Arts festival brings contemporary circus and performance to Dundalk
Performances will take place at An Táin, Market Square and Wellington Hall
A new platform for contemporary circus and interdisciplinary performance is coming to Dundalk as POW expands from its signature scratch cabaret into a two-day festival on 9th and 10th of May.
Founded to support artists in testing ideas and sharing work in progress, POW now presents a programme of performances and workshops, bringing together artists working across circus, dance, theatre, music, and performance art.
Highlights include a hair hanging duet by artists from Greece and Italy as part of our signature Scratch Cabaret, alongside a range of live acts. There will also be free, family-friendly street shows in Market Square by Cometa Circus and Tumble Circus, as well as PIT by Alex Vostokova. The programme also features Louth-based artists Rosie Murphy on harp and Arlene Caffrey presenting performance art.
The festival includes what is believed to be the first public hair hanging workshop in Ireland.Taking place across Dundalk, POW aims to increase access to contemporary performance for both artists and audiences, particularly outside major urban centres.
It supports artists at different stages of development, offering opportunities to present work that may not yet have access to full production or funding. The festival marks the beginning of a longer-term vision to develop an ongoing programme of workshops, residencies, and performance opportunities in the region.
Full Schedule
Saturday 9th May
Circus Workshops – An Táin (Ticketed)
- 10.15–11.15 — Ages 5–7
- 11.30–12.30 — Ages 8–12
Street Shows – Market Square (Free / Family Friendly)
- 13.30 — PIT (Alex Vostokova)
- 14.00 — Won’t Be Told (Tumble Circus)
- 14.35 — Cometa Circus
Scratch Cabaret – Wellington Hall (Ticketed)
- Doors 20.00 | Show 20.30
Sunday 10th May
Workshops – Elevate Studio (Booking Required)
- 10:30–12:30 — Aerial Silks (Fay Malama)
- 13:00–15:00 — Hair Hanging (Fay Malama)
Visit POW Arts Show Schedule — Nicola Moran Art for show info
And POW Workshops — Nicola Moran Art for booking workshops