Body & Soul Festival — What Happened & Best Alternatives

Body & Soul Festival — What Happened?

Body & Soul was one of Ireland's most distinctive and beloved festivals. Held on the grounds of Ballinlough Castle in County Westmeath every summer, it carved out a reputation unlike any other Irish festival — intimate in scale, genuinely beautiful in setting, and built around a philosophy that placed arts, wellness, and human connection on equal footing with music.

The festival ran from 2004 to 2025. The final edition — billed as A.Wake — took place on 16–18 August 2025. After it ended, the organisers shared a farewell message: "Body & Soul was always more than a festival. It was a gathering, a feeling, a shared experience. For 15 years we built it together, and on August 16–18 we gave it the ending it deserved. A chapter closed. Another begins."

There is no 2026 edition. Body & Soul is over — at least in its current form. The "another begins" line in the farewell suggests something may follow, but nothing has been announced.

What Made Body & Soul Special

If you went, you know. If you didn't, it's hard to explain — but here's the attempt. Body & Soul worked because it was small enough that you could see everything, but curated enough that everything was worth seeing. The castle grounds gave it a sense of occasion that purpose-built festival sites can't manufacture. The wellness and arts programming was treated as seriously as the music, not as an afterthought. And the crowd it attracted reflected that — people who came to engage, not just to party.

The lineup was always eclectic and carefully chosen. Artists like Bon Iver, Four Tet, Solange, James Blake, and Bonobo all played it. The late-night stages had their own character. The food and craft market was genuinely good. The whole thing had a coherence that's rare in festivals of any size.

The Best Alternatives in 2026

Nothing directly replaces Body & Soul. But if you're looking for the things that made it worth attending, here's where to look in 2026.

All Together Now — Curraghmore Estate, Waterford

The closest thing to Body & Soul in terms of atmosphere and ethos. Set on the stunning Curraghmore Estate, ATN has the beautiful grounds, the arts and wellness programming alongside music, the quality food, and the deliberate intention to create something more than a standard festival. It's bigger than Body & Soul was, but the spirit is recognisably similar. The 2026 lineup — Kneecap, Pulp, Christy Moore, Underworld — is one of the strongest in its seven-year history. Read our All Together Now guide.

Galway International Arts Festival

Not a camping festival, but GIAF shares Body & Soul's genuine commitment to arts and culture as primary drivers rather than commercial afterthoughts. Two weeks in July, street spectacle, world-class theatre, and music that doesn't chase the mainstream. If what you loved about Body & Soul was the curation and the sense of engaging with something meaningful, GIAF delivers that in a city context. Read our Galway Arts Festival guide.

Electric Picnic — Stradbally, Laois

Much larger than Body & Soul, but Electric Picnic's Body & Mind area, its comedy and theatre stages, and the general character of Stradbally at festival time share some DNA. If you enjoyed the music side of Body & Soul but want a bigger event, Electric Picnic is the natural move. Read our Electric Picnic guide.

Elevate Fit Fest — Shanbally House, Tipperary

A newer and smaller event, but specifically for those who came to Body & Soul for the wellness dimension — yoga, pilates, breathwork, nutrition talks, movement classes in a beautiful estate setting. Elevate Fit Fest takes place on 5–6 September 2026 at Shanbally House & Gardens in Nenagh, County Tipperary. It won't replicate the music programme of Body & Soul, but it speaks to the same values. Worth knowing about if wellness was your primary reason for going.

Will Body & Soul Come Back?

A.Wake was framed as a deliberate ending, not a pause. The closing line — "another begins" — suggests the team may create something new rather than revive Body & Soul in its original form. Nothing has been announced yet. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified if something does emerge.