Ballinamore Drama Festival returns this March

The Ballinamore Drama Festival is set to return this spring, running from March 1–8, 2026, bringing eight nights of theatre to the town and welcoming drama groups and audiences from across the region.

Organisers say the annual festival remains one of Ballinamore’s biggest cultural highlights, offering a lively week of entertainment, community spirit and competitive drama.

This year’s festival adjudicator has been confirmed as Ciaran McCauley, a theatre practitioner from Sligo and a long-time member of Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, where he has worked since 1991.

Through his work with the ensemble, McCauley has gained extensive “hands-on” experience across multiple aspects of theatre, including acting, directing, designing lighting, sets and costumes, set construction and tour management.

McCauley also delivers a Physical Theatre module on the BA in Performing Arts course at Sligo IT, and has trained with leading international institutions including École de Mime Corporeal Dramatique, London, the Saratoga International Theatre Institute, New York, and the Roy Hart Theatre of Voice in Malargues, France. He holds an MA in Drama and Performance from UCD.

Festival organisers encouraged audiences to stay for a few minutes after each show, as the adjudicator will offer insightful comments and feedback nightly.

A number of special ticket deals are being offered in the lead-up to the festival, with organisers advising people to book early. One ticket promotion will run until January 31, after which it will no longer be available.

The festival schedule and full programme of plays is available on the official festival poster, as well as on Ballinamore Drama Festival’s social media pages.

For further information, organisers have invited people to get in touch directly.