Lots in store for Bealtaine festival in Sligo as it celebrates 22 years
The Bealtaine Festival Sligo has grown by including local arts and cultural venues, artists' studio collectives, community gardens and care settings.
This May 2025, marks 22 years of the Bealtaine Festival Sligo. The festival is part of a national Bealtaine Festival run by Age & Opportunity, the leading national development organisation working to enable the best possible quality of life for us all as we age..
The Bealtaine Festival provides opportunities for adults 50+ to be more creative more often, to create meaningful participation and celebrate how our creative potential can improve with age.
This year's Bealtaine Festival Sligo is a full and varied programme of events from exhibitions, drama workshops, artists talks, mentor sessions to name but a few of the events taking place in Co Sligo over the month of May. A feature event on this year's programme is 'Michael', a group exhibition by 12 potters & artists inspired by and celebrating the late, artist, mentor and potter Michael Kennedy.
Michael was one of Ireland's leading potters.
A ceramic artist, who incorporated sculptural elements, rich surface textures and a wide range of colours to create his original style of functional and decorative ceramics.
He set up his first pottery studio in Sligo in 1979. In building and growing his studio he also nurtured and created a vibrant ceramic community in Sligo. As a result of Michael's skill as a craftsman and artist, his business acumen and his bravery to forge ahead, a lot of young creatives straight out of Art college could find employment with a great teacher, and become part of a strong network which he had created. This legacy will live long into the future. The exhibition opens in the Hyde Bridge Gallery, Yeats Building, Sligo on Saturday, May 10 at 12noon, all are welcome.
For a full list of festival events see the Bealtaine Festival Sligo social media Instagram and Facebook pages.
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