We’ve spent the last few weeks searching the interweb for weird and wonderful Summer Festivals. It’s not a complete festival guide to the country, but there is enough information here to keep you busy somewhere in Ireland for every day of summer.
From pig roasting to matchmaking and street performers to international music acts, it’s all in there.
(To download the poster click here)
(For tips on how to survive a festival click here)
Cork Mid-Summer
Festival, 13-25 June
Cabaret, Circus, Comedy, Club Night, Dance, Family, Food, Jazz, Theatre, and Visual Art in venues throughout Cork city boy!
Carlow Arts Festival
Carlow, 13-21 June
Visual Arts, Music and Dancing, not to mention a visit from The Saw Doctors.
Bloomsday
Dublin / Limerick 13-16 June
A tribute to an Irish legend, which includes a walking tour of Joyce’s home town, Dublin City.
Galway Sessions
Galway, 15-22 June
Celebrating George Frederick Handel, Joe Heaney, Mickey Finn among others, as well as 125 years of GAA and 100 years of the Kilfenora Ceili Band.
Live at the Marquee
Cork, 18 June – 10 July
Music from Rod Stewart, 50 Cent, Kanye West, James Taylor, Anastacia, Christy Moore, Simple Minds, Tracy Chapman, The Prodigy and more.
Street Performers World Championship
Dublin, 18 – 21 June
Street performers from around the world battle it out for the crown of World Champion, how exciting!
Slane Castle
Slane, 20 June
The iconic, legendary, hall-of-fame-worthy Slane Castle opens it’s loving arms to welcome us all back for another day of fun and frolics with Oasis, The Prodigy, Kasabian, Glasvegas and The Blizzards.
Traditional Hay Making Festival
Trim, 21 June
Get out those festival wellies for the All Ireland Scythe Cutting Competition, The World Champion Sheaf Tossers, a Donkey Derby, a Goat Show, a Dog Show, a Working Horse, Vintage Tractors.
Enniscorthy Strawberry Festival
Enniscorthy, 26-28 June
There will be street music throughout the festival, a farmers market and the bi-annual craft fair, not to mention the Strawberry Queen! Strawberries grown and picked in County Wexford are sold throughout the festival. Yum!
Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival
Westport, 26-28 June
Toe tapping blue grass music from The Blue Grass Boogiemen, The Tennessee Henessees, The Henry Girls and Stevie among others.
Sea Sessions
Bundoran, 26-28 June
Sun, Sand and Surf (yes, it’s in Ireland). Well at least the second two anyway. Music includes: Super Furry Animals, David Kitt, Mick Flannery and more.
Feile Brian Boru
Killaloe & Ballina 1-5 July
A celebration of history and heritage, culture, arts, music, song and entertainment, childrens events and water sports.
Indie Week
Dublin, 1 July
The Dublin leg of the battle to win a chance to perform at Indie Week in Toronto this October
Indie Week
Limerick, 1 July
The Limerick leg of the battle to win a chance to perform at Indie Week in Toronto this October
Indie Week
Galway, 1 July
The Galway leg of the battle to win a chance to perform at Indie Week in Toronto this October
Indie Week
Cork, 2 July
The Cork leg of the battle to win a chance to perform at Indie Week in Toronto this October
Killarney Summer Fest
Kilarney, 3-18 July
The festival includes Hot Air Ballooning and a headline performance from The Pussy Cat Dolls. Delightful!
Plectrum Music Festival
Killaloe, 4 July
Some inspiring young ‘uns from Clare got together and organised this 2pm-8pm festival for 14-18 year-olds. Power to the people.
Seafood Festival
Achill Island, 6-13 July
Boat Trips, Yawl Racing and Recipe Competitions, not to mention Wine Tasting, Music and “Achill’s Got Talent”.
Athy Bluegrass Festival
Athy, 9-12 July
Organised by Ireland’s only dedicated bluegrass association and chalking up it’s place as the first of it’s kind in Ireland, this festival showcases acts from America, Europe and Ireland.
Oxegen
Punchestown, 10-12 July
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock then you know it’s Blur, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon and The Killers headlining the main stage over the 3 nights. Please be sunny!
Salmon Festival
Ballina, 10-19 July
Lovely ladies in abundance at the Lady of The Moy competition, Fireworks, Dragon Boat Races and even more talent at the Mayo’s Got Talent competition. Oh and lots of salmon too!
Kinsale Arts Festival
Kinsale, 11-19 July
Proudly hosting a performance from Boutique Burlesque, appearance from David O’Doherty who promises some “very low energy musical whimsy… or Vlemwhi”.
Galway Arts Festival
Galway, 13-26 July
This festival has been going for 31 years, no less and is thought of in circles as one of Europe’s main cultural events. Spiritualized and Primal Scream are supported by David Holmes, Meath man and Guiness Book of Records Record Holder Tommy Tiernan is stopping by to tell a few jokes.
Folk Festival
Crosshaven, 17-19 July
Run by the Crosshaven Folk Club, the promise a folk-full weekend of folk market, folk dancing and folk workshops and a showcase of vintage cars.
Pig ‘n’ Porter Tag Rugby Fest
Limerick, 17-19 July
Only just expanded into a 3 day event this year, this festival offers Tag Rugby with entries from 120 teams from Ireland and the UK. The iconic pig will roast throughout the day on Saturday.
Dunlavin Arts Festival
Dunlavin, 19-21 July
Another Irish town embracing culture and spreading the artistic vibes. Dunlavin’s 3 day event has a parade, street performers, set dancing, a fair. They are also hailing all the local beauties for a Baby Show and a Dog Show.
KnockanStockan
Blessington Lakes, 24-26 July
Run entirely by volunteers, the 3 day festival has 4 stages, 125 acts, chill out areas, tea parties, cinema. They promise a festival with truly independent spirit for those tired for billboards, barriers and bouncers.
Wicklow Regatta
Wicklow, 24 July-3 August
The events for this festival are kept in a booklet which is priced at €4 and will only be revealed to the public the day before each event. Last year they offered free pony rides though.
National Powerboat Games
Achill, 24-26 July
The first National ISA National Powerboat Games with challenges taking place across the weekend.
Le Cheile
Oldcastle 28 July – 5 August
Still to come is the Le Cheile 2009 launch in Creans Bar on June 13th and the festival sees Jason Byrne, Lisa Hannigan, Mundy and more hit the town of Oldcastle to show us a good time.
Castle Palooza
Tullamore, 1-2 August
Held in the grounds of a caslte, Charleville Castle to be exact, Castle Palooza is a self-proclaimed Boutique Festival. Music from David Kitt, Nell Bryden, Super Extra Bonus Party, R.S.A.G. and more.
Cork X SouthWest
Cork, 1 August
The main stage offers The Waterboys, Lisa Hannigan Band, Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club. Playing other tents and stages are Cowboy X, Nell Bryden and The Guggenheim Grotto (Useless little fact: The Guggenheim Grotto actually played the original namesake South X SouthWest this year).
Indiependance
Cork, 1 – 2 August
Headliners are Ocean Color Scene and Super Furry Animals. Others include The Blizzards, Wallis Bird, The Aftermath, Director, The Chapters and others.
Feakle Festival
Feakle, 5-11 August
Walking, story telling, singing sessions, puppet show for the kids all wrapped up in a town called Feakle in Co. Clare. According to its website “it boasts the usual local school, church and a few shops, four pubs, two restaurants and the local Post Office”.
Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival
Kells, 9 August
Not just 6 acres of specially grown oats for harvesting, this festival also includes dancing, music, a fair, farm animal and the piece de resistance, a pig roasting on a spit.
Moondance Festival **Cancelled**
Lough Mask Galway, 14-16 August
This festival claims to be for both young and old, apparently they love hot showers! They also claim to have gourmet food, sounds great to me! Performances from Lisa Hannigan, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, Kila, Jape, The Guggenheim Grotto and more.
Tuam Arts Festival
Tuam, 15-24 August
Live sessions, “pints and poetry” and performances from The Flaws, The Coronas, The Galway Jazz and Swing Band.
Rock ‘d’ Lough
Gormalough, 28 August
This one day festival is brand new to Meath’s ever increasing gig and festival scene. It brings Damien Dempsey as the headline with Meath local Ruairi Coogan supporting. Also playing are Fiona Melady and Peadar Farrelly.
Festival of World Cultures
Dun Laoghaire, 29-30 August
Full programme to be announced at the start of July, but going by last year it’ll be an array of color, music, dancing, exotic foods, and cultural crafts.
Electric Picnic
Stradbally, 4-6 September
32,500 people may not seem intimate but when compared to 80,000-180,000 festivals, it’s as intimate and kiddie friendly as the bigger festivals come! Line-up includes 2 Many DJs, Basement Jaxx, Flaming Lips, Seasick Steve, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Imelda May.
Blues Festival
Monaghan, 4-6 September
The John Jorgenson Band, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, Too Slim and The Tail Draggers.
Cois Fharraige
Kilkee, 11-13 September
Surfer festival in Co. Clare, with music from Newton Faulkner, Noah & The Whale, Stereo MC’s, Jerry Fish, The Saw Doctors and more. The last big multi-music genre festival of the Summer. Two words: Cowabunga dude!
Matchmakers Festival
Lisdoonvarna, 4 Sept – 4 Oct
Singles from all over the world land in Lisdoonvarna for the Matchmakers Festival trying to win the heart of an Irish lad or lassie. BUT there is an irony attached “no self-respecting Irishman or Irishwoman would ever find himself or herself anywhere near Lisdoonvarna during the month of September”.
Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival
Longford, 24-27 September
Headlined by none other than Steve Earle himself, the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival presents 15 different acts from around the world, and Steve Earle’s gona be there!
