West Mayo stages Westival with live music, theatre and art from October 28
Fire, lanterns, five days of music and arts as Westival lights up Westport this Samhain.
Westport will become one big stage this Halloween as Westival, the West of Ireland's longest-running music and arts festival, returns from Wednesday, October 28 to Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Now in its 51st edition, the festival brings live music, theatre, film, visual art, literature and family workshops to venues across the town. Theatres, galleries, hotels, the cinema, pubs and the streets themselves will all play host, and many events are free.
At the heart of this year's festival is Mórshiúl na Samhna, Honouring the Ancestors, a free Samhain procession created by internationally renowned outdoor arts company LUXE, in partnership with Westival and Mayo County Council.
At 7pm on Saturday, October 31, Halloween night, the procession will gather around the Mall Bridge. It will wind its way along The Mall to a fiery finale at The Fairgreen, bringing the whole town together with lanterns, fire, music and colour.
Masks made with local schoolchildren will be carried through the streets. Members of the public are invited to register to carry a lantern and walk in the procession themselves, rather than simply watch.
LUXE has created illuminated processional work in Ireland and abroad for more than 18 years. Mórshiúl na Samhna is suitable for all ages and runs for approximately one hour.
Bryan Pepper, Festival Director, said, "Westival has always been about the whole town, and Mórshiúl na Samhna is that spirit at its biggest. On Halloween night we want every family in Westport and every visitor to the West to walk with us, carry a light and be part of something they'll remember for years."
Theatre, music and film
The ticketed programme opens on Thursday, October 29, with Fishamble's KING at Westport Town Hall Theatre. Written and performed by Olivier Award-winner Pat Kinevane and directed by Jim Culleton, it is the fifth collaboration between Kinevane and Fishamble.
On Friday, October 30, rising Irish singer-songwriter Dave Lofts plays a sold-out Westport Town Hall Theatre. A former member of the Irish Defence Forces, he has more than 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners and 25 sold-out Irish headline shows behind him.
The same evening, MIST return to the Clew Bay Hotel with a concert of Ukrainian and Irish folk and contemporary music. Formerly known as Nezlamni, the ensemble's project operates in association with AsIAm, Ireland's national autism charity, and reflects the values of inclusion, understanding and unity.
Other music highlights include Patrick O'Laoghaire (I Have a Tribe), The Brennan Sisters at Matt Molloy's Yard Bar and Nan Fee with special guests. As part of Westival, the Westport Festival of Chamber Music presents The Esposito Quartet who perform at the Westport Woods Hotel on Sunday afternoon.
The festival closes on Sunday, November 1, with A Love Supreme, a full performance of John Coltrane's landmark suite marking his 100th birthday, at Westport Jazz Club at the Clew Bay Hotel.
Film lovers can catch new films shot in Westport with Mayo crews, from Western Front Studios, at the W Cinema, followed by a Q&A. Halloween night ends with an interactive event screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 9:30 pm - so much more than just a movie with live actors and audience participation it will be a night to remember!
Art, words and family events
Five exhibitions open across the town, including Na Cailleacha's About Time at Custom House Gallery and Portraits of Home, a photography and audio exhibition on belonging in Mayo. Derval Dunford's interactive bilingual exhibition As Anáil opens at the Town Hall Theatre.
Families can join Spooky Ukeday with Westelele, a One World Drumming Circle and a creative workshop inspired by The Little Prince. On Friday evening, fire performer Strix Nebulosa roams the streets before a free fire show at The Clock.
Book lovers have author events with Pam Lecky and Jane Casey, and a Westival special of Westport Library's Read Aloud open mic.
Speaking ahead of Westival, Patrick Hughes, Festival Chair said that for more than 50 years, Westival has been a home for the arts in the West of Ireland.
“This year's programme brings local artists and community groups together with some of the country's finest performers, and we can't wait to welcome everyone to Westport.”
The full programme, tickets and procession registration are available at westival.ie.