Culture Night proved another major success across Laois this year, with 21 events taking place in towns and villages throughout the county.
The annual celebration of culture, creativity and the arts has continued to grow locally, with more performance groups and communities becoming involved under the theme ‘One Night for All’.
From Abbeyleix and Durrow to Castletown, Clonad, Donaghmore, Emo, Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Rosenallis and Stradbally, events offered something for all ages.
Music, dance, film, art, heritage, craft and spoken word were among the activities taking place.
The geographical spread of Culture Night in Laois has also expanded significantly, with the number of towns and villages involved growing from seven in 2024 to ten in 2026.
Music played a major part in this year’s programme, with Music Generation Laois and Laois School of Music helping to develop and encourage many of the local performers who took part.
New and recently developed outdoor spaces were also put to good use. Castletown Tidy Towns returned to Slí Sibeal following the success of its inaugural Culture Night event there in 2025, while Music Generation Laois staged a Youth Open Mic at Croí na Choille in Portlaoise’s Páirc an Phobail.
Culture Night also provided opportunities for new collaborations. Laois Arts Office partnered with Laois and Offaly Community Rehabilitation & Recovery Mental Health Services, helping the Community of Sounds Choir at St Fintan’s share their creativity with the wider community.
A partnership with Connect Laois also brought Men’s Shed ukulele groups from Rathdowney and Mountmellick together to perform for the first time.
The programme showcased artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds too.
Choreographer Ram Rengarajan, also known as DJ Bubblelock, created The One with young dancers from Laois Youth Dance, while Kathak dancer Moumita Pal and composer Sagnik Chakraborty presented their new work Across the Sea at Dunamaise Arts Centre.
Irish-Nigerian spoken word artist Felicia Olusanya, known as FeliSpeaks, was also among those performing at Dunamaise as part of a programme which highlighted the range of creative talent involved in this year’s celebrations.
Culture Night is presented by the Arts Council in partnership with Laois County Council and locally led by Laois Arts Office, alongside Laois Library Service and Dunamaise Arts Centre, with additional support from Creative Ireland Laois and Culture 2026.
Check out some great images from the events below:
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee .
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee.
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee.
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee.
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee.
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee.
Photo: Michael Scully – no reproduction fee .
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