Events & Festivals in Ireland

This festival celebrates traditional Irish music through concerts in historic venues across Dublin's Temple Bar district. Established artists share stages with new talent in pubs and churches. The atmosphere welcomes everyone. Both ticketed concerts and free outdoor performances run throughout. Music enthusiasts and casual visitors find authentic Irish culture here during the quieter winter month.

One of Ireland's leading film events, this festival screens Irish and international features, documentaries, and shorts. Cinemas across Dublin city centre host screenings, often with director Q&A sessions. A dedicated film-going crowd and industry professionals attend. See films before wider release. Engage directly with filmmakers.

This festival focuses on Irish publishing, bringing authors and readers together for talks, workshops, and readings. The National Library of Ireland and other city centre locations host events. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's literature all feature. The mood engages intellectually. Book lovers and aspiring writers feel at home here.

Choirs from Ireland and worldwide gather in Cork for competitive and non-competitive performances. Grand gala concerts fill City Hall. Informal fringe events happen in churches and pubs. Song fills the city. The atmosphere celebrates community. Participants and audiences enjoy choral music in this historic setting.

Held in Ennis, this festival dedicates itself to traditional Irish music, song, and dance. Competitions, workshops, and nightly concerts fill local pubs and theatres. Musicians and enthusiasts turn the town into a hub. Sessions spill onto streets. Experience deep immersion in Irish tradition outside major cities here.

Star Wars filming put the Skellig Islands on the map. Boat tours to the UNESCO world heritage site of Skellig Michael run weather permitting. Cinematic pilgrimage meets ancient monastic awe. Film fans welcome. History buffs too. Bring your sense of adventure.

This Dublin festival celebrates James Joyce's novel Ulysses on and around June 16th. Readings, performances, and guided walks trace Leopold Bloom's route through the city. Period costume appears throughout. The atmosphere feels literary and slightly eccentric. Joyce scholars, literature fans, and curious visitors find something distinctive here.

Live music meets surfing competitions on Bundoran's famous waves at this festival. The beachfront setting features Irish and international acts across multiple stages. The vibe energizes. Surfers and music fans fill the younger crowd. Experience Ireland's Atlantic coast culture in this lively weekend setting.

The Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival packs stand-up into theatres, castles, and pubs across the compact medieval city. Established and emerging Irish and international comedians share the bill. Laughter spills into the streets. Historic setting. Solid weekend of comedy.

One of Ireland's most significant arts festivals transforms Galway city through theatre, music, visual arts, and spectacle. World premieres and large-scale outdoor installations draw huge crowds. Performers and audiences fill the streets. The atmosphere festively celebrates creativity. Seek bold arts in this compact, walkable city.

The premier event in Ireland's national sport, this final determines the country's top hurling team. Croke Park in Dublin hosts this major sporting and social occasion. Passionate supporters from competing counties pack the stadium. The speed and skill thrill even newcomers to the sport.

This festival presents curated music, theatre, visual art, and literature in medieval Kilkenny City. Castles, churches, and theatres host events, blending historic venues with contemporary work. The atmosphere feels sophisticated and intimate. Audiences seeking high-quality arts within a uniquely preserved cityscape gather here.

One of Ireland's oldest fairs, held in Killorglin, County Kerry. It centres on the coronation of a wild goat as king for three days. The town hosts a horse fair, live music, street entertainment, and a lively carnival. The event has a rustic, community-focused feel, drawing locals and visitors seeking a traditional Irish fair experience. Go for this.

A community festival in Tralee featuring a selection event where women of Irish descent from around the world participate. The week includes a parade, live music, street performances, and family activities. The mood is celebratory and inclusive, with a strong focus on local community involvement. It offers family-friendly entertainment in a regional town setting. Fun guaranteed.

Ireland's largest music and arts festival, held on a country estate in Stradbally. It features major international music acts across multiple stages, alongside theatre, comedy, art installations, and gourmet food stalls. The site becomes a temporary town with a creative, weekend-long party atmosphere. It attracts a broad audience, from dedicated festival-goers to older music fans. Expect mud.

A culinary festival celebrating the opening of the oyster season. Centred on the Oyster Opening Championship, it includes seafood feasts, music, and parties. Events are primarily held in Galway's luxury hotels and hospitality tents. The atmosphere is convivial and upscale, popular with business groups and food lovers. It highlights Ireland's west coast seafood in a festive setting. Dress up.

Held throughout September in the spa town of Lisdoonvarna, this is Europe's largest matchmaking event. It features weeks of live music, dancing, and set dancing in local pubs and halls. Traditionally linked to farmers after the harvest, it now attracts a varied, fun-seeking crowd of all ages. The vibe is sociable, traditional, and lighthearted. Bring your dancing shoes.

The National Ploughing Championships, Europe's largest outdoor agricultural show, moves to a different farm site each year. Ploughing competitions, livestock exhibitions, machinery displays, and hundreds of trade stands fill the grounds. Farmers and families arrive from across Ireland. A massive temporary village rises in the countryside. Rural Irish life and industry, up close.

This festival presents a global programme of contemporary theatre, dance, music, and visual arts across Belfast. It focuses on new work and international collaborations, often with political or social themes. Events are held in major venues like the Lyric Theatre and Ulster Hall. The atmosphere is thought-provoking and international, appealing to a culturally engaged audience. See everything.

A major jazz event that fills Cork city with music for a long weekend. It features international headline acts and hundreds of free gigs in pubs, hotels, and on streets. The city centre becomes a lively, walkable circuit of venues. It suits serious jazz aficionados and casual listeners who enjoy a city-wide party. Just wander.

This festival shows new Irish and international theatre across Dublin's main stages and smaller venues. It includes world premieres, contemporary classics, and innovative productions. The programme attracts theatre professionals and dedicated audiences. The atmosphere in the city is focused and artistic, offering a chance to see the direction of modern theatre. Book now.

A world-well-known opera festival in Wexford town, specialising in rarely performed works. It presents three mainstage operas alongside recitals, short works, and fringe events. The town dedicates itself to the festival, with a formal yet friendly atmosphere. It draws an international audience of opera lovers to this southeast Irish coastal town. Rare works shine.

The Dingle Peninsula Food Festival in County Kerry puts local producers centre stage. Street food markets, cooking demos, tastings, and workshops fill the town. Seafood and artisan products dominate. The crowd cares about provenance. West Irish cuisine draws serious food enthusiasts.

A festive market held in a Dublin warehouse, featuring independent Irish designers, vintage clothing sellers, and food producers. It's a place to find unique gifts, from jewellery to homewares, away from the high street. The vibe is creative and busy, with food trucks and music adding to the holiday spirit. It suits shoppers looking for original, locally made items. Avoid chains.

Dublin's New Year's Festival runs for several days across the city centre. Outdoor concerts, family activities, and light installations build toward a massive countdown celebration. The mood stays inclusive and energetic. Skip the pub crowds. Structured entertainment keeps both visitors and locals busy through the holiday.