New December Events!
We are thrilled to announce some wonderful events leading up to Christmas. These are all organised by and involve our amazing team of artists who run the festival and festival events throughout the year. Please support these powerful performers in even one event. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there. See our event page for more details and links to tickets!
In the lead up to Christmas, give yourself the time to just sit and listen and to let beautiful and well played music inspire and move you.
Ballymaloe Grainstore hosts the Scarlet String Quartet for a celebratory Christmas Concert of virtuosic arrangements of Classic Christmas songs, excerpts from Vivaldi’s Seasons and Bizet’s Carmen, Kreisler favourites, Argentinian Tango, Love Songs and more!
Get cosy with a mulled wine and enjoy the Scarlet String Quartet in the comfortable surroundings of the Grainstore.
Rory Allen of Ballymaloe Grainstore says, “An early evening Sunday concert is a new idea for us and I am thrilled to welcome Ilse de Ziah and her quartet back to the Grainstore for this concert. They are superb string players with a spirited and beautiful sound and will certainly stir your spirits! There’s such a high level of talent in our local area and it’s great to have the support of the Cork County Council to present this concert.”
Put the date in your diary, bring a friend and treat yourself to a concert of moving, inspiring and beautiful music to prepare you for the Christmas Season. Come and hear how Music Fills the Air!
“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.”Maria von Trapp
THEATRE: Settle in for a fantastic night of comedy and theatre!
Most nominated show at Dublin Fringe Awards 2019! Acclaimed Irish comedian Tadhg Hickey’s part theatre, part stand-up comedy show, ‘In One Eye, Out the Other’ presented by the Noggin Theatre Company. MORE INFO
A MUSICAL END OF YEAR TREAT:
A night of uplifting acoustic music flowing between cello, solo guitar, innovative folk/trad, and award winning singer-songwriting. Ending the year on a positive note.
This exciting event will provide plenty of opportunity for all you lovers of guitar, cello, voice, bouzouki, whistles and Bodhrán to hear these amazing musicians.
FESTIVAL 2022 JULY 15 – 17 (TBC)
The MAF team love to work with and highlight the great work being done by local groups so if you have any event or happening that might tie in with the festival they would be very happy to include it in the schedule. You can get involved, by volunteering your time or talents, and enjoy being part of the vibrant MAF community. We will also make a call out to artists who would like to display and sell their work in the Sunday Art Market in the Market Square.
The centrepiece of the festival is a Fine Art Exhibition ===
We hope to add an event on Monday 18 July to celebrate “World Listening Day”, the international festival of listening.
Sunday will feature an Art Market where artists are invited to bring their art along to sell in the market square, with music and entertainment for children.
Our festival is a celebration of our community and its relationship with art. With so many talented artists in the area and wonderful art teachers in the schools, creativity is bubbling in East Cork throughout the year. MAF creates an opportunity to showcase, share and express this ongoing creativity during the festival.
festival vision
We are aiming to do no poster printing, use an app for information, extend the Saturday market to celebrate and investigate the local food artisans, growers and sustainable possibilities for Midleton.
We want people to be involved. We would love all artists and creatives to spend time together during the festival. We hope to create a space for artists to create and bounce ideas around, get inspired, meet new friends. The organisers are volunteers, so there is very little time and funding for us to organise every event but if you have something you can offer, and it suits to present it during July 16th – 18th. We will advertise and support you and guide you to the best place to set up/perform/exhibit/pop up.
A group of us met as part of One World Week and here is the lovely video shot by Kara Sweeney to get you started with ideas or be enticed to join one of our idea teams.
THE FESTIVAL
What a glorious festival we had in May 2019! Captured so beautifully by East Cork filmmaker Kara Sweeney of Twenty4Films.
The Vibrant Artists Community of Midleton and Surrounds come together in mid-May (delayed until July) to present their work, experiment, stretch imaginations and raise the spirits of the local community. Feel the town buzz the minute you step foot on the street. Expect the unexpected and bring your friends and family along to take part in the many activities! Magical May events for all ages; children’s busking competition, make art on the street, great exhibitions, music, meditative dance, drumming circle, poetry, film, bohemian discussions, outstanding theatre. There really is something for everyone in Midleton’s Arts Festival.