With just seven weeks to go, Beyond the Pale has unveiled this June’s Arts Programme, and it’s the festival’s most ambitious and creatively charged edition yet. Taking place from June 12th – 14th on the Glendalough Estate in Co. Wicklow, the fifth edition brings together over 90 artworks and events, more than 600 artists and performers, and 12 stages and areas, shaping a weekend rooted in what Beyond The Pale Arts Programme Director Jenny Jennings calls “rooted in the silly, the sexy, and the sublime.”
It’s a fitting mantra for a festival that has steadily carved out a reputation as one of Ireland’s most playful and artist‑driven boutique weekenders. This year, that ethos is expressed through major commissions, world premieres, Irish festival firsts, brand new festival areas, late‑night happenings, artist‑led takeovers and three thematic strands that guide audiences through the Valley.
Jenny Jennings, who is also co‑creator of acclaimed theatre company THISISPOPBABY, continues: “This year’s arts line-up is full of some of the best artists and performers on the island today, who will have your feet itching to dance, your belly sore from laughing, and your heart full. The arts programme takes its cues from the extraordinary history, fauna and flora of the land, as well as the juicy time in the calendar it takes place. It offers a space to gather and play, to reconnect with nature and ritual, to ignite imagination and stir big feelings…and to let loose and have a ball with your pals.”
A number of very special events sit at the heart of the 2026 arts lineup. Una Mullally presents Grianstad: The Trip, an immersive audio experience designed for the festival landscape; Penos for Palestine, created in partnership with GOAL Global, invites festival‑goers to take a shot against a well‑known sportsperson for charity; and the annual Birdwatching Walk and Talk with Seán Ronayne returns as one of the festival’s most quietly beloved rituals. Adding to the intrigue, a Secret Special Guest Slot, described only as a “giant of Irish electronic producing”, is tipped to close the notorious Puc Fada venue on Saturday night.
Two headline commissions anchor the 2026 arts programme. The first comes from Sergey Khadshava, the digital artist who “broke the internet” last year with his mapping of a brutalist water tower turned DJ booth. His new bespoke digital artwork for Beyond the Pale promises another immersive visual centrepiece. The second commission, Undercurrent, is a striking series of bespoke festival flags by AmyRose Bryan, designed to ripple across the site and act as both visual markers and atmospheric interventions.
Beyond the Pale’s high‑energy and late‑night programming remains a defining feature. This year’s lineup includes international superstar showman and shaman Hugo Hamlet, cult legends EGG, high‑energy showstoppers Haus of Wig, and sizzling nightclub collectives Tender, Trad Rave and Big Fat Slut: SexyTadhg Takeover. They’re joined by a strong bill of Irish artistry, including Paahto & The Bull, the new project from John Francis Flynn; Æ MAK, premiering her new album; the soulful Salamay; and party‑makers Shakalak, who will close one of the late‑night areas in the early hours of Monday morning.
Four creative collectives also shape the cultural pulse of the Valley this year, each bringing their own community, energy and perspective. WRGRIOT, presenting a festival edition of their incendiary poetry slam Talkatives; The Pavee Club, curated by Steo Wall, celebrating the deep musical lineage of the Irish Traveller community; Outstraight Records, delivering a high‑octane hip‑hop takeover. Shane Daniel Byrne’s Comedy Shithouse, returning with a riotous lineup of his favourite comedians.
Curating the weekend into distinct worlds of spectacle, imagination, and play, three new thematic strands shape this year’s arts offering, Outlandish Behaviour, Juicy Ideas, and Ultimate Craic.
Outlandish Behaviour is a celebration of theatrically charged, high‑energy work. Highlights include the Hoes of Tralee Opening Extravaganza, RATHAUS’s queer underground club night, Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow, Cabáiste Cabaret, and Climbwallscabaret with live band Lavery and some of Ireland’s most exciting circus artists and showgirls.
Juicy Ideas is where theatre, dance, conversation and experimentation collide. This strand features Fishamble’s Playing Field, with work‑in‑progress performances from Cian Kinsella, Tierra Porter and Leanne Bickerdike; NAF Dance’s Ham Sandwiches and Discipline; Jaxbanded Theatre’s undercover‑Gardaí musical comedy Undercovers; Silver Salon with Una Mullally in conversation with Julie Fogarty; and Plámásing, hosted by Fionn Phelan, featuring Trainspotting’s Irvine Welsh, Aoife Dunne, How I Became a Wave, and a yet‑to‑be‑revealed surprise guest.
Ultimate Craic is dedicated to pure, unfiltered fun. Battles of the Clans invites festival‑goers to represent their ancestors in spear throwing, tug o’ war and other fierce, hilarious competitions. The Den, home to Bushcrafts with Scouting Ireland and Forest School, offers nature‑driven workshops for families and curious minds.
Across major commissions, new spaces, late‑night happenings and artist‑led takeovers, Beyond the Pale’s 2026 Arts Programme is its most anticipated to date, offering festival-goers a weekend packed with creativity, curiosity and unforgettable moments across the Glendalough Valley.
Weekend camping tickets and Sunday day tickets are now on sale at www.itsbeyondthepale.ie and Ticketmaster with two-payment instalment plans available until May 4th.
