County Clare has been announced as the Regional Hub for Bealtaine Festival 2027, in a significant development for Ireland’s national celebration of arts and ageing.
Delivered by Age & Opportunity, Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and ageing. The festival will pilot a regional hub model to host its flagship programme for the first time in more than 30 years.
Clare County Council secured the role following a highly competitive selection process among local authorities nationwide, with a proposal that impressed for its ambition, creativity and strong track record in the arts.
This new hub model will see the Bealtaine Flagship Festival alternate annually between Dublin and regional locations.
In 2027, the spotlight will turn to Ennis, where the festival will be based in the county’s dynamic cultural campus and benefit from its experienced arts team and a long-standing commitment to Bealtaine at a local level.
The flagship celebrations will take place from Thursday, May 20 to Saturday, May 22, 2027, alongside the wider national programme running throughout May.
Arts Officer with Clare County Council, Siobhán Mulcahy, said, “Bealtaine has been a key part of Clare County Council’s creative calendar for many years. To be selected as the Flagship Festival location in 2027 endorses the work we have been doing around creativity in older age for many years and offers us a national platform to celebrate arts and ageing.
“Our success in bringing the festival to Clare is testament to the depth of creativity that abounds in our older community and the talent of our older artists. We are particularly delighted to hold the festival during the European Year of Volunteering and to be able to commission a Clare musician to create new work to accompany the festival.”
At the heart of the festival will be Glór, the thriving arts centre in Ennis, known for its vibrant programme spanning theatre, music, dance, visual arts, film and community engagement.
Events will also take place in the neighbouring Súil Gallery and De Valera Library.
To mark this milestone partnership, Bealtaine Festival and Clare County Council have also announced a new music commission for a Clare-based artist aged 50+. Supported by a €15,000 bursary, the commission will support the creation of a new work to premiere at the 2027 Flagship Festival. Full details of the application process will be announced in the coming weeks.
Artistic Director of Bealtaine Festival, Dr Tara Byrne, said, “We’re delighted to bring Bealtaine to Ennis in Co Clare, an inspiring county with a deeply rooted arts tradition and a bold, innovative spirit.
“This new regional hub offers an opportunity to connect with both new and established communities of those aged 50+, to celebrate the richness of creativity in later life, and to share exceptional work from Clare and across Ireland.”
Bealtaine Festival is an initiative of Age & Opportunity, funded by the Arts Council and the HSE. Age & Opportunity is the national organisation working to enable the best quality of life for us all as we age. To find out more about Bealtaine Festival, visit www.bealtaine.ie