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.

Pôt-pot are an Irish quintet based in Lisbon, Portugal. The band infuse the propulsive rhythms of krautrock with a phosphorescent psych-rock radiance, all underscored by harmonium drones, hypnotic vocal harmonies, and layers of rough-hewn texture. They deal in deep grooves and cooking listeners to completion. They released their debut EP Ode To A in 2023, earning it a spot on The Thin Air’s “Best of 2023” list. “Ode To A succeeds not just in the artistic practice of the avant-garde, but as piece of an engaging, genuinely psychedelic experimental drone rock” – Stevie Lennox, The

Dublin darling Shane Daniel Byrne is back, just about. The award-winning stand-up has become a leading act in Ireland at breakneck speed. Shane is the boy from school who was capable of more, the kid who could always do better. Well, just try catching him now. Expect rapid-fire craic and big-hearted feelings in his brand-new show about bellies and bullies.