarded for best performance, crowd-favourite and best original song. The event helped to cement our society’s reputation as a hub for live student music.
Earlier in the year we ran a Singer-Songwriter Competition, inviting solo artists to showcase their original material in an intimate acoustic format. This event allowed members who might not fit the “band” model to take the stage. It was a particularly special night, with great performances, heartfelt stories behind songs, and strong peer recognition.
To add a fun social twist, we also hosted a Bingo Night — a more casual event designed for community-building and creativity. With music-themed bingo (song lines, lyric clues, instrument icons) and light refreshments, it gave our members a chance to hang out, swap ideas in a relaxed atmosphere, meet new people, and unwind. The bingo night was a great “entry-level” event for members who preferred something less performance-intensive, and it helped build momentum for our larger musical events.
We also committed to a socially-aware cause: the society organised a Fundraising Gig for Gaza. At this event, we gathered student performers, invited local acts, and donated proceeds to a charitable organisation supporting relief efforts. The gig proved that our society isn’t just about performance and fun, but also about community responsibility and global awareness. It brought together music, purpose, and empathy — our members were proud to contribute through their talents.
The atmosphere was electric, the turnout strong, and the sense of solidarity real. This event laid a foundation for future charity gigs and collaborations with other societies and student groups.
Beyond on-campus events, we also stepped out and represented MTU at the inter-universities level. Through the intervarsities competition, our society gave members the chance to perform on a wider stage, network with other universities, and bring back experience and inspiration to our home campus. The intervarsities event helped raise our profile, motivated members to improve their craft, and demonstrated the growing ambition of our society.
Performing with other institutions also fostered friendships and collaboration across campuses — strengthening the student-music community as a whole.
We were incredibly proud to be awarded the Societies Supreme Event for our Battle of the Bands, which was recognised as one of the biggest and most successful student-led events of the year. The night showcased the incredible talent across MTU, brought together students from every campus, and filled Cyprus Avenue with unforgettable performances and energy. Winning this award was a massive achievement for our committee and performers, and it reflected the teamwork, planning, and passion that went into making the event a success.
In addition, we also took home the award for Best Poster, celebrating our creativity and design in promoting our events. Our posters and promotional materials helped capture the vibrant spirit of the society and got the whole campus talking — proving that music at MTU isn’t just heard, it’s seen and felt too.
These awards highlight what makes MTU Music Society special: a blend of talent, teamwork, and dedication. Every gig, jam session, and creative project is a group effort, and we’re proud to see our members’ passion recognised on a campus-wide level.
As we look ahead to another exciting year — with more workshops, performances, and our upcoming Battle of the Bands 2026 — we’re determined to keep the music alive and continue raising the bar for what student creativity can achieve.
The MTU Music Society keeps things flexible and fun! While we don’t hold formal meetings too often, we make sure there are plenty of opportunities for members to get involved throughout the year. Our aim is to host events every two weeks, giving everyone a chance to connect, play, and create together.
These events will include jam sessions, open mics, workshops, and casual meet-ups where members can share ideas, collaborate on new projects, or just enjoy some good tunes. Whether you want to perform, learn, or simply hang out with other music lovers, there’ll always be something happening.
We’ll announce each event in advance on our social media pages and group chats, so keep an eye out for updates and come along whenever you can — no pressure, just good vibes and great music!
Email: musicsocietycork@mtusocieties.ie
Instagram: mtu.musicsoc
