Fringe Festival 2026

Discover even more to enjoy during your visit with a selection of other events, experiences and attractions in Mayo

About Fringe Festival

The Fringe Festival runs alongside the Mayo Dark Sky Festival and adds an extra burst of creativity, colour and community spirit to the weekend. Featuring local art, music, workshops, talks and family-friendly activities, the Fringe offers visitors even more to enjoy while exploring the region. It’s a great way to experience Mayo’s culture, meet local makers and performers, and make the most of your festival visit with events happening in nearby towns and venues.

What's On?

Shadows of Samhain

An Ecological Exploration of Irish Heritage, Darkness and the Natural World

An installation of spooky disguises, sculptural costumes and masks, connecting Irish cultural heritage with contemporary art.

Inspired by ancient Samhain traditions and the landscapes of the west of Ireland, artist Martina O’Connor creates mysterious figures drawing on Irish mythology, using masks, reclaimed coastal materials, natural pigments, seaweed and found objects.

Developed through Longford and Mayo County Councils’ Repaired Arts Circular Economy programme, an Irish project funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help artists practise sustainability at festivals and events.

The exhibition explores how traditional materials, shadow and reflection can bring ancient traditions into a contemporary setting, while offering a sustainable alternative to plastic-heavy Halloween decorations.

On display at Ballycroy National Park Visitor Centre during the Mayo Dark Sky Festival and until the end of 2026

THIS IS A FREE EXHIBITION – THERE IS NO NEED TO BOOK

Language and Folklore of the Night Sky

Join Keeper, Irish Folklore Division, and folklorist Clodagh Doyle for a fascinating exploration of Ireland’s rich traditions of storytelling, language and belief connected to the night sky. Discover how generations of Irish people interpreted the stars, moon and celestial events through folklore, mythology and local customs.

FREE EVENT – booking required

Dusking at Ballycroy Visitor Centre

You don’t have to wait for nightfall to experience the darkness of night. The great transition begins shortly after sunset: the dusk. The golden hour gives way to the blue hour; the light fades, and colours grow cooler. Twilight can teach us what darkness brings to light. We often associate the falling of darkness with disappearance. The light, the day, the noise – everything seems to diminish. But the day does not disappear. We disappear. And as we disappear, something appears. Bats. Moths. A world of shades of grey.

We gather at sunset for Dusking. An ancient Dutch ritual dating back to a time when people kept the lights out for as long as possible so they could await the darkness in peace at the start of the evening. It was a small rite of passage in which work was set aside and (evening) rest began. Just under an hour of neither producing nor consuming anything, simply sitting and watching as darkness falls, as boundaries blur, the day fades away and gives way to the night.

Talk - 'Newts, Cats, Specs and OGs' by Terry Moseley

Newport Astronomy Club will host a special talk – “Newts, Cats, Specs and OGs”.
This talk, by amateur astronomer and long time friend of Newport Astronomy and the Mayo Dark Sky Festival Terry Moseley, will present a detailed look at the history of the telescope and what mankind has discovered through them.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT – THERE IS NO NEED TO BOOK

Dusking at Letterkeen

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Are you planning an event in October 2026?

Get in touch if you are planning an event in the week leading up to the Mayo Dark Sky Festival