Kenmare Arts Festival 2026 Celebrates Its Most Successful Year Yet

Kenmare Arts Festival returned from 2nd to 16th August 2026, bringing two wonderful weeks of art, literature, music, film, workshops and creativity to venues throughout Kenmare.

The 2026 festival proved to be its most successful edition to date, with organisers estimating that more than 3,000 people engaged with the programme over the fortnight, including local residents, visitors, artists, writers, poets, musicians and workshop participants.

Organised by John Goode of Mill Cove Gallery, the festival has grown into an important part of Kenmare's cultural calendar, bringing together local creativity with artists, writers and performers from Ireland and further afield. Kerry's Arts Festivals and Events programme also identifies John Goode and Mill Cove Gallery as the contact and organising base for the festival.

Two Weeks of Creativity in Kenmare

The 2026 programme was wonderfully varied, with four exhibitions, five literary events and more than 25 workshops, alongside concerts, film, theatre and special cultural events.

Workshops gave participants the opportunity to get involved themselves, with activities spanning writing, poetry, collage, pottery, felting, oil painting, marquetry and bookmaking. Rather than simply being an arts festival to observe, it became one in which people could actively create and participate.

Visual art was an important part of the fortnight too, including an exhibition of new work by artist Mike Lewisohn at the Carnegie Arts Centre, which ran for the duration of the festival from 2nd to 16th August.

Music, Literature, Film and Performance

Music featured prominently in this year's programme, including a concert by violinist Siún Milne at the Carnegie Arts Centre and the launch concert for Second Impressions at The Lansdowne Kenmare. Audiences were also treated to a string quartet performance at the Carnegie.

The festival welcomed internationally acclaimed theatre and opera director Daniel Kramer for Exploding Theatre and Opera, an evening exploring the creative world behind major theatre and opera productions.

Literature was particularly strong in 2026

The popular Poets Meet Painters project brought visual artists and poets together, inviting writers to respond to selected artworks through poetry. The resulting 44 page anthology was launched at the Carnegie Arts Centre on 8th August, with shortlisted poets reading their work alongside the artworks that inspired them. Siobhan Campbell took first place with Red Mona, followed by Frank Farrelly and Margaret Rochford.

Another highlight was the Kate O'Riordan Prize for Short Fiction, which culminated in readings and the launch of the anthology First Light at the Carnegie Arts Centre on Sunday 16th August. Celebrated novelist and screenwriter Kate O'Riordan also generously contributed her time and expertise to the festival through workshops and an appearance on the Carnegie stage.

A Festival That Adds to Kenmare

Perhaps one of the greatest successes of Kenmare Arts Festival is the way in which it fits so naturally into the town.

Exhibitions, workshops and events across venues including Mill Cove Gallery, the Carnegie Arts Centre and The Lansdowne Kenmare encouraged people to move through the town, discover its creative community and spend time in Kenmare's cafés, restaurants, shops, galleries and accommodation.

The festival organisers described the 2026 audience as coming from Kenmare, throughout Ireland and beyond, highlighting the value of arts and cultural tourism to the town.

For a town with such a strong tradition of art, craft, design, music and literature, the continued development of Kenmare Arts Festival is something worth celebrating.

Congratulations to Everyone Involved

Kenmare Tourism would like to congratulate John Goode and the team behind Kenmare Arts Festival, together with Mill Cove Gallery, the Carnegie Arts Centre, participating venues, artists, writers, musicians, workshop leaders, volunteers and everyone who supported the festival.

Welcoming more than 3,000 engagements across its 2026 programme is a wonderful achievement and another demonstration of what can be accomplished through creativity, collaboration and community.

Most importantly, the festival brought people together. For two weeks in August, art appeared in galleries and venues, poetry met painting, stories were shared, music was performed and people of all ages were given the opportunity to create something themselves.

Congratulations to Kenmare Arts Festival on an exceptional 2026 festival. We look forward to seeing what 2027 brings.

You can learn more about the festival and keep up to date with future plans through the Kenmare Arts Festival website https://www.kenmareartsfestival.com/ - Proudly supported by Kenmare.ie