Boyne Music Festival

21/06/2026

🎶Artist Spotlight: Lotte Betts-Dean ✨

We’re delighted to welcome acclaimed Australian mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean to Boyne Music Festival 2026 for three special evening concerts.

Praised by The Guardian for her “irrepressible sense of drama and unmissable, urgent musicality,” Lotte is internationally recognised for her fearless approach to contemporary vocal music and her ability to bring striking clarity, intensity, and imagination to the stage.

Lotte Betts-Dean was awarded the 2024 Young Artist of the Year at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards. In 2023, she was appointed Ambassador for Donne UK, and in 2022 she was made an Associate (ARAM) of the Royal Academy of Music , recognising her significant contribution to the music profession.

📅 Performance Dates

Thursday 23 July 2026 | 8:00–10:00pm | Slane Castle

Friday 24 July 2026 | 8:00–10:00pm | St. Peter’s Church of Ireland

Saturday 25 July 2026 | 8:00–9:30pm | Townley Hall

✨ A highlight of the festival - see all three performances with our special BMF Festival Pass.

🎟️ Book tickets here: https://boynemusicfestival.com/tickets

19/06/2026

🎉 WIN 2X TICKETS TO FOUNDATIONS! 🎉

We're giving away 2 tickets to Foundations at the Boyne Music Festival — an inspiring evening of chamber music in the stunning acoustics of St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda.

Featuring music by Barber, Sollima, Schubert and Elgar, plus performances from our 2026 BMF Young Artists.

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👉 To enter, head to our Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZwm38UjLJK/

🏆 Competition closes 11:59 PM on 2 July and the winner will be announced on 3 July.

Good luck! 🍀

18/06/2026

Thank you for sharing Discover Boyne Valley! ✨

15/06/2026

📖 Workshop Spotlight: Kate Wakeling ✍️

We’re delighted to welcome poet and librettist Kate Wakeling to Boyne Music Festival 2026 for a special creative workshop.

In this friendly and accessible session, Kate will explore how poems can be thought of as “built structures” — spaces that hold and shape ideas. We’ll begin by looking at a range of poems about buildings and ruins, from the 5th-century fragment The Ruin to contemporary work by poets such as Jane Hirshfield and Jacob Polley.

From there, participants will be guided to create their own poems inspired by these ideas and their own experiences.

✨Kate is an award-winning poet known for her work across children’s and adult poetry, and for collaborations with leading ensembles including Aurora Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

✍️Would you like to join us to explore how poetry can build, shelter, and transform ideas?

Join us on Sunday 26 July 2026 between 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm - for an event accessible to everyone!

🎟️Tickets here: https://boynemusicfestival.com/programme-2026/2026/7/26/poetry-writing-workshop-kate-wakeling

14/06/2026

📻 Meet the Artist: Samuel Kane 🎻

We're delighted to welcome composer and violinist Samuel Kane to Boyne Music Festival 2026.

☘️Drawing on both classical and Irish traditional music, Sam has developed a distinctive musical voice that has been heard by audiences across Ireland and beyond.

✨His chamber compositions have been featured on BBC Radio Ulster Classical Connections and The Culture Café, while one of his orchestral works—premiered by soprano Zoë Valleé and the Carme Ensemble—was broadcast on Classic FM , where it won the Big Platinum Performance Prize.

🎶Join us at this year's festival to experience Sam's music live, including his piece Sunflower at our Amateur Strings Workshop and appearances as part of the New Pathways concert.

14/06/2026

We can't wait to welcome you Lotte Betts-Dean! 🎶

Jul 23 6:00 pm18:00 Dinner at Slane Castle Thursday 23 July 2026 6:00 pm 8:00 pm 18:00 20:00 Slane Castle (map) Google Calendar ICS The 2026 Boyne Music Festival kicks off its 13th summer with a fine dining experience in the Gandon Room at Slane Castle. View Event →

06/06/2026

🎶 Evening Concert: Foundations 🎶

Join us for a special evening of chamber music in St. Peter's Church of Ireland.

📅 Friday 24 July 2026
🕗 8:00–10:00pm

Set in the stunning acoustics of this historic venue, Foundations explores the building blocks of musical expression - featuring beloved classical works alongside contemporary voices, and opening with performances by this year’s Young Artists.

✨ Programme:

Samuel Barber – 4 Songs, Op. 13
Giovanni Sollima – Sonnets et Rondeaux for String Quartet
Franz Schubert – Variations for piano 4 hands
Edward Elgar – Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84

🎻 Featuring an outstanding line-up of performers across piano, strings, voice, and wind.

🎟️ Book tickets here: https://boynemusicfestival.com/programme-2026/2026/7/24/evening-concert-foundations

06/06/2026

26/05/2026

✨ An unforgettable evening awaits at Slane Castle ✨

Join us on 23 July for the Opening Night of the Boyne Music Festival in one of Ireland’s most iconic musical landmarks. Begin the evening with an elegant 3-course dinner in the historic Gandon Room before enjoying Echoes — a moving programme of music, poetry and reflection inspired by the rich musical legacy of Slane Castle.

🍽️ Opening Night Dinner
🎻 Live Performance: Echoes
🏰 Luxury overnight stay options available

From U2-inspired arrangements to Tchaikovsky masterpieces, this special evening promises music, atmosphere, and memories to last long after the final note.

‼️Dinner bookings close Sunday, 19 July.

🎟️ Book your Concert Ticket here: https://boynemusicfestival.com/programme-2026/2026/7/23/opening-concert-echoes

🔗All information about Dinner and Accomodation here: https://boynemusicfestival.com/programme-2026/2026/7/23/dinner-at-slane-castle

✉️ Send us a DM if you have any questions!

📸 Thomas Jackson

19/05/2026

🎻✨ Amateur Strings Workshop ✨🎻

Join us for a relaxed and inspiring morning of music-making this summer!

📍 Townley Hall
�🗓 26 July 2026 | 11am–2pm�
💶 Tickets €40 (includes refreshments)

Play alongside professional musicians and enjoy coaching from amazing artists, including Ioana Petcu-Colan and BMF guests 🎶

🎼 Music: Bach • Grieg • Sam Kane (Sunflower)

A friendly, supportive workshop for string players of all ages and levels — ending with a short performance at 1:45pm 💫�Friends & family welcome!

👉 Book your place now: https://boynemusicfestival.com/programme-2026/2026/7/26/amateur-strings-workshop

📸Thomas Jackson