Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, inspired by the creative energy of Ireland’s Northwest, is excited to announce its dates for 2023. Taking place from July 1 – 9, the festival is a unique coming together of artists and audiences, celebrating imagination and shared experience. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival has become one of the premier cultural events in the region with a diverse and multidisciplinary lineup of music, theatre, dance, literature, visual art, circus, street art and more.
Cairde brings together an eclectic and dynamic mix of local, national and international acts, including four new world premieres taking place and a variety of free and ticketed events. The festival offers a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their work, while also showcasing the uniqueness of Sligo – beautiful, raw, wild and creative.
“Cairde is a celebration of exceptional arts activity set against the stunning backdrop of Sligo’s Wild Atlantic Way, we are thrilled to bring this experience to audiences of all ages and backgrounds,” says Festival Director Tara McGowan. “We look forward to welcoming everyone to Sligo for a nine day festival programme of innovative, inspiring and engaging art and culture. We look forward to moments of collective celebration, conversation and unique artistic experiences.”
Whether you’re a long-time fan of the arts or new to the scene, Cairde Sligo Arts Festival’s packed programme is sure to delight.
The festival will take place in venues, buildings, outdoor locations and public spaces throughout Sligo town and beyond. Tara says: “This year’s festival invites audiences to curious venues and surprising pop up locations across Sligo as well as events in some of the county’s leading cultural organisations.”
Mark your calendars and save the date for Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, July 1 – 9, 2023.
Full lineup and ticket information will be announced in the coming months. For more information about the festival, visit cairdefestival.com or follow along on social media.
FESTIVAL BACKGROUND
The festival, now in its 11th year, features both renowned artists alongside emerging talents from the local community. In addition to the main performances, the festival includes a number of exclusive commissions, premieres, large scale outdoor art and unique events, such as The Ninth Wave, a new landscape spectacle by LUXE, The Hare new theatre by Bob Kelly and Clare Monnelly and The Lonesome Boatman a new family circus show by Colm O’Grady. The festival features a program of workshops and masterclasses for people of all ages.
Some of the 2022 highlights included Crossing Skin, a new festival commission of an atmospheric and intimate dance installation from award-winning dance innovators Junk Ensemble, Still Floating, the Irish premiere of BBC and Edinburgh Fringe award-winning Shôn Dale Jones’s witty and topical new play, writing workshops with Bernie McGill and Jan Carson, the return of Cairde in the Park, and Transcendent Documents, Cairde’s first large scale open-air exhibition and much more.