Wexford Spiegeltent Festival Kicks Off
By Wexford Spiegeltent Festival 2025 Kicks Off
The Wexford Spiegeltent Festival 2025 kicks off on Wexford Quay today, Wednesday 16th October and runs until Saturday 1st November.
Now in its fourteenth year, the festival has become one of Ireland’s most distinctive and atmospheric live events — staged in one of the world’s last remaining original Spiegeltents (meaning “mirror tent”). Handcrafted from wood, mirrors, velvet, and brocade, Spiegeltents date back to early 20th-century Belgium, where they travelled from town to town hosting music, dance and theatre. Their mirrored walls, ornate booths and circular design create a uniquely intimate space that has captivated audiences for generations. As The Irish Times once noted, “Their circular shape and discreet booths created a sense of intimacy that lent the tents a reputation for debauchery that persists to this day.”
This year’s performances take place in The Fortuna — the largest Spiegeltent still in operation anywhere in the world. Returning to Wexford’s scenic quay front, The Fortuna brings with it a century of history, craftsmanship and stories from its travels across the globe.
Music, Comedy and Magic Under Canvas
Event organisers Lantern have lined up an exceptional programme for the fourteenth edition of what has become a jewel in Wexford’s annual cultural calendar.
Over the coming 17 nights, spanning three weekends, audiences can expect world-class music, comedy, and performance in one of the most atmospheric venues in Ireland. Music highlights include The Coronas, Dan McCabe, Lyra, Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, Paul Brady, Mick Flannery & Susan O’Neill, and rising Wexford star Ruben Buggy, who headlines his first major show.
Rock fans can look forward to The Stunning and Qween, while folk and trad lovers can enjoy Sharon Shannon and her Big Band, joined by Steve Earle, Mundy, Camille O’Sullivan and Liam Ó Maonlaí.
Comedy takes centre stage with Jack Dee, Dylan Moran, Neil Delamere and Jarlath Regan, while The Daily Dilemma Uncensored Live promises a raucous night of conversation, drag and DJs. For families, OTT Wrestling’s Halloween Slam returns on the Bank Holiday Monday with its trademark mix of humour and high-flying action.
Sustainability and Innovation
Also returning this year is Lantern’s Cup Deposit Return Scheme, part of the festival’s commitment to sustainability and its Leave No Trace ethos.
At last year’s event, refuse was drastically reduced and an estimated 85,000 single-use plastics were eliminated through initiatives including:
*Avoiding the use of 65,000 single-use cups through a deposit return scheme
*Replacing 15,000 plastic straws with paper alternatives
*Using 5,000 biodegradable cup holders made from moulded pulp
These practices are now being rolled out across Lantern’s wider events portfolio, including Live at the Breakwater, eliminating more than 155,000 single-use plastics to date.
Programme and Tickets
With many performances already sold out, limited tickets remain at wexfordspiegeltent.com.
With a line-up that spans Irish rock, trad, folk, comedy and performance — all under the shimmering mirrors of The Fortuna — Wexford Spiegeltent Festival 2025 promises another unforgettable festival on the quay.
Supported by Wexford County Council.
Programme of Events
Thursday 16th October, Jarlath Regan – sold out
The brand-new standup show from the man behind some of the most hilarious, viral standup comedy clips on Instagram and TikTok is finally here. After selling out every single seat on his “Yer Man” tour in 2024, Jarlath is on the road again and travelling around the world with a completely fresh, never before seen standup comedy show, “In Bits”.
Friday 17th October, Dan McCabe – sold out
Dan McCabe is a powerful voice in contemporary Irish music, known for his heartfelt performances and deep connection to Ireland’s rich musical heritage. Hailing from Kildare, Dan comes from a long line of musicians and began his musical journey performing with his family. Blending traditional Irish ballads with a modern, soulful style, he has earned widespread acclaim both at home and internationally. His new album, Back to Life, is a collection that showcases his evolution as an artist while staying true to the heart and soul of Irish folk music.
Saturday 18th October, Daily Dilemma Uncensored Live – sold out
The podcast that is too saucy to share on air was launched on Beat 102-103 in August 2022. On every single episode, Niall, Sho and Cillian have embraced the unknown and shared their own stories. From personal exploits to the most unusual fetishes, they have heard and covered it all! The most controversial dilemmas will now be share up close and personal in the Fortuna Spiegeltent.
Saturday 18th October, The Stunning
During the early nineties, the biggest Irish band in the world was U2 but in Ireland it was The Stunning. In the seven years they were initially together, they toured relentlessly building up a following that would make them one of the most successful Irish bands ever. Their debut album, ‘Paradise in The Picturehouse’ spent five weeks at number one and became one of the most-loved Irish albums of all time. Their numerous hits include, ‘Brewing up a Storm’, ‘Half Past Two’, ‘Romeo’s on Fire’, ‘Everything That Rises’, ‘Heads are Gonna Roll’ and more recently, Brighten up my Life. They play only a select number of shows each year.
Thursday 23rd October, The Sharon Shannon Big Band with Steve Earle and Guests
Following the overwhelming success of the Shane MacGowan tribute at last year’s Spiegeltent Festival, The Sharon Shannon Big Band returns with another powerful and heartfelt production. This year, Sharon Shannon and her extraordinary ensemble of musicians and singers—including the legendary Steve Earle, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Mundy and Camille O’Sullivan—bring you a celebration of Ireland’s world-famous musical tradition and its far-reaching influence, both at home and abroad.
Friday 24th October, Jack Dee
One of Britains’s biggest and best-loved comedy stars, Jack Dee, will perform for the first time at Wexford Spiegeltent Festival. In his brand new show, Small World, he doubles down on his fascination with the meaningless small things of life like Zoom protocol, what’s new in the world of radiators and the worst careers advice office in the world! Expect all this fun stuff with Jack Dee’s unique dry humour and deadpan delivery.
Friday 24th October and Saturday 25th October, The Coronas – sold out
Irish indie-rock band The Coronas are set to captivate audiences at the Wexford Spiegeltent Festival this October. Following the success of their eighth studio album, Thoughts & Observations, the trio—Danny O’Reilly, Graham Knox, and Conor Egan—have been touring extensively, including sold out shows in the US and Australia. The Irish legends knocked pop princess Sabrina Carpenter off Ireland’s number one spot with their new album.
Saturday 25th October, Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan is a versatile Irish folk singer/songwriter. She’s never been a singer who is afraid of the dark but she handles her themes with an empathy and directness that can only come with experience. Her fruitful solo musical career has spanned 18 years and received several award nominations, both in Ireland and the United States. Following her sold out collaboration with the Irish Arts Centre in New York, Lisa brought this very special production home, with five dates last November and is continuing touring around some very special venues throughout 2025.
Sunday 26th October, Bell X1 – sold out
Bell X1 are back with their first new album in seven years and it’s the sound of a band at their creative and collaborative peak. Performing acoustically in the Fortuna Spiegeltent will be special. The group, Paul Noonan (lead vocals, guitar, percussion, keys), David Geraghty (guitar, vocals, keys, percussion, banjo, piano, harmonica) and Dominic Phillips (bass, vocals) has generated a big audience in the United States, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, Mexico and the Middle East. They have released several studio albums, with four being nominated for the Choice Music Prize.
Sunday 26th October and Sunday 1st November, Qween and Dublin Gospel Choir – sold out
Following performances in venues and festivals across the country, Qween and The Dublin Gospel Choir join forces once again, to perform rock legends, Queen’s biggest hits in the Wexford Spiegeltent. Frontman, Brian Keville is no stranger to playing Freddie Mercury, having portrayed the singer in the Live Aid drama “When Harvey Met Bob” alongside Domhnall Gleeson’s mouthy Bob Geldof. He is renowned for fully immersing himself into the role of Freddie Mercury to create his larger than life persona.
Monday 27th October, OTT Wrestling
The Spiegeltent round will be squared as OTT Wrestling brings high octane American-style wrestling to the Spiegeltent. Favourite characters will return to perform breath-taking acrobatic moves, battling out good versus evil. Each performance offers an unforgettable, action-packed spectacle for the whole family unlike anything ever witnessed before in Ireland.
Wednesday 29th October, Dylan Moran
The ‘Oscar Wilde of comedy’ is returning to Wexford. BAFTA and Perrier award-winning comedian Dylan Moran is bringing his brand new stand-up show ‘DOLLAH HO’ to Wexford Spiegeltent with choice servings of his thoughts on everything and anything, delivered with his trademark poetic panache.
Thursday 30th October, Mick Flanney and Susan O’Neill
In February 2020, Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill took to the stage of The Late Late Show for a striking performance of their standout song, “Baby Talk” released the following week. What began as a one-off collaboration quickly sparked a creative connection between the two artists, one that would evolve into something much greater. Soon after, Mick and Susan began writing and recording together. The result was In the Game, released in September 2021 to widespread acclaim. Now, five years on from that first performance, a live record captured across a series of shows from 2021 to 2025—will be released this October, accompanied by a nationwide Irish tour including the Wexford Spiegeltent.
Thursday 30th October, Ruben Buggy – sold out
Not one to be missed. Ruben Buggy’s first headline show promises to be one of the most energetic, meaningful, powerful and emotional gigs of his fast-rising career as an artist. Ruben has been writing songs from a young age. His first release ‘The Boys Song’ was penned in 2013. He is currently in the process of recording his first album. Anyone who’s been to Ruben’s gigs knows how special and inclusive they are. The excitement will be seeing this play out in the Spiegeltent with a full band of Wexford’s finest musicians and an audience anticipating one of the great nights of the year.
Friday 31st October, Paul Brady – sold out
Paul Brady, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is one of Ireland’s most enduringly popular artists. In this Spiegeltent performance, he will perform much-loved classics such as ‘The Island’, ‘Nobody Knows’, ‘Arthur McBride’ and many more. His live performances, whether solo or with his trio, include songs from his extensive catalogue of 40 years. Often classified as a musicians’ musician, Paul Brady’s songs have been covered by a huge array of major artists. He was awarded a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from The National Concert Hall, which was presented by The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.
Friday 31st October, Lyra
Cork-born artist, Lyra, has established herself as an artist to watch, having gained significant momentum following the release of her debut, self-titled album. 2024 saw her skyrocket to number one in the Irish album charts, outselling Beyonce! Supporting the likes of Pink, Westlife, Blondie and Sting, her sell-out live appearances prove that while her music is laden with intensity and drama, her bright personality is irrepressible. She performed in front of 30 thousand people during her 2024 headline Irish tour and followed many festival appearances including the main stage at Electric Picnic. A proud and fearless advocate for inclusion, Lyra continues to use her platform to champion authenticity and celebrate difference.
Saturday 1st November, Neil Delamere – sold out
Neil Delamere is one of Ireland’s most beloved and quick-witted comedians, known for his razor-sharp improvisation, clever observational humour, and infectious charm. Following previous sell-out Spiegeltent performances, he is back with his brand-new show, ‘Reinventing the Neil.’ With a career spanning over two decades, he remains a fixture in Irish comedy, admired for his intelligence, warmth, and lightning-fast wit. Whether he’s poking fun at politics, dissecting Irish quirks, or diving into history with a humorous twist, Neil continues to entertain and evolve, earning his place as one of Ireland’s top comedic talents.