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music · Saturday 1 August 2026 · Evening 
The Staves - Open House Festival
At Bangor venues (Open House Festival) · Bangor, Co. Down
At Bangor venues (Open House Festival) · Bangor, Co. Down
The Staves are one of the genuinely special acts on the folk circuit - three sisters from Watford whose three-part harmonies and spare acoustic arrangements have earned them a devoted following on both sides of the Atlantic. Their appearance at the Open House Festival in Bangor is part of an evening concert at Bangor Castle Walled Garden, one of the best outdoor music settings in the north of Ireland. This is the kind of show that sells out quietly and that people talk about long after - intimate enough to hear every breath of a harmony, outdoors enough to feel the sea air off Belfast Lough.
The Staves have performed sell-out shows at Open House in previous years, and this return date is one of the most anticipated of the 2026 programme. Expect a set drawn from their catalogue of close-harmony folk and indie-tinged songs - quiet, precise, and built around voices rather than amplification. The Bangor Castle Walled Garden is a sheltered, grassed outdoor venue with a proper festival stage, so the atmosphere is relaxed but the sound is good. Bring a layer for the evening. The broader Open House Festival runs the full month of August and packs Bangor with music, comedy, food and literary events across multiple sites - the festival’s Court House on the seafront is another key venue. With 50-plus events programmed and an expected 50,000 visitors over the month, the town has real energy in August.
Bangor is about 20 miles east of Belfast on the southern shore of Belfast Lough. By train, Bangor railway station is on the main Belfast - Bangor line with frequent services from Great Victoria Street and Lanyon Place; the journey takes around 30 minutes and leaves you a short walk from the town centre and festival venues. By road, the A2 from Belfast is the direct route. Parking is available in the town centre car parks, though the town is busy during festival weekends and the train is the easier option.
Bangor has a proper seafront promenade, a marina full of yachts, and a Victorian town centre that rewards a wander before the show. The Open House Festival turns the whole town into a programme, so there is usually something else on the same day worth catching - check the full listings on the festival site. There is more to see in Bangor and across Co. Down.
Heading to Bangor venues (Open House Festival) in Bangor? Down has plenty more to see. Read the Bangor area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.