Experience a burst of culture with Cork Midsummer Festival 

Cork is set to light up this June with an exciting and eclectic range of performances, installations, and celebrations at the Cork Midsummer Festival 2025.

For ten days, from 13 to 22 June, Cork will transform into an immersive stage where art, culture, and creativity converge in stunning and unexpected ways. The festival promises to offer something for everyone, from world-class international artists to local talent, with events designed to captivate and inspire all who attend. 

Cork Midsummer Festival is renowned for its daring and innovative programming, and this year is no exception. The festival is all about engaging audiences in live experiences that push the boundaries of theatre, music, dance, and visual art. 

The opening event will be the breathtaking Helios installation by renowned UK artist Luke Jerram a six-meter sculpture installed in the magnificent St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, offering an awe-inspiring view of the sun, complete with mesmerizing sunspots and solar flares. The immersive experience is accompanied by live NASA recordings, creating a powerful moment of beauty and wonder, and it’s an experience that will be available from dawn to dusk on the summer solstice, June 21.

In 2025, Cork Midsummer Festival will feature an Australian Season, bringing some of the country’s most exciting artists and companies to Cork. The Second Woman is a 24-hour theatrical marathon created by Australian artists Nat Randall and Anna Breckon taking place at Cork Opera House, where actress Eileen Walsh takes on the role of Virginia, repeating the same scene over and over with 100 different men.

The unique performance, created by an all-female team, challenges the conventions of theatre and will leave audiences hooked from start to finish whether they stay for 20 minutes or 24 hours.

Another not-to-be-missed performance from Down Under is Burnout Paradise by Pony Cam. This high-energy performance combines theatre and physical endurance, as four performers take on a relentless spiralling challenge on treills. It's a bold and humorous exploration of the absurdity of our fast-paced, high-stakes society.

A must-see for all the family will be Les Girafes: An Animal Operetta, a captivating parade featuring seven towering giraffes parading through the city streets, blending circus, opera, and street theatre. Created by French company Compagnie OFF, this whimsical and vibrant performance will enchant audiences of all ages as it transforms Cork’s streets into a magical spectacle.

Cork Midsummer Festival is known for its immersive experiences that break the traditional boundaries of theatre. Stitch by Irene Kelleher, a chilling, site-specific play set in the dimly lit basement of J. Nolan Stationery, delves deep into the eerie world of Shandon Street in 1989, creating a haunting atmosphere of suspense and mystery.

For those looking for more intimate experiences, Theatre for One: Made in Cork returns with a special edition, offering a chance to experience short plays by some of Ireland's most exciting writers, performed one-on-one in a unique booth setup. Each play, created by Cork writers specifically for this intimate venue, promises a visceral and personal connection between performer and audience.

At the heart of the festival lies a commitment to celebrating Cork's diverse and creative community. The Shenanigan Family Odyssey, a wild and joyful parade featuring over 120 performers, will take the streets by storm on June 15. A collaborative effort by Cork Community Art Link, the parade promises an explosion of colour, music, and exuberance.

For younger audiences, the YouthQuake event on June 21 will showcase the creative talents of Cork’s youth, bringing together music, spoken word, and live performances. The event is a celebration of energy, imagination, and community, giving the next generation a chance to express their voices in a high-energy, inclusive environment.

Cork Midsummer Festival 2025 is also an opportunity to rediscover rich cultural traditions, reimagined for the modern day. The Solstice Céilí at Elizabeth Fort, taking place on June 21, invites audiences to a time-traveling collective of musicians and dancers as they explore the history of Irish social dancing through a fusion of ancient and modern traditions. Featuring new compositions, fire magic, and communal celebration, this unique event is a fitting tribute to the vibrancy of Irish culture.

Meanwhile, Save the Last Dance for Me, a performance created by Italian artist Alessandro Sciarroni, breathes new life into the near-extinct folk dance, celebrating both tradition and innovation. Performed to a techno beat, this powerful duet is a striking example of how contemporary art can honour and transform historical practices.

From 14 to 22 June, audiences can experience Caught in the Furze, an immersive performance installation by Amanda Coogan. The seven-day durational work features the artist interacting with gorse bushes in a physical exploration of history, memory, and transformation. Free to visit, this thought-provoking installation is an invitation to step into Coogan’s powerful exploration of resilience and physical endurance.

Cork’s public spaces will also be transformed into immersive environments, with events like Fruiting Futures by Sarah Lou Kinneen, an installation made from waste materials and living fungal threads, and Dear Laila, an intimate installation about loss, exile, and memory created by Palestinian artist Basel Zaraa. These installations offer audiences the chance to experience art in its most tangible and thought-provoking form.

Cork Midsummer Festival 2025 promises to be a thrilling and unforgettable celebration of live art, culture, and community. With a diverse programme of international performances, local talent, and participatory events, the festival invites everyone to explore, experience, and engage with Cork’s vibrant cultural scene.

Whether you’re attending a late-night theatrical marathon, discovering new art in unexpected places, or ing in the city’s largest community celebrations, Cork Midsummer Festival 2025 is sure to be an event like no other.

Find out more information on Cork Midsummer Festival 2025 here.