Discover, Connect, Belong: Bere Island Arts Festival Announces Immersive 2026 Programme
The Bere Island Arts Festival has officially unveiled its highly anticipated 2026 programme, inviting audiences to step off the ferry and into a vibrant, four-day celebration of creativity, culture and community. Running from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th September, this year’s festival presents its most ambitious line-up yet, blending high-profile performances with grassroots island traditions.
Now in its 4th year, the festival’s enduring spirit – Discover, Connect, Belong – promises visitors an experience unlike any other. From the moment attendees arrive on the island, they become part of an intimate and welcoming community, sharing stories and ideas against the breathtaking backdrop of West Cork’s land and sea.
MUSIC, THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE
A major highlight of the 2026 festival is the globally revered artist Imelda May, who brings her ‘Raised on Songs & Stories’ show to the island on Saturday evening. This rare, stripped-back performance will feature acoustic versions of her songs intertwined with poetry and storytelling in an incredibly intimate setting.
The festival will also host the Cork debut of The Devil’s in the Dancehall on Thursday night. Directed by Edwina Guckian and featuring The Gralton Big Band, this immersive and joyous live performance explores the suppression of Ireland’s rural dance halls in the 1930s. Audiences will be invited onto the floor to dance the night away, experiencing the fierce, rebellious joy of expressing freedom, or the desire for freedom, through dance.
Theatre takes centre stage with Holding Bones, a moving and imaginative new work from award-winning Púca Puppets. Written and performed by veteran theatre-maker Niamh Lawlor, the piece blends storytelling, puppetry, visual art and live drawing as she playfully brings generations of family characters back to life. Funny, tender and deeply affecting, Holding Bones explores family, memory, love, loss and the rituals that help us navigate the cycle of life.
LITERATURE AND POETRY
The spoken word remains a cornerstone of the festival. On Saturday, island native and poet Seamus Harrington will celebrate a remarkable milestone, launching his debut poetry collection, Time and Tide. Audiences can also look forward to an evocative Haiku workshop and walking tour with acclaimed author Liam Carson, as well as a reading from award-winning short story writer John O’Donnell. There is also an opportunity to participate in a poetry film workshop with Colm Scully.
VISUAL ARTS AND ISLAND HERITAGE
Visual arts are woven into the very fabric and history of the island. Belfast-based Japanese artist Shiro Masuyama brings his compelling Borderline Project to the GAA grounds. Housed in a converted caravan split into Irish and British cultural halves, the installation holds profound resonance for Bere Island, which served as a British naval base until 1938.
Additionally, Bere Island artist Mary Sullivan will present selected works from From the Inside Out and the Outside In, exploring place, connection and experience through an engaging trail that draws on the island’s landscape and infrastructure.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND WORKSHOPS
Deeply rooted in its community, the festival relies on the dedication of local volunteers and makers. The famed Long-Table Supper to celebrate Culture Night is hosted by Cape Clear historian and storyteller Diarmuid Ó Drisceoil. The evening will bring locals and visitors together for food, song and shared heritage.
Throughout the weekend, the Pop-Up Craft Shop at Lawrence Cove Marina will feature demonstrations from local artisans. Attendees can also participate in foraging and printmaking with Samuel Arnold Keane, vocal workshops with Dr. Eva McMullan Glossop and a welcoming Pop-Up Gaeltacht for all ages.
Pauline Hurley of Bere Island Arts Festival said “Beyond the incredible lineup, the soul of our festival has always been its extraordinary sense of togetherness. This is a celebration powered by our local volunteers, bringing world-class artists and audiences together in a landscape like no other.
Guided by our theme “Discover, Connect, Belong” we invite audiences to discover new creative voices, connect with people and place, and belong to a vibrant island gathering where art and community meet.”
Bere Island Arts Festival is proudly supported by Creative Places West Cork Islands, The Arts Council of Ireland, Cork County Council, the inter-island development agencies, Fáilte Ireland, Poetry Ireland and the Department of Defence, whose significant support this year is deeply appreciated.
The festival runs from the 17th to the 20th of September 2026. For the full programme of events, ferry schedules and ticketing information, visit www.bereislandartsfestival.ie.
SUPPORT THE FESTIVAL: IMELDA MAY TICKET DRAW
As a volunteer-led initiative, the Bere Island Arts Festival relies heavily on fundraising. To support the event’s ongoing success, organisers are hosting a special fundraising draw. For just €10, entrants have the chance to win two highly coveted tickets to the sold-out Imelda May performance. Every entry directly supports the arts on Bere Island. Enter at https://www.bereislandartsfestival.ie/2026-tickets
