Donegal’s premier summer cultural celebration, Earagail Arts Festival, will officially unveil its 2026 programme at a public launch event in the Villa Rose Hotel & Spa, Ballybofey, this Friday 12th June at 1pm.
The launch marks the beginning of the countdown to the 39th annual Earagail Arts Festival, which will take place from 10–25 July across County Donegal.
Members of the public are invited to attend as His Excellency Mr Artur Michalski, Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Poland to Ireland, officially unveils the festival’s 2026 programme and brochure.
Guests will be welcomed with a drinks reception, musical entertainment from the Finn Valley Men’s Choir and a specially curated selection of refreshments from the Villa Rose Hotel.
Prepared by Executive Head Chef Richard McKee and his team, the reception menu will include a subtle Polish influence, with Polish-born Chef Marcin Stolarz contributing elements of his native cuisine, including traditional sweet treats, in recognition of the visit of Poland’s senior diplomatic representative to Ireland.
Earagail Arts Festival 2026 promises another vibrant and ambitious programme spanning music, theatre, dance, visual arts, spoken word, circus, street arts and family events. The festival will once again bring world-class artistic experiences to communities throughout Donegal, from the islands and Gaeltacht regions of West Donegal to East Donegal, Inishowen, Letterkenny, Ardara, Lifford and Donegal Town.
With a family-orientated, participatory and engaging programme, the festival continues its commitment to making the arts accessible to everyone. In response to ongoing cost-of-living pressures, Earagail Arts Festival will once again keep ticket prices as affordable as possible while offering a range of discounts and free events throughout the county.
This year’s programme features an expanded circus and street arts offering, with performances and workshops taking place in Letterkenny, Gaoth Dobhair, Lifford and Donegal Town. Audiences can also look forward to an exciting line-up of theatre, dance, spoken word and visual arts events, alongside a stellar music programme featuring artists from Ireland and around the world.
Festival highlights include performances by internationally acclaimed artists from Mauritania, Wales, Scotland and the United States, alongside many of Ireland’s leading musicians and a wealth of homegrown Donegal talent. The festival will also continue its valued partnerships with RAMP – Rathmullan Music Project and Irish Aerial Dance Fest, while working with cultural organisations across the county to deliver an extensive visual arts programme.
Paul Brown, CEO and Artistic Director of Earagail Arts Festival, said: “Earagail Arts Festival continues to celebrate the creativity, culture and communities that make Donegal such a special place. We are delighted to welcome everyone to Ballybofey for the unveiling of our 2026 programme and look forward to sharing another exciting and diverse festival with audiences from across the county and beyond this July.”
The launch event is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.
Earagail Arts Festival is kindly supported by Donegal County Council, The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Wild Atlantic Way.
