Hi Neil,
How nice that you will be celebrating New Year's Eve in Dublin this year! Do you have plans to sightsee in and around the city as well? There's plenty
to do in Dublin during the New Year!
To answer your question, Westlife was indeed on last year's lineup and I can't get to see the world record drum session either on the
New Year's Festival website. The festival has 3 stages this year, with two main events on the 31st at Dublin Castle and Collins Barracks as you mentioned.
From what I can see, tickets for The Scratch + Special guests are still available
through Ticketmaster. Maybe you'd like to listen to the artists performing beforehand? Alternatively, you can also stay on the lookout for resale tickets for
Picture This at Dublin Castle.
Let us know if you end up scoring tickets or if you need any other ideas to ring in the new year.
Cheers,
Antoine