Singing groups in Donegal invited to join Bealtaine Festival 2026

Singing groups in Donegal are invited to take part in Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s national festival celebrating the arts and ageing.

The festival is an Age & Opportunity initiative which brings together people from all over Ireland to foster and inspire creativity among older people. 

A central feature of Bealtaine Festival is the Dawn Chorus, a nationwide singing event delivered in partnership with Sing Ireland, in which older people and singing groups come together to sing in their locality. The singing events take place close to dawn or dusk to celebrate the day and welcome in the season..

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Anyone can organise or get involved in Dawn Chorus, including older people’s groups, singing groups and community groups. Hundreds of singing groups have taken part in the Bealtaine Dawn Chorus since its inception, highlighting creativity in ageing, diversity and community engagement.

Dawn Chorus encourages participation from those present, rather than organisation of a professional concert. The events can take place outdoors in a scenic location and participants are invited to consider the festival theme ‘Lust for Life’ when making their song choices.

Dr Tara Byrne, Arts Programme Manager at Age & Opportunity and Bealtaine Festival Artistic Director, said: “The Dawn Chorus is one of our longest-running Bealtaine events and in some ways represents the heart of the festival as a connecting, community initiative. Its strength is derived from people simply showing up to sing together throughout the year and then celebrating on this special day.”

Dermot O’Callaghan, CEO of Sing Ireland, said: "Singing together is one of the most meaningful ways to bring people together and create a sense of connection in a community. Dawn Chorus is a wonderful invitation for singing groups across Ireland to gather, mark the season and celebrate creativity as part of Bealtaine. We’re really pleased to support this nationwide invitation for people to come together and raise their voices." 

Local groups can register their dawn or dusk chorus event on the Bealtaine Festival website, - the Bealtaine Festival is an initiative by Age & Opportunity, funded by The Arts Council and the HSE.  The nationwide and flagship Dawn chorus events are presented in partnership with Sing Ireland

For queries regarding the online registration process for Dawn Chorus as part of the Bealtaine Festival, email arts@ageandopportunity.ie.