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Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union offers a unique opportunity to showcase the best of Irish arts and culture, both traditional and contemporary. To mark the occasion, Minister O’Donovan’s Department through Culture Ireland presents Cultúr 2026, an expansive programme which will ensure that citizens in Ireland and throughout Europe can participate in the Presidency and reflect on Ireland’s role in the EU.
Cultúr 2026 celebrates the wealth of talent among Irish artists working today and aims to share this richness with audiences in Ireland and Europe. Featuring exhibitions, concerts, talks, performances and events that represent every artform, the programme will unfold throughout Ireland and across all 27 EU member states and beyond, for the duration of the Presidency. Cultúr 2026 reflects a living culture; one shaped through creativity, collaboration, and exchange. At its heart are artists and audiences, coming together to share new experiences and perspectives. Through these encounters, Ireland’s culture, and our cultural engagement with Europe, is continually enriched and renewed.
Three new commissions in Brussels will herald the programme in the heart of Europe: a site-specific installation by Irish artist Richard Malone at the Justus Lipsius building, an opening concert at Flagey and an exhibition presented by Literature Ireland in the European Parliament building. These will be accompanied by an expanded programme of Irish arts at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, a Focus Irlande at the historic Théâtre de la Ville, Paris.
Cultúr 2026 will present new exhibitions, concerts, talks and public programmes at the National Cultural Institutions as well as festivals throughout Ireland, with events taking place in each of the 26 counties. A number of programmes will be supported in each local authority in the country, encompassing a diverse array of family-friendly and community events, tours, screenings and workshops, with every artform represented. Dedicated Irish language events will also be a feature of Cultúr 2026 both across Ireland and Europe to showcase the best Irish language artists working today. A national presentation of Cotter & Naessens Architects’ Venice Biennale exhibition, Assembly will take place at the iconic Busáras building in Dublin.
Cultúr 2026 is complemented by a cultural relations programme of events presented by Ireland’s Embassy and Consulate network across Europe and beyond. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, have provided funding of €1.5m for this programming strand. Delivered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, this programme will enhance Ireland’s cultural relations and cultural diplomacy, and will include a series of keynote artistic events and tours across Europe, a number of commissioned world premieres, partnerships with leading Irish and European ensembles and broadcasters, and an exhibition on the Irish language at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Across Europe, and beyond, Irish culture will reach audiences through music, dance, theatre, literature and exhibitions.
The combined cultural programmes represent a €6.5m investment in uplifting Irish artists, makers and creators at a defining moment for the country.
