All Together Now 2026 highs and lows: Glen Hansard tributes, an appearance from Greta Thunberg but few female headliners
The All Together Now music festival in Ireland featured a mix of local talent, tributes to the late Glen Hansard, and a surprise appearance by climate activist Greta Thunberg. Despite the successful celebration of Irish culture, the event faced criticism for a lack of female headliners.
Why it matters
Music festivals serve as cultural barometers, and the discourse surrounding their lineups reflects broader societal debates regarding gender representation in the arts.
Ireland has just come off a run of hot weather, and while that did not hold up for the entire August bank holiday, getting through a weekend of outdoor music in Waterford with only a handful of showers felt like a win.
Mayo winning the Sam Maguire the week before
Mayo’s historic win over Kerry in the All-Ireland football final the week before is hardly something the festival organisers can take credit for, but the jubilant mood rolled over from one weekend to the next and was celebrated by Mayo and non-Mayo fans alike.
Just a few days after the death of Glen Hansard , thousands of music lovers and Irish musicians gathered in their droves; so naturally there were tributes to the late Frames frontman. Among them were David Keenan’s emotional Thursday night performance at the fiery steampunk Arcadia stage and Christy Moore’s rousing Auld Triangle singalong.
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