Scottish writer and DJ Irvine Welsh, author of the legendary Trainspotting, will be one of the headline names at BRIT UNDER FEST, with a dual appearance that’s sure to make an impact. On one hand, he’ll host an open talk on literature, music, and British underground culture; on the other, he’ll take to the decks for a special DJ set by the Mediterranean Sea, blending acid house and techno with the same intensity he writes with: unfiltered, straight to the body and mind.
A key figure in British counterculture since the 1990s, Welsh comes to Barcelona to share his worldview through two languages he commands with equal passion: words and music. His presence at the festival is a statement of intent: to celebrate creativity that challenges, provokes, and transforms.
Born in Edinburgh in 1958, Welsh rose to global fame with Trainspotting (1993), a novel that captured the dark soul of a generation caught between heroin, job insecurity, and the disillusionment of the Scottish working class. Written in a raw, oral, and deeply human style, it became a literary and cultural phenomenon, later adapted into a film by Danny Boyle in 1996 — a film that defined a generation.
Far from leaving that universe behind, Welsh has expanded it with novels like Porno, Skagboys, The Blade Artist, and Dead Men’s Trousers, tracing the evolution of iconic characters like Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie over the years. In 2025, he releases his new novel, Men In Love (Anagrama), a return to that world — now filtered through a search for love and set against the backdrop of late-’80s acid house culture.
But Welsh is more than literature. He has also written screenplays, directed short films, produced theatre, and taken part in social and cultural initiatives around the globe. He has developed a solid career as a DJ, performing at venues such as Glastonbury, Mexico, Chile, and Ireland through his electronic label Jack Said What. His DJ sets are experiences in themselves: packed with energy, political edge, and narrative drive.
At BRIT UNDER FEST, his talk will be a rare chance to hear one of the most incisive and free voices of our time speak on class, drugs, gentrification, Thatcherism, and popular culture. And his DJ set — a physical celebration of everything that fuels his work: noise, rhythm, and rebellion.