The 45th annual Carlow Arts Festival gets underway next week with more than 80 impressive events spanning various art forms from dance and literature to theatre, circus and the visual arts.
Andy Currums, the Executive Director of Carlow Arts Festival, invited audiences to explore the programme, plan a visit to Carlow Town and come and join the celebrations. He tells us that a vibrant selection of events awaits, promising something for everyone to enjoy. “Beyond honouring our homegrown talent, the festival will embrace international creativity with artists and performers hailing from London, Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona, and Cueno, offering a rich tapestry of diverse voices.”
This year’s programme kicks off with a free outdoor interactive show called Pelat, created by acclaimed Spanish artist Joan Català, which takes place on the grounds of Carlow College on Thursday, June 6th. Meanwhile, the award-winning show The Games We Play by circus company Gandini Juggling gets underway on Friday, June 7th at VISUAL Theatre.
A highlight of this year’s festival is First Light by Asylum Productions. A collaboration with the local community, this immersive indoor and outdoor street theatre experience, will take place each evening across the festival weekend.
The weekend sees The O’Hara’s Big Top Tent host a headline show by indie-rock sensation Basht on Saturday, June 8th, while Sunday, 9 June, sees renowned storyteller Aindrias de Staic present By the Light of the Silvery Moon an enchanting evening of Irish stories told through words and music.
Elsewhere, Caitríona Ní Mhurchú will present her captivating children’s show entitled A Suburban Legend. on Wednesday, June 5th while Carlow VISUAL will present their Summer exhibition Behind the Curtain featuring invited and commissioned works along with Irish and international artists.
In addition, festival goers can also look forward to a continuous stream of entertainment inside the O’Hara’s Big Top tent with Carlow Live & Local showcasing local music acts including Eric de Buitléir, Danny Carthy and Tumbling Dice. The annual Carnival of Collective Joy, which honours the imaginative spirit of school children throughout the county, will commence on Saturday, June 8th, starting from Carlow College at 1.30pm.
Getting There
Festival organisers are encouraging the use of public transportation whenever possible for travelling to and from the town. Carlow Town is served by daily rail services from Dublin Heuston. Additionally, JJ Kavanagh Coaches provides 26 daily services from Dublin Airport. The Wexford Bus, on Route 376, offers a connection between Carlow and Ballon, Bunclody, Enniscorthy, and Wexford. If you’re looking for accommodation during the festival, The Talbot Hotel offers rooms starting from €169 per night.
Carlow Arts Festival 2024 will take place from Wednesday, June 5th, to Sunday, June 9th. Many events are free but booking is required. A Music Pass is available granting access to all music events with a day pass priced at €15 and a weekend pass priced at €35.
For full details see carlowartsfestival.ie
Carlow Arts Festival would not be possible without the support of funders The Arts Council and Carlow County Council. Principal Sponsor O’Hara’s Craft Beers. Corporate Partners and Sponsors include Estrella Galicia 0 0, Carlow Credit Union, Dooley Motors, Talbot Hotel Carlow.
