The Lit | Waterford
About The Lit | Waterford
The Lit Festival 2026
Waterford | 9th–11th October, 2026
The Lit Festival returns to Waterford City for its ninth year from 9th–11th October, with three days of reading, writing, poetry, performance, workshops and creative events for young people. The festival is curated by young people for young people, with 28 participants from across Waterford City and County involved in creating this year’s programme.
The festival opens on Friday with an opening gala featuring poet, activist and performer Mikey Cullen, combining a Q&A and screening with the presentation of The Ollie Award for Artistic Citizenship. Across the weekend, the programme brings together writers, poets, illustrators and theatre makers including Ruth Ennis, Ellen Ryan, Joanne McCarthy, Niamh Fennessy, Sarah Bowie and Darren Yorke.
Saturday’s events include Through the Poet’s Eye with Mikey Cullen, Open Minds with Darren Yorke and a discussion on Mythmaking in Modern Ireland with Ruth Ennis and Ellen Ryan. There is also a Teenage Kicks edition of The Spark Open Mic, alongside author events and other activities around the city.
Sunday includes Sound and Stories with Niamh Fennessy, a bilingual poetry workshop with Joanne McCarthy and the return of a programme for younger children aged eight to 12. Sarah Bowie leads a Nina Peanut draw-along at Dubray Books, while other events across the festival include Dungeons & Dragons, creative writing, a living poetry wall and activities at Waterford libraries and bookshops.
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