Inside Architecture at the Edge’s 2026 Programme

The topic of this year's Architecture at the Edge Festival is centred on democratic design. Titled ‘Le Chéile - Architectures of Belonging,’ the programme will run from 17-27 September 2026 with a special event taking place on Culture Night, 18th September. Discover more below...

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Architecture at the Edge (AATE) is developing a new crossover format for Culture Night, bringing together an outdoor exhibition and a pop-up culinary experience to create spaces of encounter across Galway city centre. AATE has commissioned a series of flags and banners by invited artists to adorn the skyline above Druid Lane. These symbolic installations celebrate the diversity of identities and communities across the city. Suspended overhead, the installation guides audiences through a series of immersive outdoor ‘rooms’. Audiences are invited to walk through the surrounding streets, where spaces will be transformed into an immersive performance around colours, textures and movement.

Concurrently, AATE will present an evening of talks, music and performance at The Mick Lally Theatre. Presented in partnership with HinterlandWest, the programme invites audiences into a multisensory exploration of the land's hidden power, brought to life through food, sound and conversation. The evening will feature edible scenography by Zurich-based artist Blanka Major.

The evening will unfold in several acts. Starting at Druid Lane and The Mick Lally Theatre, the auditorium becomes a tea house: a room for sitting, listening and slow exchange. It begins with a live performance before moving into a series of conversations that bring together voices from culinary art, science, sport, creativity and brand culture. The final chapter of the night at the MLT will lead audiences into an atmospheric setting where sound and space intertwine. A soundscape by Shampain will add another layer of depth and presence to the experience before the evening concludes with dancing late into the night.

During the 10-day festival, the Festival Printworks Gallery will present works by Aidan Conway, Marmar Architects, Ambacht Studio, Róisín Murphy and others, alongside ‘Settle’, a temporary exhibition by contemporary design practice Trestle Studio. Supported by The Arts Council, the installation proposes a new public interior and gathering space for collective experience in the city, hosting a series of workshops and conversations throughout the festival.

Visit architectureattheedge.com and follow @ArchAtTheEdge for more information.

All photos courtesy of Architecture at the Edge.