Bere Island Arts Festival (17–20 September 2026) is thrilled to announce that acclaimed Irish artist Imelda May will headline this year's festival with her show Raised on Songs & Stories. Hosting one of Ireland's most celebrated and distinctive voices on the island marks a major milestone for the festival and promises to be one of the highlights of the cultural calendar this September.

Imelda says: “It’ll be an evening of songs, poems, stories, joy and beauty. This idea evolved naturally - I wanted to create a space where anything can happen, where I can share the stories behind the songs and reconnect with fans in a truly spontaneous way. Not a ‘show’ this will be a shared night of what music, art, connection and creativity means to me, with you.”

Imelda May is a celebrated Irish singer, songwriter, producer, actor and poet known for her eclectic blend of rockabilly, jazz, blues, and soul. Her breakthrough self-written and produced album, Love Tattoo (2008) catapulted her to international fame and remains the biggest selling album by a homegrown female artist in Ireland. Over time, Imelda’s music evolved, embracing more introspective themes including in her most recent album 11 Past the Hour (2021) which marked her fourth Number 1 album in Ireland and fourth Top 10 in the UK. Imelda’s recent albums are a departure from her early rockabilly revival style with a sound that sits firmly outside of any sharply defined genre box, widely spanning blues, rock, soul, gospel and jazz. Imelda’s recent six-part series for RTE, Amhrain na nGael, struck a chord with many across the nation in 2025 with her exploratory and emotional journey across Ireland’s Gaeltacht regions challenging her relationship with the Irish language through songs and sean-nos singing. A proud advocate of Irish culture, Imelda remains a trailblazing and multifaceted artist.