National Festivals and Events Calendar 2019 Some countries have seasons dedicated to festivals but here in Ireland we have an entire calendar of events for your visitor to immerse themselves in. There’s something for everyone, from traditional Irish music to opera, poetry to music festivals, country escapes to city takeovers. We have hundreds of festivals and events to choose from, guaranteeing your visitor a trip to remember!! 1 ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL DUBLIN 14-18 March 2019 St. Patrick’s Festival is a national cultural event where Ireland welcomes the world to Dublin for a celebration of contemporary Irish culture and our rich Irish heritage. The theme for 2019 is storytelling/scéalaíocht – Ireland has a deep-rooted connection with storytelling reaching back thousands of years and spanning the centuries up to the storytellers of today. Through music, visual art, literature, film, theatre, spoken word, street theatre and circus, St Patrick’s Festival Dublin will celebrate Ireland’s rich heritage of storytelling. The parade on the 17th March is a prestigious performance platform where some of the world’s top marching bands travel to participate annually. Around 3,000 participants will perform. Pageant companies from all over Ireland are commissioned to produce bespoke parade pageants in line with the Festival theme. www.stpatricksfestival.ie 2 IRELAND’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS March 2019 St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th March is one of the biggest day’s in Ireland’s cultural calendar. It is also a national holiday with the very best of Irish and international talent on show at countless festivals and events across the country to celebrate St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland. In addition to Dublin City, you will find parades in: Sligo, Waterford, Limerick, Killarney, Cork and additional locations in County Dublin – all showcasing Irish history, culture and the arts. www.ireland.com/stpatricksfestivals 3 MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU FESTIVAL 3-5 May 2019 That most momentous of days in the Star Wars lovers’ calendar, May the 4th Be With You Festival makes an anticipated return SAMHAIN-HALLOWEEN to the Wild Atlantic Way. With fun events for all-ages taking place in County Kerry and, for the first time, across Donegal’s October Bank Holiday Weekend Inishowen Peninsula. Prepare to get intergalactic at atmospheric Join in Ireland’s newest festival as it celebrates the original film screenings, behind the scenes tours, home of Halloween, which began as the ancient tradition boat trips, guided walks and much more. of Samhain 2,000 years ago in the world heritage setting of Lightsabers at the ready? It’s time to County Meath, in Ireland’s Ancient East. This fresh and iconic embrace the Wild Atlantic Way of life at its festival promises to deliver the ultimate bucket list experience most space age. May the force be with you/ that will transport you back to the birthplace of Halloween. Go mbeidh an fórsa leat. Acclaimed international and Irish artists will recreate the ancient www.wildatlanticway.com/ ritual of the lighting of the first fires across the hills of Meath. may-the-4th Festival highlights will include a torch-lit procession, a fringe programme of events in surrounding heritage towns and villages of counties Meath and Louth, and a Harvest-inspired food experience showcasing the best of local Boyne Valley producers. www.irelandsancienteast.com 4 BRAM STOKER 25-28 October 2019 The Bram Stoker Festival, a Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland initiative will return to the capital for the October Bank Holiday weekend. The festival promises to summon the supernatural as it playfully celebrates the gothic, the mysterious, the after-dark and the thrill of late October as Ireland approaches Halloween. Inspired by the legacy of Dublin-born Gothic writer Bram Stoker and his illustrious novel Dracula, Dublin City will get gloriously gothic. By day, the Bram Stoker Festival presents gothic intrigue at family-friendly events, talks and interactive experiences. At night, the city will embrace the darkness as a host of venues deliver deadly adventures for festival goers in search of macabre thrills and late-night parties. The festival programme will include theatre, spectacle, visual arts and music in haunting locations across the city – celebrating Dublin’s gothic and supernatural traditions, the city itself, gothic architecture and links to the Samhain Festival. www.bramstokerfestival.com 5 THE GLOBAL IRISH FESTIVAL SERIES October 2019 Culture is a huge part of the Irish identity and, as a nation we are renowned for our writers, actors and artists. Highlighting the best of Ireland’s traditional and contemporary culture and heritage, the counties of Donegal and Limerick invite you to come home this October to share in our festivals and events with the promise of a month-long Céad Míle Fáilte Abhaile. In 2019, more of Ireland’s counties will join the Global Irish Festival Series in welcoming their sons and daughters’ home. Festivals involved in 2018 included I.NY and the Richard Harris International Film Festival. www.wildatlanticway.com 6 NEW YEAR’S FESTIVAL DUBLIN 31 December 2019-1 January 2020 Gather in the heart of Dublin as the city comes alive for fun-filled New Year’s festivities. Bringing together some of Ireland’s best talents, NYF Dublin offers a host of free and family friendly, activities guaranteed to entertain and excite. The Festival attracts 20,000 people to the heart of Ireland’s capital city for a spectacular countdown event to ring in the New Year. This event is a fantastic showcase for Ireland as a destination for friendly engaging people and a vibrant culture. www.nyfdublin.com 7 JANUARY-MARCH APRIL-JUNE The concept of the festival is simple – wind, water and fun! The surroundings of Bull Island nature reserve, shallow waters and 4km of sandy beaches make this a heaven for kite surfers. TradFest Cork International www.battleforthebay.com 23-27 JANUARY 2019 Choral Festival 2020 dates: 22-26 January 2020 1-5 MAY 2019 Tradfest started out in 2006 as a small, Founded in 1954 to be a dynamic force in niche, traditional festival. Today it is one developing choral music in Ireland, the Cork of Ireland’s largest festivals of traditional International Choral Festival is held annually Tattersalls International music. As a boutique winter festival, TradFest over five days. It is one of Europe’s premier Horse Trials & Country Fair offers concert goers unique opportunities international choral festivals and is noted 29 MAY-2 JUNE 2019 to experience live music in some of Dublin’s for its competitive standards, excellent 2020 dates: 27 April-31 May 2020 most historic places. organisation, and the friendliness of its www.tradfest.ie welcome. www.corkchoral.ie Tattersalls International Horse Trials and Country Fair set in County Meath is Ireland’s premier eventing show, combining the Olympic sport of 3 day eventing, an equestrian triathlon of dressage, cross country St Patrick’s Festival Dublin and show jumping, with all the shopping, 14-18 MARCH 2019 good food, bars, entertainment and fun of a May the 4th Be With You Festival country fair! 3-5 MAY 2019 www.tatts.ie The parade on the 17th March is a This exciting festival delivers a dynamic, new, prestigious performance platform where and innovative event to showcase the Wild some of the world’s top marching bands Atlantic Way, and to establish counties Kerry travel to participate annually. Around 3,000 and Donegal as the ultimate locations to visit participants will perform. Pageant companies on May 4th, the unofficial global Star Wars from all over Ireland are commissioned to day for fans and enthusiasts alike. produce bespoke parade pageants in line with www.wildatlanticway.com/ the Festival theme. may-the-4th Listowel Writers’ Week www.stpatricksfestival.ie 29 MAY-2 JUNE 2019 Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Founded in 1970, Listowel Writers’ Week is MARCH 2019 one of Ireland’s greatest literary and arts festivals. Writers, artists and poets gather Battle for The Bay in the beautiful heritage town of Listowel, St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th March is one of County Kerry for five days of talks, walks, the biggest day’s in Ireland’s cultural calendar. 24-26 MAY 2019 2020 dates: 30-31 May 2020 panels, performances, visual arts, theatre, Celebrating the best of Irish and international masterclasses and much more. talent on show across the country. In addition Battle for the Bay is Ireland’s annual www.writersweek.ie to Dublin City you will find parades in Sligo; Kitesurfing and SUPing competition set in Waterford; Limerick; Killarney; Cork and the magical location of Dollymount beach additional locations in County Dublin, all at Bull Island. showcasing Irish history, culture and the arts. 8 www.ireland.com/stpatricksfestivals TICKETED PERFORMANCE VIP/CORPORATE SALEABLE EVENT OPPORTUNITIES HOSPITALITY AVAILABLE EXPERIENCE As one of Europe’s premier free open What really sets Donegal rally apart is the motorcycle festivals, this 3 day motorcycle breathtakingly beautiful scenery which the and music extravaganza takes place in the festival showcases. In addition to the main picturesque surroundings of Killarney town. event, the international race, there are three www.irelandbikefest.com sub groups; The National Rally, The Historic Rally and The Junior Rally. www.donegalrally.ie The Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival 30 MAY-3 JUNE 2019 Bloomsday Festival 11-16 JUNE 2019 Kilkenny Cat Laughs is Ireland’s annual ‘craic’ pilgrimage. Now in its 24th edition, the festival has played host over the years Bloomsday is a celebration of James Joyce’s Sea Sessions to international and domestic world class iconic novel Ulysses, the events of which 21-23 JUNE 2019 comedy and is renowned for treating both took place in Dublin on the 16th June 1904.