Bealtaine Festival

18/06/2026

Save the Date: Experience 2026, An Introduction to Arts, Health & the Older Person

Keynote Speaker Prof Rose Anne Kenny

Experience 2026: An Introduction to Arts, Health and the Older Person will take place on Thursday 03 December from 10am-5pm at The LAB, Foley St, Dublin 1.

This full day of inspiration and learning is designed for professional artists and arts practitioners of all disciplines interested in this area. Experience 2026 will aim to outline the essential elements involved in working with older people in an arts and health context, and will feature presentations by some of the most experienced and inspiring practitioners working in this specialised field of practice. This year’s Keynote Speaker will be Regius Professor Rose Anne Kenny, champion of positive ageing, Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin, founder of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and bestselling author of Age Proof – The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life.

Experience 2026 is presented by Age & Opportunity, the national organisation working to enhance wellbeing for older people, and Réalta, the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Expressions of interest may be registered by email to [email protected] The full programme and booking information will be published in late September. See www.ageandopportunity.ie and www.realta.ie

Experience 2026: An Introduction to Arts, Health and the Older Person is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE, with support from Dublin City Council.

Age & Opportunity
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon
HSE Ireland
Dublin City Council

Image Credit: Participants Helena Sinnott and Roger Greene at a Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts Art at the Kitchen Table Studio session in Waterford. Photo by DGM Photographic.

02/06/2026

Thank you to all of the volunteers, artists, participants and audiences who joined us in the Project Arts Centre last weekend for the Bealtaine Flagship Festival, and to all of the venues, artists, libraries and communities who came together nationally throughout the month of May to celebrate Bealtaine 2026!
This year was a year was truly outstanding, and we are so grateful to have had so much participation and support across the country in making it such a special festival.
Take a look at some of the photos our volunteers took during our 2026 Flagship Festival weekend, and keep an eye on our channels for further updates.
See you next year!
Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

27/05/2026

We’re delighted to partner with Expressway for Bealtaine Festival 2026 🎨🚍
Enjoy direct, comfortable travel to events across the country — making it easier than ever to experience our performances, workshops and community programmes this May 💛
Plan your journey and be part of it ✨

Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

27/05/2026

Flagship Weekend Highlights 🎉✨

Bealtaine Festival’s closing weekend at the Project Arts Centre is packed with standout events across literature, music, dance, film and conversation, a vibrant celebration of creativity at every age.

Take part in workshops, catch film screenings, join walking tours, or simply drop in and soak up the atmosphere across Temple Bar, all leading up to our end-of-festival celebration at 6 O’Clock Rock with Sing Along Social.

📍 Project Arts Centre & venues across Temple Bar
📅 28th – 30th May

Spaces are limited across events! Book now or pop by and be part of the final weekend of Bealtaine 2026.



Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

Clare Monelly chairs panel featuring Shaun Dunne and Pom Boyd at the special Bealtaine Film retrospective at this year's flagship festival in the Project Arts Centre. ✨🎬

Don’t miss these films on the big screen, offering another chance to experience a powerful selection of Bealtaine-commissions — each one a unique exploration of age, identity, care, creativity and community. The programme features 'Where Do All The Old G**s Go?' directed by Cathy Dunne; 'Over/Pass' by Shaun Dunne and Jessica Kennedy; 'Home: A Filmpoem', a collaborative project by poet Enda Wyley & visual artist Anita Groener; 'The Key was Always in the Door (2019)' by Collette Nolan and poet Gerry Murphy, and Pom Boyd’s iconic 'The Windy Lady'.

The screening will be followed by a lively panel discussion —offering insight, reflection, and conversation you won’t want to miss. 💬
🗓 28 May 2026
🕑 2:00–3:30pm
📍 Project Arts Centre
Tickets available: https://projectartscentre.ie/events/bealtaine-film-retrospective/
Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Project Arts Centre

26/05/2026

Two more days until Sax, (No) Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll 🎶🔥

Irish Times arts journalist Nadine O’Regan hosts this much-anticipated conversation with three iconic figures in Irish music - Mary Coughlan , Barry Devlin (Horslips) and Keith Donald (Moving Hearts), for an honest, entertaining and revealing look at life in music.

📍 Project Arts Centre
🕢 28th May, 7.30pm – 9pm

https://projectartscentre.ie/events/sex-no-drugs-rock-n-roll/
Expect stories from the road, reflections on major careers, personal lives and candid conversations around success, addiction and survival in the music industry. A special audience Q&A is included.



Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

26/05/2026

We’re delighted to partner with Expressway for Bealtaine Festival 2026 🎨🚍

Connecting you to creativity, conversation and community across Ireland this May 💛
Travel with ease to our Flagship Festival Weekend at Project Arts Centre — featuring Miriam O'Callaghan in conversation with Susan McKay, Mary Coughlan with Barry Devlin & Keith Donald (chaired by Nadine O'Reagan) at 'Sax, (No) Drugs, & Rock and Roll,' Paul Cleary with Tom Dunne live and in-conversation, Marie Brett + Company Philip Connaughton at 'Choreographing Autonomy', and Sing Along Social ‘Six O’Clock Rock.’ Don't miss ‘This Land Bears Our Name’ at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios presented by Eireann and I Archive throughout the weekend, and hop into a workshop to get involved! All this and much more in store this weekend Project Arts Centre
https://projectartscentre.ie/events/bealtaine-festival-2026/
Plan your journey, explore the programme, and be part of it ✨


Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

26/05/2026

CLOSING TOMORROW
Invitation to Tender: Performing Arts Curator; Visual Arts Curator 2026–2029

Age & Opportunity Arts invites tenders for Festival Curators for Ireland’s national festival celebrating arts and creativity as we age.

You can apply for one or both roles:
Performing Arts Curator
Visual Arts Curator

Full details, eligibility and application requirements can be found here: https://bealtaine.ie/invitation-to-tender-bealtaine-2026-2029-performing-arts-and-visual-arts-festival-curators/

🕛 Closing date: Wednesday 27 May 2026, 12 noon

We welcome applications that reflect Bealtaine’s participatory ethos and national reach.


Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon