Beyond the Pale’s Arts Programme 2026 is Announced
By World Premieres, New Areas, Irish Festival Firsts & Outlandish Behaviour:
Beyond the Pale’s Arts Programme 2026 is Announced
Over 90 artworks & events • 600+ artists & performers • 12 stages & areas • 7 weeks to go
Friday June 12th – Sunday June 14th 2026
Glendalough Estate, Co. Wicklow
Tickets on sale at itsbeyondthepale.ie and Ticketmaster
Beyond The Pale, Ireland’s Best Boutique Festival, returns to Wicklow this June with its boldest and most exciting arts programme to date, a three day and night celebration of world premieres, Irish festival firsts, artist‑led curation, and gloriously outlandish behaviour across the Glendalough Valley.
Taking place 12 – 14 June 2026, the fifth edition of Beyond The Pale welcomes hundreds of artworld renegades and performance giants for a weekend rooted in “the silly, the sexy, and the sublime.” This year’s programme spans over 90 artworks and events, more than 600 artists and performers, unfolding across 12 stages and areas, including brand new spaces and returning festival favourites.
Beyond The Pale Arts programme director Jenny Jennings, and co‑creator of acclaimed theatre company THISISPOPBABY, comments: “Rooted in the silly, the sexy and the sublime, this year’s arts line-up is full of some of the best artists and performers on the island today, who will have your feet itching to dance, your belly sore from laughing, and your heart full. The arts programme takes its cues from the extraordinary history, fauna and flora of the land, as well as the juicy time in the calendar it takes place. It offers a space to gather and play, to reconnect with nature and ritual, to ignite imagination and stir big feelings…and to let loose and have a ball with your pals.”
This year’s arts programme is anchored by two major art commissions, including a bespoke digital artwork for Beyond The Pale by Sergey Khadshava, the artist who broke the internet last year with his digital mapping of a brutalist water tower turned DJ booth, and Undercurrent, a striking series of bespoke festival flags by AmyRose Bryan. New areas add to the adventure and mischief-making including Burning Circus, a dedicated fire‑arts space perched beside the SUN‑STOP stone circle, and the Global Solidarity Hub in the newly opened Lakeside area of the Glendalough festival. Hi Pony!, Beyond The Pale’s home for the best in Irish aerial arts, expands into a larger space with its most ambitious programme yet, while festival favourites Bang Bike return with an all‑weekend “Analogue Bubble Bath” extravaganza.
At the core of this year’s arts lineup is a series of very special events, including Una Mullally’simmersive audio experience Grianstad: The Trip; Penos for Palestine in partnership with Goal Global, where festival goers are invited to take a shot against a well-known sportsperson for charity; and the annual, unmissable Birdwatching Walk and talk with Seán Ronayne. Watch out for the A Secret Special Guest Slot, a giant of Irish electronic producing, is also tipped to close the festival’s notorious Puc Fada venue on Saturday night.
All of this sits on the backbone of a festival lineup packed with outrageous fun and late-night shenanigans, featuring international superstar showman and shaman Hugo Hamlet, cult legends EGG, high‑energy showstoppers Haus of Wig, sizzling nightclub collectives Tender, Trad Rave andBig Fat Slut: SexyTadhg Takeover. Complemented with a bill of outstanding Irish artistry, including Paahto & The Bull, the new project from John Francis Flynn; Æ MAK, premiering her new album; the soulful sounds of Salamay; and party‑makers Shakalak, who will close one of the late‑night areas in the early hours of Monday morning.
This year’s artist‑led curation puts creative communities at the heart of the festival, with four standout collectives shaping the cultural pulse of the Valley. WRGRIOT brings a festival edition of their incendiary poetry slam, Talkatives; Steo Wall presents The Pavee Club celebrates the deep musical lineage of the Irish Traveller community; Outstraight Records deliver a high‑octane hip‑hop takeover and true party atmosphere from start to finish; and Shane Daniel Byrne’s Comedy Shithouse returns by popular demand, with the standup comedian hosting a riotous lineup of his favourite alternative comedians.
Curating the weekend into distinct worlds of spectacle, imagination, and play, three new thematic strands shape this year’s arts offering, Outlandish Behaviour, Juicy Ideas, and Ultimate Craic. Outlandish Behaviour describes the festival’s penchant for high‑energy, theatrically charged work, which kicks off with the Hoes of Tralee Opening Extravaganza. RATHAUS brings their signature queer underground club night, transforming the tent into an immersive late‑night celebration of DJs, dancers, and boundary‑pushing performers. Monsieur Pompier’s Travelling Freakshow plunges audiences into a universe of synth‑punk, dark cabaret, and fever‑dream psychedelia, while Cabáiste Cabaret delivers a double‑hit of cabaret and Gaeilge‑fuelled mischief. Climbwallscabaret imbues classic burlesque with live band Lavery, and some of Ireland’s most exciting circus artists and showgirl rising stars.
Juicy Ideas is where theatre, dance, conversation, and experimentation collide, a space for bold thinking and playing with new ideas. Within this theme, Fishamble’s Playing Field presents intimate, inventive work-in-progress performances from Lord of Strut’s Cian Kinsella, Tierra Porter and Leanne Bickerdike, blending theatre, live music, and storytelling. NAF Dance presents Ham Sandwiches and Discipline, a high‑energy fusion of GAA culture, disco, dance and comedy. Jaxbanded Theatre unveils Undercovers, a musical‑comedy set in the world of undercover Gardaí and rave culture. Silver Salon sees Una Mullally in conversation with Julie Fogarty about her book Plan, Life, Go, while Plámásing, hosted by Fionn Phelan, brings an intimate talk‑show‑style evening featuring Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, Aoife Dunne and How I Became a Wave, along with a surprise guest that is yet to be revealed.
Within Ultimate Craic, Battles of the Clans invites festival‑goers to represent their ancestors in a series of fierce, hilarious competitions, from spear throwing to tug o’ war, all delivered with big energy and bigger laughs. The Den, home to Bushcrafts with Scouting Ireland and Forest School, offers nature‑driven workshops for families and curious minds, from forest‑floor crafting to outdoor skills.
Across major commissions, new spaces, late‑night happenings, artist‑led takeovers and three expansive thematic strands, this year’s arts programme is Beyond The Pale’s most anticipated to date, offering festival‑goers a weekend packed with creativity, curiosity and unforgettable moments across the Valley.
Over the coming weeks, the Wicklow festival will reveal further lineups across wellness, food, music, and festival experience. Acushla, the festival’s wellness area, returns as an open‑access hub where all attendees can drop in and recharge throughout the day. Beyond the Plate, curated by Ali Dunworth, returns with The Spice Bag Edition, celebrating the global influence on Irish food through tastings, collaborations, and chef‑driven dining, with the full three‑day foodie programme still to be announced. Three of Dublin’s most exciting restaurants have already been confirmed to date, including Ranelagh’s Host, bringing primal, fire‑led cooking and generous shared plates; Rathmines cult favourite Reggie’s, serving its signature pizza pies; and Ibíle, offering bold West African flavours and spice‑driven dishes designed for sharing. Capacity for these sit‑down dining experiences is limited, with only three sittings per restaurant per day, and bookings are now open via itsbeyondthepale.ie/restaurants.
Also new for 2026 is The Global Solidarity Hub, which will offer a curated blend of music, spoken word, workshops and creative drop‑ins led by GOAL Global, Trócaire and Sightsavers Ireland, inspiring festival‑goers to connect, reflect and act for a better world. Full programme to be announced over the coming weeks.
Weekend camping tickets and Sunday day tickets are now on sale at www.itsbeyondthepale.ie and Ticketmaster with two-payment instalment plans available until May 4th.
Event listing:
Friday June 12th – Sunday June 14th 2026
Glendalough Estate, Co. Wicklow