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nightlife · Friday 11 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
Heart of Ireland Burlesque Festival
At Dean Crowe Theatre · Chapel Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
At Dean Crowe Theatre · Chapel Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
The Heart of Ireland Burlesque Festival returns to the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone from Friday, 11 to Sunday, 13 September 2026, for its fourth year. The festival brings international and home-grown burlesque and cabaret performers to the midlands over two competition nights, the Sionnan Spirit Award for newcomers on the opening night and the Gala Night for the Heart of Ireland title on the second, with workshops and social events filling out the weekend.
Night one centres on the Sionnan Spirit Award, a newcomer competition that gives rising Irish and international burlesque performers a first shot at the festival stage. Night two’s Gala is the main event, a full competition for the Heart of Ireland title judged in front of a festival crowd. Past editions have paired the stage shows with daytime workshops and social meetups for performers and fans travelling in for the weekend, and organisers have also planned a cabaret and drag show boat tour on the River Shannon as part of the wider programme. Expect classic glamour numbers alongside neo-burlesque and cutting-edge cabaret acts, this is a competitive festival built around performance skill and stagecraft rather than a single headline act, and previous years have sold out their loyalty-scheme ticket allocation well ahead of the weekend.
The Dean Crowe Theatre is on Chapel Street in Athlone town centre, a short walk from the Shannon bridge and Athlone Castle. Three public car parks sit within five minutes’ walk of the door.
Athlone straddles the River Shannon roughly midway between Dublin and Galway, with Athlone Castle and the Left Bank restaurant quarter both close to Chapel Street. There is more to see in Athlone and across Co. Westmeath.
Heading to Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone? Westmeath has plenty more to see. Read the Athlone area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
In town for Dean Crowe Theatre? These Dublin tours book out in summer.