We have a serious love affair with festivals in Ireland and it’s nothing new. Long before Easter, summer and Christmas holidays dictated our calendars, the year revolved around the quarter days of Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasa and Samhain and the festivals that went with them. Harvest feasts ruled the roost, usually with a drink and a bit of dancing too.
These days, we still have versions of these ancient celebrations happening – and now alongside them, we’ve grown a stellar calendar of modern food and drink events too.
Throughout the year there are gatherings for everything from locally grown Kerry spuds to Galway native oysters and Tipperary apple harvests. From intimate, community-run gatherings to grand, bustling events, hungry crowds flock to fields and fairs across the country, eager to enjoy good food and the guaranteed craic that comes with these get-togethers.
These events are an important part of our culture – and of course, the great bounty of Irish food and drink we have to offer. Here are 25 of the best food and drink festivals to look forward to in 2025.
Cork Whiskey Fest
Various venues, Cork city; March 21st-23rd; Tickets from €25, corkwhiskeyfest.com
Irish whiskey fans will be delighted by a stellar line-up of events featuring rare and premium whiskeys, masterclasses, distillery tours and exclusive tastings in pubs, bars and distilleries across the city.
Polish Wine Fest
Fumbally Stables, Dublin 8; April 6th; Tickets from €15, polishwinefest.com
For the fourth year, Ireland’s only Polish wine importers will take over the beautiful Fumbally Stables for a unique showcase of underrepresented drinks. Explore their wide range of wines, join in masterclasses and feast on pierogies (Polish dumplings) and Irish oysters. They also host pop-up tastings and events throughout the year.
Dublin Coffee Festival
RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; April 12-13th. Tickets from €19.50, dublincoffeefest.com
This busy caffeine-fuelled weekend welcomes coffee roasters from Ireland and beyond for cupping, tastings and live competitive coffee-making along with talks, panels, live music and DJs.
Irish Vegan Festival
Europa Hotel, Belfast; April 13th; Tickets from £4, Irishveganfestival.com
This all-vegan festival features food and drink stalls, guest speakers and cooking demos, all with a focus on promoting veganism, animal welfare, sustainability and healthy living while raising money for Farplace Animal Rescue.
Waterford Festival of Food
Dungarvan and various locations, Co Waterford; April 25-27th; Free and ticketed events, waterfordfestivaloffood.com
One of Ireland’s largest and longest-running community food festivals hosts more than 80 events taking place in locations stretching from Dungarvan as far as Ballyduff. From bookable themed dinners, foraging walks and farm tours to free live cooking demos and a huge food market, there is something for everyone in this line-up.
Rockin’ Food & Fruit Festival
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford; May 2nd-4th; Free and ticketed events, rockinfoodfestival.ie
Enniscorthy will be hopping for the May bank holiday weekend with this festival combining rockabilly and rhythm and blues with food, feasting, fun fairs and fireworks.
Burren Slow Food Festival
Lisdoonvarna Community Hall, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare; May 10-11th; Free and ticketed events, slowfoodclare.com
This locally-driven Burren Slow Food festival aims to showcase the rich culinary heritage of the Burren through an artisan market, guest chefs, cooking demos and pop-up events.
Ballymaloe Festival of Food
Shanagarry, Co Cork; May 16-18th; Tickets from €12, ballymaloegrainstore.com/ballymaloe-festival-of-food
Head to the Grainstore at Ballymaloe House for a star-studded chef line-up that includes Matt Tebutt, Anna Jones and Jeremy Lee along with plenty of home-grown talent. Other keynote guests have yet to be confirmed but expect one or two household names with serious culinary backgrounds. There are food stalls and trucks all weekend along with pop-up dinners, workshops, demos and other fun food events.
Taste of Dublin
Merrion Square, Dublin 2; June 12-15th; Tickets from €18, tasteofdublin.ie
One of Dublin’s longest-running food and drink events and always a lovely day or evening out. This year it returns to its new Merrion Square location. Expect a tasty line-up of popular restaurants, fantastic cooking demos and workshops, and of course busy bars and live music.
Comber Earlies Food Festival
Comber, Co Down; June 28th; Free, visitardsandnorthdown.com
What’s not to love about a day celebrating spuds? Harvest time for the Comber Earlies potato, which has PGI Status, is marked locally with a day dedicated to food and drink, cookery demos, vintage tractors and more.
Féile an Phráta
Baile na nGall, Dingle, Co Kerry; July 13th; Free, facebook.com/FeileanPhrata/
The delicious spuds grown on the Dingle Peninsula are also celebrated with an annual potato festival that’s all about community, craic and connection. Each year west Kerry potato growers gather by the beach in Ballydavid for a “Spud Off” as they compete to be crowned Laoch an Phráta (the Potato Champion).
Hagstravaganza
Ballymote, Co Sligo; August 9th; Tickets from €38,thewhitehag.com/hagstravaganza
Taking place at The White Hag’s Sligo brewery, this one-dayer is Ireland’s largest international beer festival hosting home-grown brands along with brewers from the UK, US and further afield. Expect more than 50 beers on site, with many brewed solely for the event.
Cork on a Fork Fest
Various locations, Cork city; August 13-17th; Free and ticketed events, corkonaforkfest.ie
Get a taste of Cork city’s vibrant food culture at this four-day festival featuring bookable dining experiences, themed events, talks and tastings along with a pop-up food market and dedicated cookery demo tent.
The Big Grill
Herbert Park, Dublin 4; August 14-17th; Tickets from €25, biggrillfestival.com
Follow the smoke and delicious smells to Herbert Park to find restaurants and chefs serving only live-fire dishes. You can also brush up on your barbecue skills at the Bastecamp demo stage – and don’t miss the madness that is the live Chilli Eating Competition.
Dalkey Lobster Festival
Dalkey, Co Dublin; August 23rd-24th; Free and ticketed events, dalkeylobsterfestival.com
This picturesque South Dublin coastal town goes all out to celebrate lobster season. Over the weekend they expect to serve 6,000kg of lobster from local restaurants and food stalls. Expect lots of other seafood too, along with cookery demos, live music, family fun and entertainment.
Cromane Seafest
Cromane, Co Kerry; September 12th-14th; Free and ticketed events, cromaneseafest.com
A maritime mash-up of food, family and fun, Cromane Seafest celebrates the local town’s links between land and sea. Expect a great selection of seafood, market stalls, barbecues and even an oyster-shucking competition.
Clonmel Applefest
Clonmel, Co Tipperary; September 25th-28th; Free and ticketed events, clonmelapplefest.ie
This annual harvest festival goes far beyond apples, with events that showcase Clonmel’s food, heritage and nature through arts, entertainment, performances and plenty more.
Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival
Nimmo’s Pier, Galway City; September 26-28th; Free and ticketed events, galwayoysterfestival.com
One of the longest-running food festivals in Europe rejoices in all things seafood – in particular, Galway’s native oysters. There’s a seafood trail, bookable banquets and more, but the main event is always the World Oyster Opening Championship which draws competitors and audiences from all around the world.
Armagh Food & Cider Festival
Various locations across Co Armagh; September 4-7th. Free and ticketed events, visitarmagh.com/foodandcider
The orchard county of the North sure knows how to mark apple harvest season. Local orchards and cider makers host tastings, tours, talks and pop-up events. There are bookable dinners, foraged lunches, food markets and family fun planned, all with Armagh apples at the core of it.
Feast Cork
Midleton and surrounding areas, Co Cork; September 1st-7th; Free and ticketed events, feastcork.ie
Local food is the focus of this harvest-time festival featuring pop-up dining, foraging walks, mixology masterclasses, storytelling and food markets, all happening in Midelton and its surrounds.
Ards and North Down Chilli Festival
Bangor Castle, Bangor, Co Down; September, date to be confirmed; Free and ticketed events, visitardsandnorthdown.com
Expect plenty of heat at this unique celebration showcasing home-grown chillies and diverse varieties from around the world in the wonderful setting of Bangor Castle’s Walled Garden. Try dishes from local food producers, watch cooking demos with added spice and enjoy the entertainment and family-friendly activities.
Dingle Food Festival
Dingle, Co Kerry; October 3rd-5th; Free and ticketed events, dinglefood.com
An exceptional weekend of eating and drinking thanks to the festival’s famous Taste Trail, where attendees can sample local dishes and drinks from more than 60 participating outlets, as well as market stalls, cookery demonstrations, workshops, and family-friendly activities.
Savour Kilkenny
The Parade, Kilkenny city; October 23rd-27th; Free and ticketed events, savourkilkenny.com
It’s the 17th year for this much-loved food festival that fills the city over the October bank holiday weekend with a bustling 100-stall food market, cookery demos, workshops and entertainment. Local restaurants and cafes also host some brilliant bookable dining events.
Bushmills Salmon and Whiskey Festival
Bushmills, Co Antrim; October, dates to be confirmed; Free and ticketed events, visitcausewaycoastandglens.com
Indulge in all things whiskey and salmon related across a weekend that includes boat tours, distillery tours and tastings, food markets, street food, cookery demos, live music, taste trails, cocktail making, supper clubs and more.
Samhain Festival of Food & Culture and Sheridan’s Irish Food Fair
Kells, Co Meath; November 6-9th; Free and ticketed events, foodcultureireland.ie/samhain
The ancient festival of Samhain is reimagined for food lovers and joined by Sheridan’s Irish Food Fair, making it one of the best-stocked festivals in the calendar. There are immersive food and drink events, a literary pub crawl, hands-on workshops and a spectacular long-table supper.
Essential tips for food festival first-timers and veterans
Whether it’s your first time at a food festival or you’re a seasoned attendee, there are a few things you should know before you go. Having worked at and attended many of the events listed, my top tip is to think comfort always. Wear the most walkable footwear you have – it’s not the time to break in your new sandals. And while white jeans might seem like a good look, trust me, you’ll regret it the moment that first splash of sauce/cider/dip/cocktail lands.
Don’t forget to bring an extra layer for later. Even though you plan to leave by 5pm when everyone else decides to stay out for a bit, you don’t want to be frozen. Lastly, make sure you arrive with a fully charged phone – how else will you tell Instagram how much fun you are having? Not to mention staying in touch with the friends you’re with on the day of course.
Here are some more top survival tips from food festival veterans:
Plan ahead, divide and conquer
Andy Noonan, festival director, The Big Grill
“I always check the menu before heading to a restaurant, so I do the same at food festivals. I like to see what’s on offer and plan my must-try dishes. Get there early, do a quick loop, and pick a meeting spot. Then, split up to queue and order – this way, you can try as many dishes as possible”.
Come prepared
Erica Drum, demo chef & festival host
“When I’m heading to a festival, I always pack a keep cup with a lid – great for refilling water and sipping wine on the go. I also bring a scarf that can double as a blanket to sit on. Last year at the Dingle Food Festival, I picked up reusable cutlery, including a metal Spork in a tin, which will definitely be in my bag this year.”
Look beyond the food
Dee Laffan, editor and festival host
“Even the most seasoned eaters need breaks between tastings and most festivals offer plenty more. For a sit-down, I’ll seek out cookery demos, workshops, and Q&As with chefs and authors – or often there’s live music if you fancy a bit of a dance. I love fringe events too like themed dinners and tasting trails.”
Be weather ready
Irah Mari, content creator, Gram’d Social
“Being as hands-free as possible is a priority for me so I’ve no time for umbrellas. Instead, I’ll always have a poncho or two on hand because let’s face it, it’s Ireland, so rain can sneak up at any time. But I’m also an optimist, so I always throw in a mini SPF sun stick and a pair of sunnies, just in case.”
