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music · Friday 24 July 2026 · Various 
Firebytes: Part III - The Festival
At Gowle Farm · Gowle, Co. Wicklow
At Gowle Farm · Gowle, Co. Wicklow
Firebytes: Part III is a four-day creative retreat that brings together fire performers, musicians, storytellers and performing artists on a working farm in the Wicklow countryside. It is organised by Aidan Ring, the same person behind the earlier Firebytes showcases in Dublin, and the format has grown from a single-night performance event into a full residential gathering. If you work with your body, your voice, an instrument, or flame - or you want the time and space to develop something new - this is designed around you.
The four days run from Friday 24 July to Monday 27 July at Gowle Farm, in a quiet part of the Wicklow hills. The daily rhythm includes workshops, show production sessions, nature connection practices, and open flow jams with fire, live music, and whatever creative forms participants bring with them. The finale is a collective performance created during the retreat itself - every attendee contributes to a piece that is shown to the whole group before everyone heads home.
Two meals a day are included in the ticket price, and the farmland setting - with its views, traditional farm animals, and what the organisers describe as nearby sacred sites - forms part of the experience rather than just a backdrop. All skill levels are welcome; the retreat is not an audition or a competition. Training space is provided on site.
Gowle is in rural south County Wicklow. The most reliable way to get there is by car. From Dublin take the N11 south towards Wicklow town, then follow local roads westward into the hills - allow around 90 minutes from the city centre. Bus Éireann serves Wicklow town from Dublin Busáras, but from there you would need a car or taxi for the final leg. Free parking is available at the venue.
Wicklow town sits on the coast a short drive away - the Black Castle ruins above the harbour are worth a look, and the town has a good few places to eat and drink before or after the retreat. There is more to see in Wicklow and across Co. Wicklow.
Heading to Gowle Farm in Wicklow? Wicklow has plenty more to see. Read the Wicklow area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.