The festival has announces its arts programme for June 13th to 15th at Glendalough Estate in Wicklow.
Highlights includes Fermanagh electronic keening composer RÓIS, singer-songwriter Farah Elle, storytelling event Seanchoíche, Dean Van Nguyen on his Tupac book in conversation with Una Mullally, Irvine Welsh presents Men In Love – a disco and literary conversation, Haus Of Wig drag, performance artist Growler The Wild Geeze queer cabaret, SexyTadhg, Attention Bébé, Lords of Strut Cian Kinsella’s new family-ish show CHOP and music from Rathaus, Scustin, Lemoncello, Trad Rave, Djackulate, Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies, DUG and Aindrias de Staic & The Latchikos.
Late night in the forest features Nocturnal Animals, Graham Smyth (2FM), Sally Cinnamon and Soulstice DJs.
Here’s the list in full:
- Meow Meow, the international cabaret icon and queen of post-post-modern performance, brings her seductive mayhem to the Wicklow woods.
- Irvine Welsh presents Men In Love, a literary trip down the rabbit hole of masculinity and disco, accompanied by a riotous on-stage conversation and the accompanying spinning of choons.
- Haus of Wig brings Dublin’s fiercest drag icons for an unforgettable stage takeover, The Wild Geeze deliver their riotous queer cabaret experience while Rathaus invites you to get your Berlin club culture vibes on.
- Abandoman, the freestyle comedy-rap phenomenon, turns audience suggestions into unmissable musical chaos.
- Lisette Krol, world pole-dancing champion, unleashes gravity-defying spectacle as part of Duncan Disorderly’s VIP House Party. Duncan is best known to Irish audiences from their show-stopping appearance in THISISPOPBABY’s hit show WAKE.
- Attention Bébé and The New Brass Kings bring floor-filling brass madness, while ROIS and Farah Elle invite you into lush sonic dreamscapes.
- CHOP is a new family(ish) show from Lords of Strut Cian Kinsella, who is also the creative miscreant behind the return of Paradise Cabaret, who are hosting a special glitter-soaked after-party on the Saturday night of the festival.
- SexyTadgh leads a queer revolution of rhythm, comedy, and cultural seduction, while performance artist Growler brings some very special guests together for an unmissable mystical sesh in Growler’s Grotto.
In true Beyond the Pale spirit, activism and art collide in events like Art of Protest, Words For My Comrades (a political history of Tupac Shakur with Dean Van Nguyen) and Penos for Palestine, while Sean Roynane invites audiences once more into the sonic wonderland of Ireland’s birdsong in Nature Boy: Revolution — followed by the immensely popular annual Beyond the Pale bird-watching walk.
Site-specific installations and experiences illuminate the stunning surrounds, including:
- Meta Sonic Flux Collective’s sci-fi techno odyssey
- Livewire! A daring high-wire walk across the Selective Memory big top
- Titans of Chlorologia by Niall Sweeney, a visual fever dream from the queer subconscious
- Hi Pony! Aerial stage with Kate Finegan, Sophia Bikova, Jessica Leong, Sean McIlraith and more
- Wonky Robot Trash Can Stage — robots doing robot things.
Across the site, circus and cabaret shake up the fields and forests. From Cabáiste Cabaret to Climbswallsweird with the Leon Stax Equation, and Real Hot Bitches to Burning Circus, every corner of the festival pulses with outrageous fun.
For the word-lovers and the wisdom-seekers, the ever-popular Seanchoíche returns, along with the mighty We Are Griot. Meanwhile Fishamble Theatre Company presents Playing Field, featuring excerpts of new work from Clare Dunne, Jade O’Connor, and Ruth Berkely, weaving narrative, performance and provocation into intimate experiences.
On the Puc Fada Stage, our upside-down Féile of all thing custom and craic, musical mayhem reigns: Scustin’, Lemoncello, Trad Rave, Djackulate, Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies, DUG and of course festival favourites Aindrias de Staic & The Latchikos.
Late night in the forest is when the already infamous Club Cu-Cú comes to life. Performing from a giant nest high in the trees, our line-up of memory-making DJs includes Nocturnal Animals, Graham Smyth (2FM), Sally Cinnamon and Soulstice DJs.
Even the youngest Pale-goers are in for a treat — with Bee-ology Circus Theatre, Baby Rave with DJ Sean M, Go Fly Your Kite and Feasa na Foraoise Forest School delivering a family-friendly world of discovery. And in a music festival coup, the infamous Kabin Studio (young creators of the grammy nominated ‘The Spark’ ) take over the Puc Fada stage for workshops, performances and more, led by hip-hop producer GMCBeats.
“This year’s Arts Programme is a celebration of curiosity, community, and creativity in all its forms,” says Emily Brennan, Arts Programme Manager. “Whether you’re drawn to drag, circus, spoken word, aerial spectacle or simply stumbling into something surreal in the woods — we want people to feel surprised, inspired, and welcome. Beyond the Pale is where play becomes art, and art becomes unforgettable.”
The Day-To-Day Line-Up
Beyond The Pale day breakdown
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
