Big festival get €450,000 funding boost as €1.5m announced for Waterford arts

The Arts Council has announced its most recent funding decisions as part of its 2026 development programme, awarding grants nationally totalling €72.3 million, including €1.5m heading to Waterford.

As part of this, organisations based in Waterford have received a total of €1,460,000 in Arts Council funding for 2026.

The six organisations based in Waterford which will be receiving funding are:

Waterford Spraoi: €450,000

Once Off Productions: €250,000

Réalta (previously Waterford Healing Arts Trust): €220,000

Theatre Royal Waterford: €137,000

Garter Lane Arts Centre: €307,000

Waterford City and County Council: €96,000

READ NEXT: ‘Very sad news’ - Popular Waterford café closes its doors for final time

This funding represents more than half of the Arts Council’s annual investment, benefitting organisations and partners that provide the local and national infrastructure for the arts. This framework enables individual artists to deliver on their creative vision for the benefit of audiences around the country.

In addition to support for organisations based in Waterford, all counties also benefit from the national remit of organisations which are based elsewhere. Eg: Arts and Disability Ireland, Irish National Opera, Na Píobairí Uilleann Teoranta, Children Books Ireland and Dance Ireland.

Further funding announcements for 2026 will be made in due course and additional funding will be allocated for disability access costs to promote more inclusive participation in the arts.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan said: “Public investment through grant funding is essential to sustaining and developing the arts across every part of Ireland. These awards support artists and organisations to realise ambitious creative work across all artforms, while ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds have meaningful opportunities to engage with the arts in their everyday lives.”  
 
Director of the Arts Council, Moling Ryan commented:  “Through its 2026 budget, the Arts Council is prioritising support for arts organisations across Ireland, enabling them to sustain their work and plan confidently for the year ahead. These funding decisions for 2026 will support artists, audiences and communities to come together through shared creative experiences and meaningful cultural activity.”