Six must-see Cavan Arts Festival events
SLIPS INSIDE
WHERE: Townhall Arts Centre.
WHEN: Friday, 6:30pm.
WHAT: Join acclaimed duo Okidok (Benoît Devos and Xavier Bouvier) from Belgium for a very special evening of entertainment. Expect the cream of acrobatics, the foie gras of mime, the lords of dance, an hour of laughter without words! The pair perform a unique blend of comedy, acrobatics, and physical theatre, gaining international acclaim for their work. This show is suitable for ages five years and upwards.
Tickets €10 and available from the Townhall Theatre website.
EOGHAN DALTUN
WHERE: Big Tent.
WHEN: Saturday, 12pm.
WHAT: Acclaimed author and environmentalist Eoghan Daltun is famed and beloved in equal measure for his inspiring work on rewilding. His bestselling book ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: A Personal Journey Into the Magic of Rewilding’ stands as a treatise for letting nature guide the way to a sustainable future and has inspired many Cavan environmentalists to take up the challenge. A thrilling voice on the importance of reviving Ireland’s native woodlands, his talk promises to be both thought-provoking and hopeful. Don’t miss this chance to hear from one of Ireland’s most influential environmental leaders!
Free event.
RADIO BUTTY
WHERE: Con Smith Park.
WHEN: Saturday, 2:30pm-5:30pm.
WHAT: Welcome to the world of Radio Butty, brought to you by the legendary author and border creative Pat McCabe. Fresh from the Flat Lake Festival of 15 years ago comes the weird, wonderful, absurd, unexpected, and still unknown Radio Butty who controls the dial to welcome a mystery line in a cabaret, poetry-slam, performance art-style. Pat has invited his friends, foes from far and beyond, from musicians to poets, painters, bards, dreamers, makers, storytellers and more, even our young friend Josh McC will make an appearance.
Free event.
PEDAL PARADE
WHERE: Starts & Finishes at The Playground, Con Smith Park.
WHEN: Sunday, 10:30am.
WHAT: Gear up, saddle, helmet on, and get ready for the biggest party on one, two, and possibly even three wheels with the now famous Cavan Arts Festival Pedal Parade, an unforgettable experience as part of the arts festival weekend. Ginormous Disco Bikes, Penny Farthings, Unicycles,Trick Bikes, Tiny Circus Bikes. The joy of cycling meets party in the street. If it goes by pedal power they’ve got it.
Register in advance to ensure certificates of participation or request to use a balance bike (for small people). Email activetravel@cavancoco.ie.
Free event.
INDIGOS EGO
WHERE: Big Top Tent.
WHEN: Sunday, 4:30pm.
WHAT: A four-piece alternative/indie band formed in mid-2024 in Cavan, collectively they draw inspiration from artists like The Smashing Pumpkins, Tori Amos, Radiohead and Manchester Orchestra. The band is the passion project of Anne O’Reilly, Mark Johnson, Barry Carmichael and Paddy Fitzhenry, and their sound blends atmospheric textures with raw emotion and anthemic choruses. Most recently they released ‘Affection’, a more upbeat jangly indie pop number than the four piece’s rockier debut track Truth/Lies.
Free event.
PETER BRODERICK
WHERE: Big Tent
WHEN: Sunday, 6pm.
WHAT: Peter Broderick is an internationally renowned composer and musician more often found on the stage of the National Concert Hall than in a circus tent in Con Smith Park - but he will be equally at home on both. His sublime work Eyes Closed and Travelling has amassed over 52 million streams on Spotify, however it’s his sumptuous 2020 album Blackberry that will provide the backbone of this Cavan show. In Blackberry the American native explores themes of family and relationships in this gorgeous selection of folk songs, all drenched in the wonders of nature.
Cavan Arts Festival are so thrilled to have him on this year’s Park Life bill that he has the honour of closing Sunday’s festivities.
Free event.