The 2026 Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s national celebration of creativity in older age (run by Age & Opportunity), takes place throughout May with events nationwide. It features a diverse mix of arts, film, performance, and community engagement, promoting the artistic contributions of older people. Proudly funded by the Arts Council and the HSE, with the support of communities nationwide and a vast network of accomplished local and national bodies.

Irish Times arts journalist Nadine O’Regan hosts this much anticipated event with singer Mary Coughlan, Barry Devlin (bass/Horslips), and Keith Donald (sax/Moving Hearts). Expect an entertaining, honest, and revealing conversation with three of the most iconic figures in contemporary Irish music about their professional successes, personal lives ‘on the road,’ and varied tales of addiction. Open captioning will be available at this event.

An ode to the unique, this experimental play embraces the irreplaceable in a world of homogeny and disposability. Someone Else challenges the unfettered drive towards progress and the erosion of human value by asking what’s lost, and what cannot be replaced. An experimental play performed by Liam Bixby, Lise-Ann McLaughlin, Venus Patel and Lórcan Strain, Someone Else is a show that attests to the importance of mischief and play To the backdrop of overconsumption, disposability and impermanence, Someone Else offers audiences a moment of mooring. It can feel that human value is diminish