Bealtaine Festival 2026

Meet the 2026 Bealtaine Festival Flagship Singing Group!

We are delighted to announce the 2026 Bealtaine Festival Flagship Singing Group.  The Bealtaine Festival, which is 30 years old this year, is Ireland’s national festival celebrating the  arts and ageing. A central feature of the festival is the Dawn Chorus, and Hands in Harmony have been selected to lead this flagship event.

"Hands in Harmony Deaf Community choir is the first of its kind in the Mid-West area. The choir was formed in October 2014 and has been fortunate enough to perform in many venues and festivals throughout Ireland since its inception, including the Prosperous Music Festival in Kildare, Gospel Rising Music Festival for two years running and The Mayo Choral Festival.

We use a backing track and translate songs into Irish Sign Language, which when performed to music showcases the beautiful visual expression of ISL; the first and preferred language of most Deaf people in Ireland. The aim of the choir is to raise awareness of the Deaf community in a positive light, exploring the Irish Deaf Community’s rich language and culture through the use of music. The choir promotes the needs of the Deaf community by providing an outlet and an environment which is accessible for Deaf people to express themselves creatively and musically through Irish Sign Language.

We look forward to our continued success and hope to delight future audiences with our performances."

Dawn Chorus 2026

Registrations are now open for Bealtaine 2026 Dawn or Dust Chorus

Choirs and singing groups across the country are invited to gather at sunrise or sunset this May and raise their voices in celebration of creativity and community. 

The Dawn Chorus is presented in partnership with Bealtaine Festival and brings older people together through the simple, uplifting act of singing to welcome the day.

Visit the Bealtaine Festival website for more information

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