Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s national festival championing the arts and ageing, is celebrating its 30th year in 2026. The festival was started in 1996 by Irish organisation Age and Opportunity with the aim of the festival being to promote greater participation in society by older people in Ireland.
Initiated by Mamo McDonald and Catherine Rose, founding president and CEO respectively of Age & Opportunity which is a Dublin-based charity focused on enhancing wellbeing for older people through participation in sport and physical activity, arts and creative engagement, community development and more.
The festival is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE, supported by communities nationwide and a vast network of accomplished local and national bodies. It also partners with a plethora of premier venues including the Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, the Irish Film Institute, the National Photographic Archive, and Photo Museum Ireland.
The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Lust for Life’, reframing ageing as a period of creative reinvention. Running throughout May, the festival features a massive nationwide rollout of workshops and performances.
Wrapping up the festival is three days and of activities in the Project Arts Centre from May 28th to 30th where audiences can experience a rich mix of performance, visual arts, music, film, literature, and dance. This weekend forms the centrepiece of the festival, bringing artists and audiences together for a celebratory conclusion to the month’s festivities.
At the festival’s launch back in March, Dr Tara Byrne, Arts Programme Manager and Artistic Director of Bealtaine Festival at Age & Opportunity, said, “Bealtaine Festival 2026 is one of our most dynamic festivals yet. We are presenting a wide-ranging programme that positions the festival as a landmark moment in Ireland’s cultural calendar.
From nationally resonant traditions like the Dawn & Dusk Chorus to a flagship weekend packed with unmissable performances and some of Ireland’s most significant artists, Bealtaine Festival continues to challenge the perceptions of ageing while celebrating the extraordinary creative contribution of artists and communities.”
All in all there is an extremely diverse portfolio of events, with something for everybody. Ten events to watch out for this month include:
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
In partnership with the International Literature Festival Dublin, Phillip McMahon joins Gerry Stembridge in conversation about mentorship, influence and artistic legacy across generations.
Won’t Be Told by Tumble Circus
A rebellious circus adventure packed with wild acrobatics, absurd juggling and irreverent comedy, touring venues nationwide throughout May.
Their world is packed with wild acrobatics, absurd juggling, and hysterical comedy, all delivered with the fierce determination of performers who refuse to go quietly. Circus with attitude, heart, and a glorious refusal to behave.
Miriam O’Callaghan in Conversation with Susan McKay
One of Ireland’s most recognisable broadcasters reflects on her career, her memoir Miriam: Life, Work, Everything, and her insights on ageing, womanhood, and life in the public eye.
Sex (No) Drugs & Rock N Roll
Musicians Keith Donald and Barry Devlin join singer Mary Coughlan to explore music, showbands, punk, addiction, abstinence and life on the road in a candid discussion chaired by Nadine O’Regan.
Retired? You Must Be Joking!
Bealtaine Ambassadors Liz McManus and Mike Hanrahan host a lively exchange on art, ageing and visibility, joined by guests Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and Kieran Hanrahan.
Not Dead Yet
Love, Intimacy and Dating in Later Life: A bold and candid exploration of romance in the modern age. Chaired by writer, broadcaster and storyteller Barbara Scully, this headline discussion features the iconic Rory O’Neill (Panti Bliss), musician Leslie Dowdall, and neuroscientist Dr. Sabina Brennan.
From the evolution of intimacy to the realities of modern dating, the panel dives into the emotional and social dimensions of relationships in later life, followed by a ‘Mix & Mingle’ social event.
Éireann and I present ‘This Land Bears our Name’
This special commission for Bealtaine explores older migrants’ relationships with Dublin city with newly produced images made during a sound walking workshop, together with images from participants’ personal archives.
The work challenges dominant narratives of belonging and opens space for alternative memories and ways of knowing the city to surface. It foregrounds the shared contributions to urban life made by individuals and social groups whose presence and labour may go overlooked.
The project also engages with the deeper epistemologies of space, posing critical questions such as: Who is most visible in the city and for whom were particular spaces designed for?
We Are An Archipelago
A moving spoken-word and live music performance inspired by the true story of a 99-year-old man returning to his island home, the Inis Oirr-esque island of his birth, after eighty years away. There he meets Deena, a young pregnant woman fleeing a difficult past. Their gentle friendship sustains them as a hurricane – and a baby – arrive simultaneously.
Published as a book by Salmon Poetry, and writte by Erin Fornoff, the piece explores friendship, homecoming and embracing change later in life.
Johnny Got a Bus Pass
Little John Nee’s funny, heartfelt, musical and celebratory memoir.
This one’s billed as a state-of-the-nation and masterclass in the joys of being an elder punk.
6 O’Clock Rock with Sing Along Social
Inspired by 2024’s 4 O’Clock Rock, a closing intergenerational dance celebrating our Lust For Life.
All are welcome!
Words: Erin Murray
Bealtaine festival is for everyone, young and old. No matter who you are, this unique, diverse festival is sure to have something that will pique your interest. For more information and details of all events, visit Bealtaine.ie.
