BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Sligo.ie - ECPv6.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Sligo.ie
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://sligo.ie
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Sligo.ie
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/Dublin
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:IST
DTSTART:20250330T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20251026T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:IST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:IST
DTSTART:20270328T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20271031T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260522
DTSTAMP:20260428T123443Z
CREATED:20260428T123317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T123443Z
UID:10010872-1777766400-1779407999@sligo.ie
SUMMARY:Bealtine Festival Sligo
DESCRIPTION:Bealtaine Festival Sligo 2026 – A Month‑Long Celebration of Creativity\, Community & Culture\nEvery May\, Sligo comes alive with Bealtaine – Ireland’s national festival celebrating arts and creativity as we age. This year’s programme is one of the most vibrant yet\, with over 70 events spanning music\, visual art\, dance\, literature\, workshops\, talks\, and community gatherings across the county. \nFrom dawn choruses in Queen Maeve Square to textile workshops in the Yeats Building\, Bealtaine 2026 showcases the depth of Sligo’s creative community and the joy of lifelong artistic expression. Whether you’re a regular festival‑goer or discovering Bealtaine for the first time\, there is something for everyone. \nBelow is an overview of what’s happening throughout May\, along with some standout highlights. \n\nFestival Highlights\nBealtaine Dawn Chorus – Sligo Orpheus Choir\nSun 3 May\, 8am – Queen Maeve Square A national Bealtaine event and one of Sligo’s most uplifting annual traditions. The Orpheus Choir welcomes the sunrise with rich harmonies and a warm community atmosphere. “Experience the magic of the Bealtaine Dawn Chorus…” (from the programme) \n\nWon’t Be Told – Tumble Circus\nSat 16 May\, 1pm – Hawk’s Well Theatre A bold\, rebellious circus performance packed with acrobatics\, juggling and anarchic humour. A national Bealtaine highlight and completely free to attend. \n\nA Night in November – Opening Night Ticket Offer\nWed 27 May\, 8pm – Hawk’s Well Theatre Kenneth McCallister’s powerful story of identity and transformation returns to Sligo. Over‑50s can enjoy a special €5 opening‑night ticket. \n\nDracula’s Sligo: A Horrible History of 1832\nFri 29 May\, 1pm – Hawk’s Well Theatre Studio A witty\, Horrible‑Histories‑style retelling of Sligo’s cholera epidemic and its influence on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Expect dark humour\, local lore\, and plenty of surprises. \n\nSongs at Twilight – Paul Murray & Hugh MacConville\nFri 22 May\, 7pm – Oak Moon at the Yeats Building An intimate evening of ballads and music‑hall favourites in the Yeats Building’s garden setting. \n\nExhibitions Across Sligo\nPolyrhythms – Tinka Bechert\nThroughout May – The Model A major exhibition exploring rhythm\, abstraction and movement across painting\, sculpture and textiles. “Rhythm\, repetition and pacing guiding how the works unfold…” \nJack B. Yeats Exhibitions – The Living Ginger & A Painted Universe\nThroughout May – The Model Two exhibitions celebrating one of Ireland’s most iconic artists\, exploring memory\, imagination and everyday experience. \nBealtaine Art Group Exhibition\nWed 20 May\, 1pm – Yeats Building Work from Active Retirement groups in Collooney and Ballymote. \nOpen Studios at The Model\nWed 6 May\, 2–4pm – The Model Studios Meet artists Kate McDonagh\, Andy Parsons and Jo Conway for a behind‑the‑scenes look at their creative processes. \n\nWorkshops\, Tours & Creative Sessions\nBealtaine 2026 offers an exceptional range of hands‑on workshops and participatory events: \n\nConscious Dance with Dr. Éadaoin Ní Challarain – Kindred Studios\, Strandhill\nWatercolour Workshop inspired by Jack B. Yeats – The Model\nSketching in the Gallery – The Model\nLanterns in the Making with Tom Meskell – Sligo Tourist Office\nCyanotype Workshop – Calico Cloak Project – Yeats Building\nFelt‑making Workshop with Vivienne Byrne – Hyde Bridge Gallery\nTassels & Threads Textile Workshop – Yeats Building\nBrown Bread\, Butter & Stories – Yeats Building\nCreative Writing Workshops with Maeve McKenna – City Hall\nTrad Slow Sessions with Mossie Martin & Sean Carroll – No. 45 High Street\n\nThese events span Sligo Town\, Strandhill\, Gurteen\, Ballymote and beyond\, supporting county‑wide participation and dispersal. \n\nBealtaine @ The Libraries\nSligo’s library network hosts a full programme of free events\, including: \n\nDigital Skills Workshops\nKitchen Crafting Sessions\nCiorcal Comhrá / Conversational Irish\nFive Ways to a Healthier You\nFifty\, Fit & Flourishing\nHow Media Works\nExploring Ireland’s Bats\nAspiring Authors Over 60\nPoetry Workshops with Terry McDonagh\nLibrary Open Day & Help Session\n\nThese events support creativity\, wellbeing\, digital inclusion and lifelong learning. \n\nArts + Health Programme\nWhile not open to the public\, the Arts + Health strand is a vital part of Bealtaine\, bringing creativity into care homes\, day centres and community hospitals across Sligo. Projects include: \n\nFolk:Lure Residency Programme\nLife is for Drumming\nMemories Old & Memories New\nMedium Rare (a Hawk’s Well Theatre production)\n\nThis work ensures Bealtaine reaches older people in supported settings throughout the county. \n\nArtist Opportunities\nSligo Arts Service is offering two professional development opportunities for artists aged 50+: \n\nTyrone Guthrie Centre Residency – Open Call (1–15 May)\nOrganising & Documenting Your Work – Online Workshop with Kari Cahill\n\nThese supports help sustain and strengthen Sligo’s creative sector. \n\nPlan Your Bealtaine Experience\nWith events happening from Queen Maeve Square to Gurteen\, Ballymote\, Strandhill\, Tubbercurry and Sligo Town\, Bealtaine 2026 is a celebration of creativity across the entire county. \nTo build your own personalised festival itinerary\, try the Visit Sligo Ideas Engine on visitsligo.ie — a quick way to discover experiences\, plan days out\, and explore more of Sligo during your visit. \nYou can download the full programme and info here.
URL:https://sligo.ie/event/bealtine-festival-sligo/
LOCATION:Sligo\, Sligo
CATEGORIES:Music,Arts,Community
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://sligo.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/bealtine-festival-sligo.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR