The 24 Irish Festivals You Have To Go To This Summer

The weather’s warming up, the days are getting longer and it’s got us dreaming of being at a festival, drink in hand, dancing away without a care in the world.

We may be a small island, but jaysus do we know how to party. If you wanted to, you could go to a festival every single weekend of the summer. We’ve drawn up a nifty list of the best music festivals in Ireland taking place over the coming months.

In terms of different tastes, there’s something for everyone with everything from electronic music to bluegrass, live art to music festivals, island escapes to woodland getaways. 

Start airing out that tent in the back garden lads, festival season us nearly upon us!

BD Festival

14th April

Sure what else would you be doing on Good Friday with all pubs and clubs locked up for the day other than raving down in Glendalough? Formerly known as Barn Dance, it’s a BYOB music and arts festival with a host of international acts in the house, techno and electronica scene, as well as plenty of artisan food stalls, art installations, comedy and theatre. 

Vantastival

3rd and 4th May

This is an amazing family-friendly festival, which takes place over the May Bank Holiday Weekend in Beaulieu House and Gardens in Co. Louth. There’s a pretty deadly line-up this year including The Riptide Movement, Kila and Choice Music Prize nominees Overhead, The Albatross and Heroes In Hiding.

There’s serious emphasis placed on bringing your campervan and embracing a nomadic lifestyle, and there’ll be loads of gourmet food stalls, festival traders, scheduled kids’ activities, art, craft and many other quirky additions.

The Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival

28th April – 1st May

This festival has been on the go since 1998, and has attracted the likes of Guy Clark, Chuck Prophet and Ray LaMontagne playing folk, blues, bluegrass, rockabilly and cajun-inspired music. You can see this year’s line-up here.

AVA Festival

2nd and 3rd June

AVA (Audio Visual Arts) Belfast is a two-day grassroots festival and conference that celebrates, amplifies and develops the strong current of electronic music and digital visual arts that has emerged from Northern Ireland in recent years. 

Forbidden Fruit

3rd to 5th June

You can’t beat the buzz of a festival over a Bank Holiday weekend, especially when it’s right on your doorstep. Forbidden Fruit has really knocked it out of the park this year with the line-up, which features Orbital, Aphex Twin and Bon Iver.

Life Festival

26th May – 28th May

This festival showcases the finest electronic artists over a three day open-air weekender in the stunning surrounds of Belvedere House and Gardens. You can relax in the sun by the lakeside stage, chill out in the shade of the wooded areas or bask in the glory of the main arena. This year’s Life Festival lineup is by far the best so far with some insanely good acts including Rudimental and Duke Dumont.

Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival

9th June – 11th June

Looking for a bit of craic? Head west to the Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. Over three days, there’ll be a load of gigs, plenty of massive sessions, as well as masterclasses and workshops. 

The music will be varied, from traditional bluegrass through to old-timey, cajun, blues and just plain old ‘folk’. Almost everything is free and in local pubs for the most part.  The audience consists of everyone from seasoned folk and bluegrass fans to people just looking for a bit of fun.

B.A.R.E In the Woods

9th – 11th June

No, this isn’t some nudist cult who meet in a forest once a year in June… It’s actually a music and art festival. B.A.R.E. stands for Bringing Another Righteous Event and what a righteous event it is. Nestled in the woods of Garryhinch on the former Warburton Estate, we reckon it’s the next Body & Soul.

Body and Soul

23rd June – 25th June

Things don’t get much more magical than Body and Soul. Taking place over the Summer Solstice weekend at Ballinlough Castle, the grounds and woods are transformed to create a mystical atmosphere. You never know what you might stumble upon, with installations of all sorts around every corner. 

The lineup this year is shaping up pretty nicely with Metronomy, Sleaford Mods and Vitalic to name just a few. However, the real magic of Body and Soul is having a woodland boogie at the Reckless In Love stage, or going for a midnight jacuzzi, or having a chance encounter with a handsome stranger under the moonlight. Other-worldly.

Sea Sessions

23rd June – 25th June

Sea, surfing, tunes and hopefully sunshine – Sea Sessions has got it all (weather depending!). The festival combines loads of activities like beach soccer, tag rugby and ultimate frisbee with three days of live music and DJs right on the coast of Bundoran in Donegal. The festival announced its line-up this week, with acts including Sigma, The Coronas and Primal Scream confirmed as headliners.

Willie Clancy Week

30th June – 9th July

You can’t get more traditionally Irish than the Willie Clancy Festival. Taking place in the beautiful coastal town of Milltown Malbay in the west of Co. Clare, right by Spanish Point, you could not have a more perfect summer setting. By day, there are heaps of workshops and masterclasses for any musicians hoping to hone their trad music skills, while at night every building along the main street of the village is packed with people performing Irish dancing and traditional Irish music. 

The sessions have been known to go on until the sun starts creeping over Spanish Point, but everyone’s in the same boat so you’ve no excuse for missing your morning tin whistle lessons!

Earagail Arts Festival

4th July – 23rd July

Earagail Arts Festival is a bilingual (Irish and English language), multidisciplinary arts festival which takes place each July throughout County Donegal along the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s is a venue-based music and arts festival with eclectic and alternative music, visual arts, circus and theatre programmes alongside the spoken word, film and family events and workshops. 

Galway International Arts Festival

17th July – 30th July

A trip to Galway during the summer is always a good idea – you can spend lazy afternoons drinking cans at Spanish Arch, go jumping off the board in Blackrock, and eat in some of the best restaurants in the country. Galway’s such a vibrant city but during the Arts Festival, it explodes in a kaleidoscope of happenings, plays, comedy shows, live gigs and concerts. This year’s schedule for the festival is already seriously impressive with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and Passenger among the first announcements. Book a few days off work and head West, it’s worth it even for the street parties and silent discos!

Longitude

14th July – 16th July

If you’re DublIn-based, you don’t have to travel far for this one as it’s just a hop, skip and a jump out to Marlay Park. They’ve got a whopper lineup this year which sees Stormzy, The Weekend and Mumford and Sons headlining, so it’s looking like it’ll be a good one. Get your tickets quick though, Saturday is already sold out!

Castlepalooza

4th August – 6th August

The beauty of Castlepalooza is the wooded wonderland around Charleville Castle where everything takes place, it’s filled with merriment, magic, madness and maggot-acting. This is a relatively small festival but all the better for making new best friends with every person you encounter. 

Indiependence

4th July – 6th August

Deer Park in Mitchelstown, Cork comes alive over the August Bank Holiday as people in search of the session arrive in their droves. The festival features a wide variety of artists as well as comedy, spoken word, a small cinema and other attractions. This year’s first lineup announcement features Tom Odell, Manic Street Preachers and The Coronas so there’s something for everyone!

Fleadh Ceoil

13th August – 21st August

The Fleadh is a competition for amateur musicians, it’s a holiday and it’s one hell of a party. Classes are held for people of all ages and abilities in traditional Irish music, while walking and historical tours are held for visitors along with films, seminars, street performances and markets. The evening is usually spent crammed into tiny cosy pubs for a hearty sing-along, a seisiún and a rake of pints. The heart of the festival is the enjoyment of music and the love for Irish culture, and there’s a lovely sense of Irish pride that flows through the Fleadh.

Belsonic

13th August – 30th August

This is an outdoor music festival which is held at the Custom House Square in Belfast each August. There’s a whole load of different gigs taking place over the course of the festival, and you can go see the likes of Arcade Fire, Jess Glynn and The Chainsmokers.

Another Love Story

18th August – 20th August

This is a weekend celebration of music, discussion, yoga, film, food and friends. Another Love Story is not just a festival weekender but a gathering of hearts, minds, ideas and moods, and it’s such an experience that you should probably buy your ticket right now.

Electric Picnic

1st Sept – 3rd Sept

This one needs little or no introduction. If you haven’t been, we can guarantee all your friends have and you’ve suffered from a severe case of FOMO as a result. Whether it’s dancing at Jerry Fish’s Electric Sideshow or roaming through the woods in search of the after-hours shindig, you can’t beat the Picnic. 

Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival

Throughout September

The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is one of Ireland’s oldest traditional festival takes place in the small Co. Clare town every September. The festival is now over 150 years old and attracts up to 60,000 people from all over the world, who come for the music and the dancing but also in the hopes of finding their soulmates. 

Dancing takes place in venues all over town and they even have a third-generation matchmaker on hand to bring hopeful singles together. Sure who needs Tinder with him around?!

Dingle Tradfest

8th Sept – 10th Sept

The festival provides a platform for both national and internationally acclaimed performing artists to showcase modern and original talents within the usually more traditional environment that is the Dingle Peninsula. There’ll be dancing in the streets, and in the middle of a trad sesh, some aul lad will probably whip out two spoons out of his pocket and start playing them but sure what better way to finish your summer? Get thee to Dingle.

Simma Down Festival

8th July

This one-day festival is brand new and taking place in Wicklow this July. The line-up hasn’t been revealed yet but the festival is promising “live music, workshops, DJs, MCs, art, games, spoken word, locally brewed beer, BYOB, fresh food and beautiful surroundings”.

Other Voices

Early December

You’ve probably seen the TV show at this stage but nothing beats being in Dingle for this magical festival, which celebrates Irish music. It’s a great spot to find your new favourite band and it’s always full of surprises. Book your accommodation early – we’ll see you in Benners!

So do you reckon you’d be up for the challenge of attending 24 festivals over the next few months? You might need to pull a few sickies but we reckon you’re well able for this to do list!

READ NEXT: This Incredible New Homewares Store Just Opened On Wicklow Street