Celebrating 37 years of Boyle Arts Festival, the magnificent setting of King House is once again the centrepiece for the festival’s much-loved Main Exhibition. This year, audiences can experience the exhibition not only in person, but online, thanks to a virtual tour.

Click here to view the virtual tour

The interactive tour allows visitors to move through the Main Exhibition from wherever they are, offering a closer look at the artwork on display in King House. Each piece is clickable, with details available for viewers who want to learn more about the artist and the work itself. It is a wonderful way to explore the exhibition for those who may not be able to travel to Boyle, as well as for visitors who wish to revisit favourite pieces after attending in person.

Click here to view the virtual tour

The 2026 exhibition, titled Visual Thread, has been curated by Paul McKenna of McKenna Gallery, Omagh. Featuring 160 artists, the exhibition places a strong focus on painting, sculpture, drawing and photography, and reflects the richness, quality and diversity of visual art across Ireland.

“As a gallerist it is such an honour to curate the 2026 exhibition ‘Visual Thread’,” says Paul McKenna. “The exhibition showcases 160 artists, with a concentration on painting, sculpture, drawing and photography.

“It celebrates the richness and diversity of Irish art that has characterised the exhibition annually since 1989. The enduring legacy and scale of the exhibition means that artists have been selected from across the Island of Ireland, from West Cork to the Antrim Coast. ‘Visual Thread’ demonstrates the quality and integrity of the visual arts in Ireland.”

This year’s exhibiting artists include Brian Ballard, John Behan, Katherine Boucher Beug, Diarmuid Breen, Anna Campbell, Tom Climent, Malachy Costello, Colin Davidson, Orla de Brí, John Doherty, Martin Gale, Rowan Gillespie, Graham Gingles, Guggi, Olivia Musgrave, Hughie O’Donoghue, Peter Pearson, Barbara Rae, Neil Shawcross, John Shinnors, Maria Simonds-Gooding, Donald Teskey and Lorcan Walshe, among many others.

The exhibition also features the Boyle Arts Festival Graduate Award / Belfast School of Art Graduate Award 2026 winners, Martha Still and Claire Clarke.

The Main Exhibition at Boyle Arts Festival is a curated programme by invitation only for professional visual artists and remains one of the festival’s flagship events. With the addition of the virtual tour, this year’s exhibition can now be enjoyed by audiences in Boyle and beyond, extending the reach of the festival and celebrating Irish art with an even wider community.