Over 100 events are planned for the 10th festival Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle and west Kerry which begins today and will run until May 8th.
They include the Hungarian Lakatos Sextet, a group led by Roby Lakatos, one of the world's great violinists. They will perform on Sunday night with Triny, a trio of Czech singers.
The arts and political festival, which has consistently refused sponsorship from drinks companies, will also host a political symposium next Monday on the question "Whither the EU?".
There is an evening of Middle East arts, music, film and literature, along with jazz nights, a lecture on Joyce by Ulick O'Connor, a reading by five Scandinavian poets, as well as choral performances by local choirs. One of the 10 art exhibitions, "Movement" is in conjunction with IMMA.
"We haven't taken sponsorship from alcohol corporations and never shall. The organisation aims to introduce more and more people to an appreciation of the arts of the highest quality and calibre," said Dr Micheal Fanning, a GP in west Kerry who is a director and founder of the festival.
The festival now enjoys a close working relationship with the Arts Council and Udarás na Gaeltachta and it undertook fund-raising locally.