Clifden Arts Festival, ten days of culture in Connemara
Each September, Connemara’s biggest town gives itself over to Ireland’s longest-running community arts festival. These are the closest B&Bs in the directory, bookable direct with the owner.
A school project that became an institution
The Clifden Arts Festival was founded in 1977 by the teacher Brendan Flynn, growing out of the town’s newly opened community school, and it is now Ireland’s longest-running community arts festival, its archive held by UCD Library. For around ten days each September it fills Clifden with music, poetry, theatre and visual art.
The setting does half the work. Clifden sits between the Twelve Bens and the Atlantic at the heart of Connemara, so a festival visit folds into the Sky Road, Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey, all within twenty kilometres of the box office.
What festival week looks like in Clifden
Events run across the town, from the Station House Theatre and the library to the festival dome and the schools, with poets and musicians of national standing sharing bills with local performers. The scale stays human: you will pass the evening’s headliner on the street in the afternoon.
September also suits Connemara. The summer crowds have thinned, the light lengthens over the bog and the Bens, and the town’s pubs and restaurants keep their season running for the festival, which makes it the smartest shoulder-season week in the west.
B&Bs and guesthouses near the Clifden Arts Festival
The closest listings in the directory to Clifden, distances shown on each. Festival week fills the town, so contact owners early and book direct.
Frequently asked
Clifden Arts Festival, common questions
When was the Clifden Arts Festival founded?
In 1977, by the teacher Brendan Flynn, growing out of the town’s newly opened community school. It is now Ireland’s longest-running community arts festival.
How long does the Clifden Arts Festival last?
Around ten days each September, filling the town with music, poetry, theatre and visual art.
What is near Clifden during the festival?
The Sky Road, Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey are all within twenty kilometres of the box office.
Going this year?
Book a bed near the Arts Festival direct
The Clifden Arts Festival is Connemara’s cultural high point, and its beds are its scarcest ticket. A B&B booked direct with the owner puts you on the doorstep of both the festival and the Sky Road.