GazeFest 2026: Ireland’s Shoegaze Festival Returns to Dublin and Belfast
From a small idea dreamed up around a kitchen table on a rainy Monday morning, GazeFest has grown into one of the most exciting events on Ireland’s alternative music calendar.
Now in its fourth year, GazeFest 2026 returns bigger than ever, bringing together some of the best shoegaze, dream pop and alternative bands from Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK and Europe.
Taking place across two days, the festival lands at The Grand Social Ballroom in Dublin on August 28th, before heading north to The Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast on August 29th.
Deary Headline GazeFest 2026
This year's festival is headlined by UK dream-pop favourites Deary, who have quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting names in the modern shoegaze scene.
The London/Brighton trio have released two acclaimed EPs, deary and Aurelia, while earning praise from BBC 6 Music, NME, Stereogum, Clash and BrooklynVegan. Their dreamy sound pulls together shoegaze, dream pop and trip-hop influences, creating the kind of hazy, atmospheric music that feels made for GazeFest.
Deary will headline both dates, joined by Silk and Sunstinger, while each city gets its own selection of local and international talent.
The Dublin lineup also features Skyless, whose heavy distorted guitars and delicate vocals create a suitably dreamy and haunting soundscape.
GazeFest Heads to Belfast
The Belfast date has become an essential fixture on the city's gig calendar and previously sold out in 2024. The 2026 lineup looks set to make it another big one.
Joining Deary, Silk and Sunstinger are Touzai, Cable Boy, Dutch shoegazers Resplandor, Skyless, Midnight Housework and newcomers Ilisium.
Resplandor are particularly exciting additions, making their first Irish appearance after touring across Europe, the UK and USA and sharing stages with huge names including The Cure, Slowdive and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
The Belfast show is also a 14+ event, giving younger music fans the chance to experience some of the best emerging shoegaze and alternative acts from Ireland, the UK and Europe.
The Scene That Celebrates Itself
GazeFest takes its tagline, The Scene That Celebrates Itself, from a phrase famously coined by Melody Maker to describe the close-knit shoegaze scene of early 1990s London.
That sense of community is still at the heart of GazeFest. Rather than rivalries and competition, the festival is about bands, fans and like-minded music lovers coming together to celebrate loud guitars, dreamy melodies and plenty of reverb.
With its biggest lineup yet, GazeFest 2026 looks set to be another must-see weekend for shoegaze fans.
Tickets for both Dublin and Belfast are on sale now. Previous editions have sold out, so if you're planning on getting involved, it might be worth grabbing yours sooner rather than later.
GazeFest 2026 Dates
Dublin: August 28th - The Grand Social Ballroom - Tickets
Belfast: August 29th - The Oh Yeah Centre - Tickets
Photo Credit: Old Crows Promotions
