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festivals · Tuesday 20 October 2026 · Various 
Imagine Arts Festival
At Venues across Waterford City · Waterford City, Co. Waterford
At Venues across Waterford City · Waterford City, Co. Waterford
Imagine Arts Festival takes over Waterford city from Tuesday, 20 October to Sunday, 25 October 2026, its landmark 25th edition under the theme “In Memories We Grow.” The multidisciplinary festival fills venues across the city with theatre, music, dance, literature, visual art and outdoor spectacle, mixing new work from emerging Irish artists with established acts, and closes out the summer and autumn festival calendar in Co. Waterford.
Now 25 years running, Imagine has built a reputation for programming across disciplines rather than sticking to one art form, so a single day can move from a literature event to a dance performance to a piece of outdoor spectacle. The 2026 programme is built around the theme “In Memories We Grow,” with organisers describing the festival’s goal as turning the city into a stage for creativity, conversation and celebration. The festival puts a strong emphasis on accessibility and public participation, with many events free to attend and others carrying a ticket price or a suggested supporter donation, typically in the €20 to €50 range. As with past editions, the detailed day-by-day programme, including venues and booking links for individual shows, is published on the festival’s own website in the weeks before it opens.
Imagine Arts Festival events are staged in venues across Waterford city centre, within walking distance of Waterford railway station and the main bus stops. Because the programme runs across many different buildings rather than one site, it is worth checking each event’s venue individually before travelling.
An October trip built around Imagine Arts Festival is a good chance to combine an evening show with the Viking Triangle museums by day. There is more to see and do in Waterford and across Co. Waterford.
Heading to Venues across Waterford City in Waterford? Waterford has plenty more to see. Read the Waterford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.