Glen Hansard of the Frames has been named by Galway Arts Festival and the Róisín Dub as their second headline act for the Festival Big Top during this summer’s Arts Festival. He will be joined by special guests for his show on Thursday, July 25. This follows the announcement that Brooklyn-based quartet Grizzly Bear would be playing the Big Top.

For his show Hansard will be performing songs from his solo album, Rhythm and Repose along with some Frames’ favourites, accompanied by an eleven-piece band. If their set at last year’s Electric Picnic is anything to go by, he and his friends will put on some show in Galway.

Hansard’s band, The Frames had built up a loyal following in Dublin, but it was the 2007 feature film, Once which catapulted him to international fame. It won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Falling Slowly, which he co-wrote with Marketa Irglova.

He followed that success with his first solo album, Rhythm and Repose, which was the result of Hansard’s year and a half spent living in New York City. It was produced by Thomas Bartlett, who has worked with The National and Antony and the Johnsons.

Since the release of Rhythm and Repose last year, Hansard has been busy touring in both the US and Europe. Around the time of its release, Once the musical successfully opened to rave reviews. Its Broadway production picked up eight Tony Awards.

Tickets for his Big Top show at €35 go on sale this Thursday from galwayartsfestival.com, roisindubh.net, and ticketmaster.ie, and from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. A limited number of Early Bird tickets will be available from galwayartsfestival.com