From live music and theatrical performances to festivals of dance, food and the arts, May is absolutely jam-packed with top tier events.
Cork Fringe Festival
8-10 May, Various locations in Cork city, more info here
Highlights from this year’s Cork Fringe Festival’s programme includes Alison Teahan’s The Girls Room, a bold one-woman show blending comedy and confession as it explores periods, purity culture, body image, sexuality, and faith; All My Friends are in Australia, an immersive, interactive exploration of friendship, distance, and the challenges of staying or leaving Ireland as a young adult; and Captain Wagtail, a celebration of defiance and reinvention.
Galway Theatre Festival
Until 9 May, Galway, more info here
Galway Theatre Festival 2026 turns up the volume with a bold, homegrown programme. From raw circus theatre to electrified trad and Irish-language reimagining’s, the festival delivers a fierce line-up powered by Galway artists. Highlights include a live podcast show of Doomslayers, Don’t Tell Dad About Diana, and Homo(sapien).
WellFest
9-10 May, IMMA at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, more info here
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, WellFest—Europe’s largest outdoor fitness and wellness festival—have lined up some of the best names in health, fitness and wellness. Headlining the Dublin festival is Newry native and fitness influencer Maeve Madden, who will bring her empowering Queens Don’t Quit workouts to the capital. Joining her are two-time Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington, podcaster and mental health advocate Blindboy, and endurance athlete and wellness entrepreneur Spencer Matthews. The line-up also includes renowned performance psychologist Gerry Hussey, Yoga with Maura, and high-energy favourites like POUND and BBX.
The IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards
15 May, RDS, more info here
In honour of IMAGE Media’s 50th anniversary, our flagship celebration of women in business moves to Dublin’s iconic RDS, bringing together Ireland’s most influential trailblazers, innovators, business elite and rising stars. The IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards is a prestigious celebration of excellence, recognising the success, innovation and leadership of women across a diverse range of industries, professions and communities.
Ballymaloe Festival of Food
15-17 May, Ballymaloe House Hotel, East Cork, more info here
A weekend bursting with world-class chefs, delicious food, hands-on cookery and cocktail workshops, wine and cocktail tastings, walks, talks and local food producers, Ballymaloe Festival of Food returns with quite the incredible lineup featuring some of our finest culinary talents.
Do You Come From Gomorrah?
Until 16 May, The Abbey Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Do You Come From Gomorrah? is a memory play, one man’s elegy to a younger self who survived impossible circumstances. Written by Frank McGuinness and performed by Ryan Donaldson, over the course of 75 minutes we meet a man who has come through a terrible experience with enough humanity left that he can tell us about it. This story is a testimony of all people who have been abused by those in authority, a protest against cruelty. Exploring the strangeness and contradictions of 1970s Ulster, it registers the damage done and celebrates the act of survival.
Dublin Dance Festival
Until 16 May, Various locations around Dublin, more info here
This year’s programme is bursting with world premieres, performances from leading Irish and international artists, free outdoor events and screenings, plus moments to move, dance and explore with club nights, artist talks, movement workshops for all levels, and a VR experience for teens.
Irish Popup Collective
17 May, Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, more info here
The Irish Popup Collective returns to Dún Laoghaire with 63 Irish brands and businesses helping you get your wardrobe and home set for summer. The Royal Marine Hotel will be bustling with a line-up of exciting new brands along with lots of firm favourites bringing brightness for the new season.
Fastnet Film Festival
20-24 May, Schull, West Cork, more info here
A short film festival without a cinema, Fastnet Film Festival is providing those who attend with many alternatives, from screenings on Cape Clear, the village hall, local hotel, to café viewing in numerous local pubs and restaurants in town. The festival focuses on the craft of filmmaking, hosting seminars, workshops and masterclasses with industry experts on all aspects of the film industry. Fringe events include film quiz, live music, family entertainment and much more.
Street Feast
23-24 May, across Ireland, more info here
Get together with your neighbours to share food and enjoy some conversation and camaraderie. It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or house, all you need is a space to bring people together. You register online to receive your pack, then you just have to rally the troops and get your evening underway.
The Queer Cabaret Presents: An Evening with Avoca Reaction
24 May, The Wild Duck, Dublin, more info here
Following in the long-held tradition of glamorous divas trauma-dumping through song, join drag superstar Avoca Reaction for an evening of songs, stories and scintillating goss. Prepare yourself for an intimate affair as you get up close and personal with Ireland’s premier non-binary drag entity. After the show, stick around for a bop with Woman In Stem who will be spinning queer classics all night.
The Kerryman by Eva O’Connor
From 26 May, Glass Mask Theatre, more info here
Cait is an artist newly returned to Dublin, determined to get her life back on track and prove to her mother that she’s not a total fuck-up. Eoin, a proud Kerryman, is working in finance for his sins. He has very different plans- graft hard, retire early, and go home to run his parents’ farm in South Kerry. They are pulled into a can’t eat, can’t sleep, rollercoaster romance. The Kerryman is a story of two clashing hearts and minds. We don’t get to choose who we fall for – but it’s the choices we make afterwards that can turn our entire world upside down.
Bealtaine Festival
28-30 May, Various locations, Dublin, more info here
Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and ageing, Bealtaine Festival hosts their flagship weekend at the end of the month featuring performances, workshops, discussions and exhibitions from Ireland’s incredible pool of artists and makers. Expect plenty of lively discussions and fun.
Heineken® GREENLIGHT takes Cork
28-31 May, Various venues across Cork, more info here
Fresh off a jam-packed May bank holiday in Dublin with 35+ acts across four nights, Heineken® GREENLIGHT lands in Cork this June bank holiday with a blistering Irish and international line-up. The stellar line-up includes Irish rock band INHALER, Canadian indie outfit Men I Trust, international superstar DJ Jazzy (fresh off her first appearance at Coachella), a very special DJ set from Fun Lovin Criminals Huey Morgan, Wicklow’s breakout indie-rock phenomenon Florence Road and Cork’s very own hot property Cliffords, with many more to be announced.
??When Next We Meet Festival
29-31 May, Raheen House, Clonmel, Tipperary, more info here
When Next We Meet is an artist-led music festival held in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Celebrating the best in alternative Irish artists, bringing communities together for a weekend of music and connection. The lineup includes The Waterboys, Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill, and BABYRAT.
Forbidden Fruit Festival
30-31 May, IMMA at Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, more info here
Forbidden Fruit is the capital’s first and longest-running city-center festival, and it returns to kick off festival season with their 14th instalment. The lineup includes Kettama, Kaytranada, Nia Archives, Joy Crookes, SHEE and Interplanetary Criminals, among many, many other incredible acts.
A Taste of Galway
Throughout May, Various locations across Galway, more info here
Blas na Bealtaine, the annual food festival from Blas na Gaillimhe – A Taste of Galway, returns this May with a month-long celebration of seasonal food and flavour, bringing together Galway’s vibrant food community for a packed programme of events. Showcasing local producers, chefs, collaborations and international influences, the festival offers a mix of tastings, workshops, dining experiences and cultural events across the city.
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