The Bealtaine Festival is delighted to welcome back the Big Bealtaine Tea Party, taking place on Sunday 3rd May 2026 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Kilmainham, Dublin 8. Following the success of our 30th anniversary celebration in 2025, we invite everyone to join us for an uplifting afternoon of performance, song—and of course—cake!
This year’s Tea Party is curated by our Citizen Curators: Joe Maguire, Madge O’Callaghan, and Peter Clarke, and celebrates creativity at every stage of life. Inspired by the energy of Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life, the programme spotlights late‑life debuts, reinvention, and long‑sustained creative practices.
Featured artists include debut writer Tom Dredge, storyteller Ruth Marshall, actor Bríd Ní Neachtain, the Bealtaine Dawn Chorus Flagship Choir, and the Hands in Harmony Choir from Limerick.
Opportunity for Writers to Read at the Bealtaine Tea Party
We invite writers who would like to participate in the Tea Party to apply as readers. A core part of our ethos is the inclusion and foregrounding older artists and voices in our events, and we welcome your involvement.
The process for selection involves curation: pieces will be chosen on merit, and with a view to provide variety of forms, genres and contexts for our audience to enjoy. The time allocation is 4 minutes (or 500 words max) allocated to each selected writer. There are 6 slots available.
Longer pieces will not be considered.
Please see below for the application form and guidelines.
Application Deadline: 12 noon, Wednesday 15th April 2026
**DEADLINE EXTENDED: 12 noon, FRIDAY 17TH 2026
