Full programme revealed for Cairde Sligo Arts Festival

By Donal O'Grady
Published 30th May 2023, 16:00 GMT
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The full programme has been revealed for this year's Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, Sligo’s premiere multidisciplinary arts festival. From music events to theatre, family-friendly fun and free events get yourself to Sligo July 1 - 9 for the packed programme.

For family-friendly fun why not check out:

Cairde in the Park: Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 at The Peace Park. Enjoy an immersive and fun two-day event filled with circus, music, walkabout acts, interactive games and family wellness workshops. Enjoy the incredible acrobatics of Síolta Circus, the daring trapeze of Tumble Circus; drift away to the Appalachian tunes of The Unwanted or enjoy a performance by Heart's Desire Choir, where you can join in for a giant sing along. Try a family wellness session, or just sit back and enjoy the laid-back tunes spun by DJ Cool C throughout the day. This is a free event.

The Lonesome Boatman - A brand new Circus Musical Odyssey by Colm O’Grady: Thursday July 6 & Friday, July 7 at The Factory Performance Space. Follow the incredible adventures of Buttons; a man who gets into his bath and sails away on the rising tides - a playful story bubbling with comedy, surprises and rubber ducks! placeholder image
The Lonesome Boatman - A brand new Circus Musical Odyssey by Colm O’Grady: Thursday July 6 & Friday, July 7 at The Factory Performance Space. Follow the incredible adventures of Buttons; a man who gets into his bath and sails away on the rising tides - a playful story bubbling with comedy, surprises and rubber ducks! 

Plúirín na mBan play on Saturday, July 1 in the Hawk's Well Theatre.

Some of the musical highlights:

Plúirín na mBan: Saturday, July 1 at Hawk’s Well Theatre. Experience the captivating beauty of traditional Irish folk songs fused with contemporary influences on the opening of this year’s festival. 

Loah: Saturday, July 8 at Juniper Barn. Loah is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of half-Irish, half-Sierra Leonean extraction. 

Kanta Dab Dab: On Thursday, July 6 at the Yeats Building,  a sitar, percussion and bass trio from Nepal with unique contemporary compositions creating a soulful fusion groove where Eastern and Western melodies meet.placeholder image
Kanta Dab Dab: On Thursday, July 6 at the Yeats Building,  a sitar, percussion and bass trio from Nepal with unique contemporary compositions creating a soulful fusion groove where Eastern and Western melodies meet.

Kanta Dab Dab on Thursday, July 6 at the Yeats Building

Literary and discussion:

Tell me What I Am: Wednesday, July 5 at Sligo Library. Join author Una Mannion as she reads from her newly published and 3rd novel, Tell me What I Am. She will be in conversation with fellow Sligo based author Louise Kennedy.

Travellers in Literary History: Friday, July 7 at Sligo Library. Author and activist Dr Rosaleen McDonagh will present a reading from recent work looking at the Traveller

characters that wander across the pages and stages of the State, followed by an in conversation with Michael Harding.  

For something new:

Clublandia: Wednesday, July 5 at Anderson’s Pub. Get ready to experience Sligo’s fully inclusive and accessible club night as Sligo Centre for Independent Living and Good Times in association with Cairde Sligo Arts Festival present Clublandia - Festival Edition. This is an early night out with live music by the Mass Band and very special guest DJ’s from That’s Life in Galway. placeholder image
Clublandia: Wednesday, July 5 at Anderson’s Pub. Get ready to experience Sligo’s fully inclusive and accessible club night as Sligo Centre for Independent Living and Good Times in association with Cairde Sligo Arts Festival present Clublandia - Festival Edition. This is an early night out with live music by the Mass Band and very special guest DJ’s from That’s Life in Galway. 

Siolta Circus on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 at The Peace Park.

For something not to be missed: 

LUXE - The Seas Above: Sunday, July 2 July (11pm) and Monday, July 3 (4am) at Mullaghmore Beach. LUXE have been making trailblazing, landscape spectacle internationally for 14 years. Their newly commissioned work is a landscape installation and happening which will take place at dusk and at dawn on the first full moon after the summer solstice. LUXE will make fiery imagery at the water’s edge, elemental magic created from two opposing forces Fire & Water. This is an outdoor event which involves walking. 

Mark your calendars and save the date for Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, July 1 - 9, 2023. 

For more information, to make a booking or to download your festival programme visit cairdefestival.com.

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