Music
Electric Picnic 2026 — Dates, Lineup & Everything You Need
Ireland's biggest music festival returns to Stradbally, August 28–30. Here's everything you need to plan your weekend.
IrishFestivals.ie
Ireland's Festival Season,
Ireland's Festival Season,
Planned & Ready To Go
From Electric Picnic to Derry's Halloween celebrations and the best Christmas markets — everything you need to plan your Irish festival year, with packing guides and practical tips included.
What We Cover
Ireland Has a Festival For Every Season — We Cover Them All
Whether you're planning your first Electric Picnic, looking for the best Halloween events in Ireland, or trying to find the Christmas markets worth travelling for, this is your starting point.
Festival Guides That Actually Help
Most festival guides tell you it exists and when it is. We go further — lineups, what to expect on the ground, where to stay, what to bring, and whether it's worth the ticket price.
- Dates, lineups, and ticket info for every major Irish festival
- Practical packing guides for Irish weather
- Where to stay near the venue
- Honest takes on what each festival is actually like
Must-Know Festivals
The Three Festivals Every Irish Music Fan Should Know
Ireland's biggest and most distinctive festivals — each worth planning a trip around if you haven't been before.
Arts
Galway Arts Festival — Ireland's Premier Arts Event
Two weeks of music, theatre, and street spectacle every July. One of the most atmospheric festivals in Ireland — and a reason to book a Galway hotel in advance.
Halloween
Derry Halloween Festival — The Best in the World?
Derry's Halloween celebrations are regularly rated among the best in the world. Fire parades, street theatre, and the city itself transformed for the weekend.
All Festivals
The Full Irish Festival Calendar — Every Season Covered
From summer camping festivals to Halloween street events and winter markets — Ireland's festival calendar runs all year. Here's where to start.
MUSIC
Cork Jazz Festival — October's Biggest Music Weekend
Cork goes jazz every October Bank Holiday weekend. Hundreds of gigs across the city, from headline acts in big venues to free sessions in pub corners.
MUSIC
Body & Soul Festival — Ireland's Most Boutique Weekend
Held in the grounds of Ballinlough Castle, Body & Soul is unlike any other Irish festival — intimate, arts-led, and genuinely beautiful.
MUSIC
All Together Now — Waterford's Boutique Festival
Set on the Curraghmore Estate in Waterford, All Together Now offers a mix of music, arts, and wellness in genuinely beautiful surroundings.
MUSIC
Forbidden Fruit — Dublin's Bank Holiday Festival
Held on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham every June Bank Holiday weekend, Forbidden Fruit is Dublin's coolest electronic and indie festival.
MUSIC
Indiependence — Cork's Independent Music Festival
Mitchelstown, Cork, every August — a mid-size festival with a fiercely independent lineup and one of the friendliest crowds in Ireland.
TRAD MUSIC
Fleadh Cheoil — The World's Biggest Trad Music Festival
Held every August, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the pinnacle of Irish traditional music — hundreds of thousands of visitors, sessions on every street corner, and a genuine once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere.
HALLOWEEN
Dublin Halloween Events — The Best of the City in October
Dublin goes all-in for Halloween — from the Macnas parade to themed nights across the city. Here's where to be and what to expect.
CHRISTMAS
Christmas Markets Ireland — The Best Ones Worth Visiting
Ireland's Christmas market scene has grown significantly. From Dublin's city centre markets to regional events in Cork, Galway, and Belfast — here's what's worth your time.