Convening of traditional artists for Music of Mayo Festival 2025
THE Music of Mayo Festival returns for its third edition from June 20 to 22, bringing together traditional artists from across County Mayo for a vibrant weekend of music, song and cultural exchange.
Taking place at Bridge St Bar & Venue in Castlebar, the festival stands as the flagship annual event of the Music of Mayo organisation, which is dedicated to preserving, exploring and promoting the county’s rich traditional arts.
Curated by artistic director Emer Mayock, who founded the organisation in 2017, the festival is a welcoming and inclusive gathering that reflects the breadth and depth of Mayo’s living traditions.
The programme is intentionally designed to feature both well-known performers and those who practise the art form quietly and authentically within their homes or local communities. This approach honours the tradition not just as a public performance, but as an everyday practice passed down and kept alive in kitchens, community halls and informal sessions across the county.
By showcasing the wide range of traditional expression, the Music of Mayo Festival offers audiences a meaningful opportunity to connect with the arts as they are intrinsically woven into the people, places and cultural heritage of the region.
On Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m., Box Night | Oíche na mBoscaí Ceoil, celebrated accordionist Fiachna Ó Mongáin from Dumha Thuama, Iorras, will host a celebration of Mayo’s accordion and melodeon tradition featuring a lecture by scholar and accordionist Liam McGonigle and performances by an exciting line-up: Liam McGonigle, Fiachna Ó Mongáin, Connie Murphy, James Langan, Paddy Joe Tighe, Tom Doherty, Dave Munnelly, Joe Carey, Rosaleen Ward, Mary Finn, Michael McNamara, and more.
A unique event on Saturday, June 21, at 5 p.m., Éist | Listen, hosted by acclaimed fiddle player Diarmuid Gielty from Dumha Acha, Oileán Acla, invites five acclaimed Mayo artists to share recordings that shaped their musical paths. With contributions from John Hoban, Julie Langan, Declan Courell, Alannah Thornburgh and Diarmuid Gielty.
Later that evening at 8 p.m., the Circle of Song | Ciorcal na nAmhrán, hosted by renowned singer Síle Uí Mhongáin from Dumha Thuama, Iorras, will deliver an intimate night of unaccompanied singing in Irish and English, featuring special guests Síle Uí Mhongáin, Tony Reidy, Pádraig Diskin, and Graham Sweeney.
The final day of the festival on Sunday, June 22, at 5 p.m. is The Next Generation | An Chéad Ghlúin Eile, hosted by the remarkable young traditional artist Molly Pittendrigh from Ballintubber. The concert celebrates the emerging young traditional artists of Mayo - musicians, singers and dancers - showcasing the future of the tradition in a joyful, family-friendly gathering.
Throughout the weekend, spontaneous pop-up traditional music sessions will animate Bridge Street, creating a lively atmosphere of shared heritage and community spirit.
Tickets are available now here and are also available on the door.
Follow the festival: Instagram @musicofmayo; X/Twitter @MusicofMayo; Facebook Music of Mayo; website musicofmayo.ie; and Venue Info bridgest.ie.