WELCOME TO ARKLOW MUSIC FESTIVAL

Arklow Music Festival is one of Ireland’s best known competitive music festivals (or feiseanna). For 50 years it has provided a platform for individual and group performers of all ages in music, speech and drama, composition and creative writing. We have a long tradition of engaging the services of distinguished adjudicators and while prizes are awarded all are winners by taking part. Held annually for nine days in March it was described in The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland (2013) as ‘one of the largest events of its kind’. It has more than 150 competitions for singers, choirs, orchestras, and instrumentalists in string, woodwind, brass and piano categories. Our verse speaking events in both English and Irish are hugely popular and greatly supported by our local schools as are our Choral Verse, Action Poems, School Drama and Action Songs.

Many of our past competitors have now made their career as performers, actors, teachers or composers. Two of this year’s adjudicators were former prize winners in Arklow and one credits her success in the festival as a major influence in her career as an opera singer. While not everyone will aspire to be a professional performer, many who have taken part over the years can remember the experience and can be seen in our audience for competitions or at our prizewinners’ concert.

A festival such as this is expensive to run and we are most grateful to all our sponsors and those who support us in any way. Our festival also provides a number of overall awards and bursaries, many of which are announced and presented at our prizewinner’s concert.