Clonmel’s Inaugural Plein Air

With the Suir Blueway running through it and built against the stunning backdrop of the Comeragh mountains, Clonmel awaits your discovery during our Plein Air on 4th and 5th July. Also within easy reach of the rich scenery and outstanding OPW sites in Carrick, Cahir and Cashel, we invite you to join us for Clonmel’s inaugural Plein Air. Come to Clonmel to paint and draw and enjoy the hospitality and cultural programme that the 2026 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival offers. Click here to find out more…

2025 Highlights

2026 Festival

Exchanges

Exploring Cultural Exchanges & Blended Cultures

Our festival theme for 2026 is ‘Exchanges’, exciting conversations about ourselves and our communities, exploring Cultural exchanges and blended cultures. Our brochure and full programme has now launched with tickets for events on sale.
Pick up our brochure at a wide selection of the cafés, shops or businesses in Clonmel and its environs as well as STAC, Clonmel Library, the Main Guard and the Museum of Hidden History. Tickets are on sale online now via the Tickets button in the top right hand corner of our website or at our Box Office in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre from 11am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media for information on our many events, artist videos, updates on our community development projects and other ways to be involved in the lead up to the festival (3rd to 12th July).
I would also just like to take a moment to express our sincere thanks to all our funders, sponsors and partners – the festival couldn’t happen without you. Many thanks also to our wonderful festival team, Board of Directors and volunteers – people make a festival and you certainly make the Clonmel Junction Arts Festival the special and vibrant festival that it is.
We look forward to celebrating our 2026 festival together and hope to see you at many more events during the festival from 3rd to 12th July.

Rebecca Lenehan
Artistic Director

Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, Clonmel, County Tipperary

Follow Us!

🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Wednesday July 8th! 🎉 Midweek at CJAF 2026 is cranking up. We are exploring the stories of our past, taking guided art walks, and welcoming incredible international theatre to the Clonmel stage. Here is a look at what's on: 10:00 AM – Lace up your walking shoes for an inspiring Art Walk with Catherine Marshall, exploring the art exhibitions around Clonmel as part of the festival. 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM – Missed Tuesday's slots? Tom Campbell's popular Mask Painting Workshops are back today! 11:00 AM – Bring the kids (ages 8-12) to the Platform for the imaginative Dream | Design | Draw Workshop. 1:00 PM – Catch a lunchtime repeat of the brilliant TUS Student Animation Showcase. 6:00 PM – Dive deep into history with podcaster and historian Fin Dwyer for Crime: A Window into the Past?—an absolute must for history buffs. 8:00 PM – The internationally acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe hit show, The Horse of Jenin by Alaa Shehada - an extraordinary, moving piece of theatre you won't forget. 9:00 PM onwards – Wind down post-theatre with great local acts at Music In The Pubs. From deep-dives into Clonmel's art exhibitions to a powerful international performance, there's so much to take in. #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
📢 Programme Update! Our illustration workshops with Kate Sheehy and Paulette O’Donovan are no longer going ahead as advertised in the brochure — but we’ve great news instead! 🎨 Joining us in their place will be comic artist Paul Ryan, running two FREE Comic Strip Workshops at Clonmel Library on Saturday 4th July: 🛸 11am | Ages 7–9 | 60 mins 🛸 3.15pm | Ages 10–12 | 60 mins Budding comic creators welcome! 📍 Clonmel Library 🆓 Free, booking essential 👉 junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunctionArtsFestival #comicstripworkshop #cjaf26 #clonmelarts #visittipperary
Our June Newsletter is now Live! 🌼🪻🤩🎭 Head to our bio for the link 👌🏼 📸 @john_d_kelly_photography #cjaf26 #clonmeljunctionartsfestival #newsletter #clonmelarts #visittipperary
Our TUS workers are hard at it, transforming the Binsa Comhra - “Conversation Bench” ahead of the Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 🎉 Comedian and Guerrilla Gaeilge Áine Gallagher will be taking up residence at the Binse to share a cúpla Focail with the people of Clonmel on July 3rd and 4th ☘️🇮🇪 @aine_gall_her #clonmeljunctionfestival #clonmelarts #cjaf26 #thearts #tipperary
🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Tuesday July 7th! 🎉 The halfway point of the festival, and Tuesday is packed with interactive workshops for all ages, an exciting exhibition opening, and a brilliant rehearsed play reading. Here is a look at what's on: 10:00 AM & 2:00PM – Get creative at the Mask Painting Workshops with Tom Campbell. 10:00 AM & 12:00PM – Got creative kids? Bring the 8-12 year olds along for our fun Pottery Painting Workshops. 2:30PM – One for the grown-ups! Unwind and express yourself at the afternoon Pottery Painting for Adults session. 6:00 PM - 7:00PM – Join us at the linn gallery (1st floor, The Narrow Space on Mitchell St) for the official opening of the Plein Air Exhibition, showcasing all the stunning work painted in Clonmel and it's environs over the weekend. 8:00PM – Catch a captivating rehearsed reading and live Q&A of Muck by Roseanna Purcell - a powerful piece of new theatre about an isolated woman who has become so disassociated from her body that she believes she’s turning into a cow. 9:00PM onwards – Catch up with friends over a few tunes at Music In The Pubs. Come try something new, create a masterpiece, or support local theatre tonight. Which workshop or show has your name on it? 👇 Book your tickets at www.junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Monday July 6th! 🎉 Who says Mondays have to be boring? The festival will be keeping the energy high as we transition into the week with an amazing line-up of local film showcases, visual arts, and late-night tunes. Here is a look at what's on: 6:00PM – Head over for the TUS Student Animation Showcase to see some impressive, cutting-edge work from the next generation of animators. 8:00PM – Join us for a special screening of Born That Way, a beautiful and moving documentary film about care, love, and Patrick Lydon. 9:00PM onwards – Wrap up your Monday evening with another lineup of Music In The Pubs. Whether you're heading out for the films or the tunes tonight, come share your Monday with us. What are you checking out after work? 👇 Book your tickets at www.junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
Cultural Exchanges: Commonality and Community Working with members of the local Ukrainian community and crafters, this project with artist Annie Hogg has sought to find commonality through the prism of working with wild hedgerow plants, focusing on plants which are familiar to both communities to explore their uses for dyeing, folklore, and folk medicine. Annie explains all in this short video🌱🫛🪻 #clonmelarts #clonmeljunctionfestival #cjaf26 #exchanges #artexhibition
🎉Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Sunday July 5th! 🎉 If you’re looking for the perfect Sunday plan, Day 3 is the place to be. We’ve got local heritage, incredible art, and plenty of opportunities to grab a coffee and soak up the festival atmosphere. Here is a look at what's on: 9:00AM onwards – The Plein Air artists are back out in force for Day 2. (Make sure to drop by the Abbey Street Car Park at 5:00 PM to see all the finished paintings displayed!) 12:00PM – Áine Gallagher is on the move to enlist more recruits to Guerrilla Gaeilge, while Cathy Sweeney is hosting a relaxed chat about her debut novel, Breakdown. If you're looking for more relaxation, join us for our Outdoor Yoga in the Park to feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead. 2:00PM - Cinema buff? Two short films hit the big screen, The Good Farmer and the Failed Son and Water Under The Bridge, followed by a Q&A, or if music is more your thing, try our Oud and Double Bass Workshop and learn how to groove in unusual time signatures with Stephen McGrath and Aury Livingstone of Sun Merchant. 3:00PM – Join Tipperary writer Brian Clancy for the launch of his short story anthology featuring live dramatisations of a selection of his short stories. 3:00PM / 5:00 PM / 7:00 PM - Missed it yesterday? Luke Casserly’s sensory theatre performance Distillation has three final runs today. 4:30PM - Irish TV presenter and journalist Helen Carroll leads the discussion around ‘Being other in rural Ireland’ with FELISPEAKS, Maitiú Mac Cárthaigh and Jack Rogers. 6:30PM – Head down to the Abbey Street Car Park for the official Plein Air prize-giving ceremony to see who takes home the top awards. 8:00PM – Storyteller and poet Joe Whelan hosts Clonmel Story Slam, a platform for local storytellers to tell a true story in a race against the clock. 9:00PM – Keep the weekend vibes going with the Sunday night edition of Music In The Pubs. Grab the family, take a stroll along the art trails, and check out some world-class talent right on our doorstep. Book your tickets at www.junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Saturday 4th July! 🎉 Day 2 is packed with things to do, whether you're down to catch a brilliant new theatre show, watch artists paint the town, or bring the kids out for some weekend family fun. Here is a look at what's on: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM – Look out for artists around the town or along the Suir! Our first Plein Air event kicks off early across the streets and riverbanks of Clonmel - as well as in Carrick-on-Suir, Chair and Cashel. 10:30 AM – Got a ticket for our Plein Air workshops? Head to our registered spots to link up with Kieran Guckian and Jacqueline Gartlan. 11:00 AM – Grab a pad and pencils and join Niamh McGiff and Oliver Baros for a Sketching Tour of the town, or head over to check out The Drop Bubble Show for some family entertainment (with a second show at 2:00 PM) 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM – A celebration of music awaits at Abbey Street and The Main Guard, and Áine Gallagher is back roaming Parnell Street with her Guerilla Gaeilge comedy! 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM – Show some love for Tipperary’s talented young musicians at the Music Generation Tipperary Rock & Trad Camp Showcase. 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM / 7:00 PM – Take a performative journey to the Irish bog in Luke Casserly’s highly anticipated, immersive theatre experience Distillation, which has three separate runs today. Don't miss it! 4:00 PM – Wind your way through the streets of Clonmel following our Youth Council Performance Trail as they take over the town with music, dance and spoken word. 8:00 PM - Join Civil rights activist and DJ Tonie Walsh in this immersive, mixed-media performance created specially for the festival and in recognition of one of Ireland’s significant celebrities and cultural figures, Vincent Hanley. 9:00 PM onwards – Settle in for another brilliant night of Music In The Pubs. Looking for a brush of inspiration? a sing-along? or getting immersed in a show? Day 2 has you covered! What’s your can't miss event? 👇 Book your tickets at www.junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
STAG Kids were having fun with Tom Campbell’s “The Mask Project Workshop at @showgroundssc 😁👺 Don’t forget there are drop in workshops every Saturday afternoon! #clonmelarts #clonmeljunctionfestival #cjaf26 #themaskproject #clonmel
🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2026 Friday July 3rd! 🎉 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival kicks off on the 3rd of July with a fantastic line-up of events. Whether you're up for some street comedy, incredible visual arts, or a late-night music trail, there’s a spot saved for you. Here’s a quick look at what’s on today: 11:00 AM – Catch the official Festival Opening & launch of the Clonmel Exchanges Podcast Project at Fetch Coffee. 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM – Keep your eyes peeled on Parnell Street for Áine Gallagher's hilarious Guerilla Gaeilge street comedy, and check out the No CTRL interactive pop-up installation at the former Gamestop on Mitchell Street. 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM – Exhibition launch hour! We're celebrating the Young Curators (5pm) at The Main Guard and Séamus Nolan’s The Blackened Circle (6pm) over at STAC. 7:00 PM - Dive into some live literary readings from the CTRL collection at at the former Gamestop on Mitchell Street. 8:00 PM - Evening entertainment time! Take your pick between a stunning performance by Dagogo Hart & Andy Spearpoint at the STAC Chapel, or head to Mulcahy’s for the laugh-out-loud comedy show Me, Myself and Ireland. 9:00 PM onwards – Music In The Pubs kicks off across town to wrap up a massive Day 1. 10:00 PM – Don't miss The Seven Rivers of the Sun, a magical, late-night procession of light moving through the streets! ✨ Drop by, soak up the atmosphere, and let’s make the most of the opening day. What are you heading to first? 👇 Book tickets at www.junctionfestival.com #ClonmelJunction #CJAF2026 #ClonmelArts
Exchanges: A Performance by Dagogo Hart and Andy Spearpoint This performance of work devised by artist Dagogo Hart in collaboration with Tipperary-based artist Andy Spearpoint follows a one-week residency in STAC Chapel earlier in the year. Poet, playwright and performer Dagogo and musician Andy will explore identity, ageing, parenthood and the business of finding oneself in a culture not one’s own. A partnership project with STAC. 📅 - Friday, July 3 🕰️ -8pm 📍 -STAC Chapel 🎟️ - General: €12 🎟️ - Concession: €10 Age 14 + Tickets on sale via the website Link in bio✨
Loading the next set of instagram posts...
More