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festivals · Thursday 6 August 2026 · Various 
The Gap Arts Festival
At Ballythomas · Ballythomas, Gorey, Co. Wexford
At Ballythomas · Ballythomas, Gorey, Co. Wexford
The Gap Arts Festival is a four-day arts event held each August in the north Wexford hills, bringing professional theatre, music, film, and participatory workshops to a rural community that - before the festival launched in 2011 - had not seen professional theatre since the old travelling tent shows of the 1950s. It runs from 6 to 9 August 2026 in Ballythomas, in the hills halfway between Gorey and Tinahely, and most of its programming is free. If you are looking for a festival that feels genuinely rooted in the place it happens rather than parachuted in, this is a rare thing.
The festival adapts indoor and outdoor spaces around Ballythomas each year, turning the landscape itself into the venue. Over 900 people attended the 2025 edition, which included an original theatrical production, a music mentees showcase, painting workshops, foraging sessions, circus skills training, outdoor cinema, and a community choir. The 2026 programme features The Kiss, a play that earned five-star reviews on the festival circuit, alongside its usual mix of music, workshops, and family activities.
The range is genuinely broad: classical and rock music, spoken word, poetry, dance, VR experiences, and pageantry have all featured in recent years. It is multi-disciplinary in a real sense, not as a marketing phrase. More than 1,500 people have taken part in workshops over the festival’s history, and four participants have gone on to study at art and design college. The European Festivals Association awarded the festival the EFFE Label recognising it as a unique event, with particular praise for its community participation work.
Gorey is the nearest town and sits on the main Dublin-Wexford rail corridor. Irish Rail runs regular services from Dublin Connolly, with the journey taking around an hour. Bus Éireann’s Expressway Route 2 and Wexford Bus both serve Gorey from Dublin. From Gorey, Ballythomas is in the hills to the west - you will need your own transport for the last stretch, as there is no regular rural bus to the festival site. The R747 towards Tinahely is the road to follow. Parking is available at the festival; road access is described as good for the location.
Gorey town itself is a pleasant stop with good independent shops and cafés along its wide main street, and the north Wexford coast at Courtown and Cahore is a short drive away. There is more to see in Gorey and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to Ballythomas in Gorey? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the Gorey area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.