All Together Now 2026 Closes with Glen Hansard Tributes and Greta Thunberg Appearance Among Highlights
All Together Now 2026 has closed its seventh sold-out edition at Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford, with spontaneous and deeply moving tributes to the late Glen Hansard — who died just days before the festival opened — an unexpected appearance by climate activist Greta Thunberg on the spoken word stage, and strong performances across 18 stages providing the defining moments of a festival that continues to set itself apart from the mainstream of Irish music events.
Background
All Together Now was founded in 2018 as a deliberately alternative proposition in the Irish festival landscape — smaller than Electric Picnic, more curated than most of its competitors, and explicitly committed to values of community, sustainability, and artistic diversity. The festival takes place at Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford, the ancestral home of the Marquess of Waterford, whose grounds provide a setting of extraordinary natural beauty that has become as much a part of the festival's identity as its musical programme.
The 2026 edition was the seventh time the festival had been held, and the seventh time it had sold out — a record that reflects both the loyalty of its audience and the quality of the experience it provides. The festival's capacity is deliberately limited, which means that tickets are in high demand and that the atmosphere on site is more intimate than at larger events. This intimacy is one of All Together Now's defining characteristics, and it creates the conditions for the kind of unexpected encounters and spontaneous moments that make festivals memorable.
The death of Glen Hansard in the days before the festival opened cast a shadow over the opening weekend, with many of the artists and audience members who had known him or been influenced by him processing their grief in the context of a communal gathering that felt, in the circumstances, particularly appropriate.
Key Developments
The tributes to Hansard were among the most emotionally powerful moments of the festival. Several artists incorporated his songs into their sets, and there were spontaneous gatherings at various points around the site where musicians played his music informally. The festival's organisers arranged a dedicated tribute session on the main stage, which drew a large and visibly moved crowd. The sense of collective mourning, expressed through music in the setting of Curraghmore's beautiful grounds, was described by many attendees as one of the most profound experiences they had had at a festival.
Greta Thunberg's appearance on the spoken word stage was the festival's most unexpected moment. The Swedish climate activist, who was in Ireland for other engagements, accepted an invitation to speak at All Together Now and delivered a characteristically direct address on the urgency of climate action, drawing a large crowd and generating significant media attention. Her presence at the festival — which has always had a strong environmental ethos — felt entirely appropriate, and her willingness to engage with the audience in an informal setting was warmly received.
The musical highlights of the festival were numerous, with the Irish Times noting that the programme was notable for its lack of female headliners — a criticism that the festival's organisers acknowledged and committed to addressing in future editions. Among the strongest performances were sets from Kneecap, whose energy and political edge made them one of the most talked-about acts of the weekend, and from a range of international artists whose presence reflected the festival's commitment to programming beyond the mainstream.
Why It Matters
All Together Now occupies a distinctive position in the Irish cultural landscape. It is not the biggest festival, nor the most commercially successful, but it is arguably the most thoughtful — the one that takes most seriously the idea that a music festival can be a space for genuine community, for intellectual engagement, and for the kind of conversations that are difficult to have in other contexts. The Thunberg appearance and the Hansard tributes were both expressions of that ambition, and both demonstrated that the festival's audience is receptive to experiences that go beyond entertainment.
The festival's commitment to sustainability — which includes a ban on single-use plastics, a strong emphasis on public transport, and a programme of environmental education — is also worth noting. In an era when the environmental impact of large-scale events is under increasing scrutiny, All Together Now's approach provides a model that other festivals might usefully consider.
The sold-out status of the seventh edition is a measure of the festival's success in building a loyal and engaged audience, and of the strength of the Curraghmore Estate as a venue. The combination of natural beauty, artistic ambition, and community values that defines All Together Now is difficult to replicate, and the festival's continued growth suggests that there is a significant appetite for this kind of experience in Ireland.
Local Impact
For County Waterford, All Together Now is one of the most significant cultural and economic events of the year. The festival brings thousands of visitors to the county over the August bank holiday weekend, generating substantial revenue for local businesses, accommodation providers, and transport operators. The Curraghmore Estate itself benefits from the festival's presence, with the income from the event helping to fund the maintenance of the historic grounds. Waterford County Council has been a consistent supporter of the festival, recognising its value both as a cultural asset and as an economic driver for the region.
What's Next
The All Together Now team will begin planning the 2027 edition in the coming months, with the festival's organisers expected to address the criticism about the lack of female headliners in the 2026 programme. Tickets for the 2027 edition are expected to go on sale in the autumn, with demand likely to be strong given the festival's track record of selling out. The organisers have indicated that they are committed to maintaining the festival's intimate scale and its distinctive values, even as they work to improve the diversity and quality of the programme.
