← All events
seasonal · Wednesday 22 July 2026 · Various 
Mallow Arts Festival 2026
At Various venues, Mallow · Mallow, Co. Cork
At Various venues, Mallow · Mallow, Co. Cork
Mallow Arts Festival is a five-day celebration of music, literature, film, and the visual arts that takes over venues across this north Cork market town each July. The 2026 edition runs from Wednesday 22 to Sunday 26 July, with evening concerts as its centrepiece and workshops and film screenings filling out the daytime programme. It suits anyone who wants a proper arts weekend outside the city - Cork is only 35 minutes down the road, but Mallow has a quieter, more intimate feel that suits a festival of this scale well.
The headline events in 2026 lean heavily on Irish music with real pedigree. On Friday 24 July, Sean Keane - one of the most respected voices in traditional and folk music - performs an evening concert at St. James’ Church of Ireland on Thomas Davis Street. The church was built in the 1820s, originally designed for 800 people, and now holds around 350; its limestone nave gives it warm acoustics that suit an intimate concert night well.
On Sunday 26 July the festival closes with Songs and Souls, a cross-arts performance pairing playwright Deirdre Kinahan with fiddler Steve Wickham, best known from The Waterboys. It is the kind of event that sits between a gig and a theatre piece - storytelling and music threaded together.
The programme also includes a short film strand curated by Michael Browne on Saturday 25 July, and workshops and youth events run across the week. Ticket prices vary by event; some daytime and community events may be free or low cost. The full programme and ticketing links are on the festival website.
Mallow sits on the N20, about 35km north of Cork city - roughly a 35-minute drive in light traffic. Irish Rail runs regular services from Cork Kent station; the journey takes around 30 minutes and Mallow station is a short walk from the town centre. Bus Eireann also serves the route. If you are driving from Dublin, Mallow is about 2 hours 30 minutes via the M8 and M20. Street parking is available around the town centre, and the main concert venue - St. James’ Church - is on Thomas Davis Street, close to the main square.
Mallow is a working market town with a racecourse, a castle ruin, and the River Blackwater running along its southern edge - worth a walk if the evening is fine. There is more to see in Mallow and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Various venues, Mallow in Mallow? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Mallow area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.