Minister O’Donovan Launches Cruinniú na nÓg 2026 with a celebration of creativity at TU Dublin Grange Gorman

• Over 1,300 Free Creative Events Nationwide on Saturday, June 6
• All forms of creative expression from Street Art and Circus to Music and Theatre
• Young people north and south to collaborate on Shared Island creative projects
• Late-Night events for 13–18-year-olds supported by the Department’s Late-Night Economy Initiative
• Full programme of Irish Speaking events on the Aran Islands

Minister Patrick O’Donovan T.D. today launched Cruinniú na nÓg 2026, Ireland’s National Day of Creativity for children and young people, at TU Dublin, Grange Gorman. This year, Cruinniú na nÓg will take place on Saturday, June 6. This all-island celebration will host over 1,300 free events across the island, celebrating creativity through music, art, circus, storytelling, film and more.

Ireland is the only country in the world to have a national day celebrating young people’s creativity. Creative Ireland invites young people to explore something new, unleash their creative spark, and be part of this unique celebration of creativity and expression.

• Today’s launch featured a special performance by Garageland Galaxyz artists Aerial – a 4-piece band from Dublin, and solo performer Eabha O'Keeffe who will perform at ‘We Own the Castle’ at Swords Castle on June 6th.
• Joining the celebration were members of Youth Theatre Ireland, along with Youth Theatre Ireland ambassadors Ella Jurascheck and Sam Whelan; Megan Hogan, ambassador for Waterford Walls; Sadhbh White and Molly Noone, ambassadors for Circus Explored, and Robyn Faith Summerbell, ambassador for RTÉ’s This Is Art!

Building on its success last year, Cruinniú Late, supported by the Department’s Late-Night Economy Initiative will once again feature youth-led late-night events, created by and for 13–18-year-olds, where young people are invited into welcoming spaces for creativity, connection and self-expression. Events include ‘We own the Castle’, a youth music festival at Swords Castle, Dublin, ‘Rebel Teen Social Hive’ in Cork City, and ‘Youth Stage’ in Galway’s Father Burke Park with quizzes, open mic, spoken word, live music and DJ sets from young talent aged 16-18.

Announcing Cruinniú na nÓg 2026, Minister O’Donovan said:

Highlights include:

• Circus Céilí – Six events, as part of Circus Explored and hosted by Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS) will bring young people and families together to celebrate circus through workshops, performances and new creative collaborations.
• Rock the Block - A high-energy, youth-led celebration of music, dance, and street culture taking place in Shandon in Cork.
• We Own the Castle - A live youth music festival set in the historic surrounds of Swords Castle, giving young performers a chance to take centre stage.
• The Walls Project - During May, workshops in 13 locations will offer young people the opportunity to work with professional mural artists, exploring colour, design, and graffiti techniques to create large-scale public artworks.
• Youth Theatre Ireland Gatherings - 21 youth theatre groups will unite in five regional hubs to collaborate, perform, and celebrate their creativity as part of the Youth Theatre Ireland project.
• RTÉ This is Art! 2026 -Creative Ireland and RTÉ’s celebrated national art competition returns with workshops and exhibitions across the country, where young artists collaborate with leading Irish creatives to showcase and celebrate youth creativity.
• Aran Islands – Galway County Council will deliver ten events as Gaeilge across Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr, including circus skills, drama, illustration, mosaic, drumming, spray paint and a silent disco.

RTÉ is supporting Cruinniú na nÓg with a nationwide campaign on television, radio, online and digital. For full details visit https://cruinniu.gov.ie

Notes to Editor

• The Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-government, culture-based initiative, led by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, emphasises the importance of human creativity for individual, community and societal wellbeing.
• Cruinniú na nÓg is an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme, in partnership with 31 local authorities and RTÉ.
• The Shared Island initiative is a whole of government priority to engage with all communities and political traditions to build consensus around a shared future on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.