Foggy Notions and the Pavilion Theatre bring the festival back after a three-year gap, running Wednesday September 9th to Sunday September 13th.
Dún Laoghaire Folk Fest is back for its third edition, running from Wednesday September 9th to Sunday September 13th at the Pavilion Theatre. Foggy Notions first launched the festival with the venue back in 2021 during Covid, when capacity was capped at 50 a show, and returned for a full-houses second edition in 2022 before this three-year gap. This year’s run is supported by the Pavilion Theatre’s Patron Award.
The curation leans into what the promoters describe as psychic happenstance and gloom-folk, drawing on the elemental, changeable energy of Dún Laoghaire itself as a coastal town.
Overseas names include Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, alongside Irish debuts from Tessa Rose Jackson and Garefowl. Broadside Hacks‘ Campbell Baum brings a live celebration of Lal and Mike Waterson’s cult album Bright Phoebus, featuring Marry Waterson, Eliza Carthy and Lankum’s Daragh Lynch among others. Irish artists on the bill include Andy Irvine, Brigid Mae Power, Ellie O’Neill and Art Lorigan, alongside emerging names Roisín Gowen, Aongus and Rua Rí.
Dún Laoghaire Folk Fest 2026 lineup:
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- Wednesday September 9th, 8pm – Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle
- Thursday September 10th, 8pm – Broadside Hacks presents Bright Phoebus Revisited, featuring Marry Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Daragh Lynch (Lankum), Matt Deighton, Martyn Baker and Ben Nicholls
- Friday September 11th & Saturday September 12th, 8pm – Bonnie “Prince” Billy, with special guests Garefowl and Brigid Mae Power
- Saturday September 12th, 2pm – Andy Irvine, with special guests Tessa Rose Jackson and Roisín Gowen
- Sunday September 13th, 2pm – Ellie O’Neill, with special guests Aongus and Rua Rí
- Sunday September 13th, 8pm – Destroyer (solo), with special guest Art Lorigan
Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee opens the festival, still the thread back to the group’s original run and their fusion of traditional and non-traditional folk. Bonnie “Prince” Billy plays his first Dún Laoghaire shows since 2014, marking the release of his new album We Are Together Again. Andy Irvine, of Sweeney’s Men and Planxty fame, plays an afternoon show alongside newer voices Roisín Gowen and Tessa Rose Jackson. Destroyer’s Dan Bejar closes the festival with a rare solo performance, more than a decade into a project that now runs to 14 albums.
Tickets are on sale now via the Pavilion Theatre.
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, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
