Tipperary Together Festival returns with a celebration of community
Creative Places Tipperary Town
Tipperary Town is preparing to throw open its doors this July as Tipperary Together Festival returns from 17–19 July, bringing three days of arts, culture, heritage and community celebration to venues and public spaces across the town.
Presented by Creative Places Tipperary Town, a project funded by The Arts Council, this year's festival embraces the theme "Open Doors, Open Hearts" and showcases an exciting programme of performances, exhibitions, workshops, music, heritage and family events. With the vast majority of this year's programme created and delivered by local artists, community groups and organisations, the festival reflects the wealth of creative talent that continues to grow in Tipperary Town.
The centrepiece of this year's festival is the Big Summer Family Day on Saturday, 18 July, delivered in partnership with Tipperary Town Business Alliance. Taking over Abbey School Field from 12–4.30 pm, the free event promises an afternoon packed with circus, live music, creative workshops, local crafts, delicious food, giant games and activities for all ages.
International street performer Circo Goyo travels from Argentina to present his acclaimed interactive circus show Living Off Air, while visitors can also enjoy circus workshops with Wobbly Circus, performances from Tipperary Community Choir, Golden Vale Performing Arts, St Anne's Junk Kouture, traditional music, and a lively programme hosted by local youth MCs John and Marco.
One of the most anticipated moments of the day will be the debut performance of the Community Samba Carnival, the culmination of weeks of workshops with town residents and members of the Ukrainian community. Led by local artists Mags Rudnicka and Andy Spearpoint, participants have worked together to create vibrant costumes and masks alongside energetic samba rhythms, before joining together in a colourful carnival procession through the festival. The project has been made possible with the generous support of SICAP, celebrating creativity, inclusion and intercultural collaboration through the arts.
Alongside the festival's flagship family event, audiences can explore a rich programme throughout the weekend.
Visitors can experience The Sound of Us, a new immersive sound installation by Irish sound artist Duncan O'Cleirigh, created using recordings of the Tipperary One Town One Voice Choir and field recordings from the Glen of Aherlow. The installation invites audiences to pause, listen and reflect through an evolving soundscape rooted in memory, place and community.
The visual arts programme includes The Female Image Claimed at 6s&7s Gallery, featuring new work by Gerry Carew and Jo Slade, while Poetry in the Park / Filíocht sa Pháirc transforms Tipperary Hills into a unique outdoor poetry trail featuring newly commissioned poems by local writers in both English and as Gaeilge.
Music lovers can begin the weekend on Friday evening with Lost Songs of Tipperary, where Bill O'Brien shares forgotten local ballads uncovered through years of research before an evening trad session.
Sunday offers opportunities to deepen creative practice through Duncan O'Cleirigh's Building Immersive Environments: Sound & Space Masterclass, designed for artists and creative practitioners, alongside Bill O'Brien's family-friendly songwriting workshop, a guided History Bus Tour with Mary Alice O'Connor, and accessible yoga sessions with Paula Hynes.
Accessibility remains central to the festival. Many events are wheelchair accessible and neurodivergent-friendly, while a dedicated Sensory and Quiet Space will be available throughout the festival. Accessible parking will also be provided on Big Summer Family Fun Day to ensure the festival is welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Speaking about this year's festival, the Creative Places Tipperary Town Coordinator, Aysegul Yuzel, said:
"We're incredibly proud to see Tipperary Together Festival continue to grow as a celebration of what community arts can achieve. This year's programme demonstrates the strength of local creativity, with the vast majority of events developed and delivered by artists, organisations and community groups from Tipperary and the surrounding area. Alongside exciting national and international collaborations, the festival showcases the talent, stories and imagination that already exist within our town. We hope people of all ages will join us to experience the power of community arts, discover something new and celebrate together."