Ireland Festivals and Events 2013
Welcome to Guide to Ireland's Festival & Events information page. The Irish people have never needed much of an excuse to have a party or festival, whether it be based on art, culture, music, history or sport. A festival in Ireland is a unique expierience. Below, we have listed some of the main Irish festivals held throughout the country and their website addresses where you can find out more detailed information. We have listed them in date order below.
Temple Bar Trad, Irish Music and Culture Festival
Dates: January 22nd - 27th 2013
A lively four day celebration of traditional Irish music and culture,featuring live performances from some of Ireland's top musicians, including the world renowned bands. Other festival events include workshops, photo exhibitions, Irish dance, story-telling, street theatre, children's events and a folk/trad music session trail throughout many of the bars and pubs in the area.
accommodation Co. Dublin
St. Patricks Day Festival
Dates: March 14th - 18th 2013
St. Patrick’s Festival is now by far the biggest annual event in the country providing entertainment for all interests and ages. The Festival programme has music, theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street arts, visual arts, dance, a treasure hunt, symposium, cavalcades of vintage cars….. 4000 performers – 1.5 million spectators and 5 days of fantastic festival fun for all! St. Patrick would be very proud!
accommodation Co. Dublin
Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival
Dates: Thursday 2nd May - Monday 6th May 2013
From Thursday 2nd May to Monday 6th May, the City's pubs, clubs and venues come alive to the sound of music for the 11th City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival.
Visitors can also expect a weekend of top quality free music on the Guinness free jazz trail which has become a true festival favourite, featuring fantastic performances from some of the best local, national and international talent on the festival circuit today.
accommodation Co. Derry
Ballyhoura Walking Festival
Dates: Saturday 4th May - Monday 6th May 2013
The annual Ballyhoura International Walking Festival takes place from 5th May to the 7th May 2012. The festival offers over 30 guided walks, led by people from local communities and the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club. The schedule offers walks for all levels of ability from the undulating green pastures, woodlands and rolling hills to the high peaks of the Galty Mountains. The area is a walkers paradise with unspoilt beauty and a variety of landscapes and there is something for everyone at this years festival, whether you enjoy a family day out or a serious hike.
accommodation Co. Limerick
The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts, Clare
Dates: May - June 2013
The Iniscealtra Festival of Arts is an annual festival held at various locations in and around the beautiful lakeside village of Mountshannon in County Clare. The festival has been going from strength to strength and is now in its 12th year. Each year a theme is chosen which all of the varied events reflect, and this year the theme is Community.
accommodation Mountshannon
The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenny
Dates: 30th May - 3rd June 2013
The 2013 Cat Laughs Comedy Festival will run from May 30th - June 3rd with an international line up of comedians from Ireland, England, America, Canada, Australia and some from as far afield as Scotland.
accommodation Co. Kilkenny
Life Festival
Dates: 24-25-26 May 2013
You heard about it and now is back........ Life is Real
"The beauty of Life" will bring you this year to an incredible virgin venue never used before for a Festival. The time for everyone to begin their plans for life has arrived ... aspirations... dreams...a journey of discovery...a project of Love and illusion, faith and hard work believing in something special with a vision that all that we have ever dreamed about can be possible in Life.
A 3 day international electronic and acoustic dance gathering will take place this June, the venue being one of Ireland's most beautiful Castles.
accommodation Co. Meath
Kinsale Arts Week
Dates: July 5th - 14th 2013
Kinsale Arts Week is a multi-disciplinary Arts Festival being held in Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland from 5th to 14th July 2013. Each year it brings the best of local, national and international talent to Kinsale. For nine days in July the town is electrified by performance, exhibition and installation.
accommodation Co. Cork
Clonmel Junction Festival
Dates: July 5th - 14th 2013
The Clonmel Junction Festival is one of the most exciting and fastest growing festivals in Ireland. For nine days and nights Clonmel, Co. Tipperary is transformed and animated by hand painted banners, with flags bedecking the town centre, daily street theatre and free live music events. However the real heart of the festival is in the theatres and music venues which host over 50 performances of top class Irish and International acts.
accommodation Co. Tipperary
Galway Arts Festival
Dates: July 15th - 28th 2013
Galway Arts Festival, Ireland's largest and most prestigious annual arts festival. Galway has long been considered a centre of cultural excellence with Galway Arts Festival the defining cultural expression of Galway. At the heart of all aspects of life in the city, Galway Arts Festival always promises a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration.
This years festival features over 400 writers, artists, performers and musicians from Canada, England, France, Scotland and the USA joining those from Ireland creating theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music.
accommodation Co. Galway
Kilkenny Arts Festival
Dates: August 9th - 18th 2013
The 2012 Kilkenny Arts Festival will run from 9th to 18th August. Kilkenny Arts Festival 2012 was a huge success! Ground-breaking theatre, music, literature, visual art, children’s events and outdoor performances abounded, with record crowds attending over 100 events, featuring almost 300 international, Irish and local artists, in venues all over Kilkenny City and County, over the festival’s 10 days and nights.
accommodation Co. Kilkenny
Rose of Tralee Festival
Dates: August 14th - 20th 2013
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is one of Ireland's premier festivals. Over 200,000 visitors from throughout the world return year after year to Tralee in Kerry to enjoy the best in Irish and international music, parades, fireworks displays, nightly seisiuns, and of course the renowned Rose of Tralee Selection.
accommodation Co. Kerry
Galway Oyster Festival
Dates: September 27th - September 29th 2013
Galway International Oyster Festival. This unique event is about friends, fun, fabulous seafood combined with World class non-stop entertainment in the charming medieval city of Galway. There are always a few pleasant surprises at the Galway Oyster Festival.
accommodation Co. Galway
Dublin Theatre Festival
Dates: September 26th - October 13th 2013
The Dublin Theatre Festival in 2013 will showcase the best of International and Irish theatre work, and promises to be one of the most exciting years to date! The programme details will be launched in early summer, and all details will become available online.
accommodation Co. Dublin
Wexford Opera Festival
Dates: 23rd October - 3rd November 2013
For over fifty years the Irish coastal town has been seducing the world with wonderful productions of rare opera presented as part of a unique festival. The warm and vivacious welcome, the narrow and ancient Viking streets and the tiny, atmospheric Theatre Royal add to pleasures which include over forty daytime events as well as the eighteen evening performances of three major productions.
accommodation Co. Wexford
Cork Jazz Festival
Dates: October 25th - 28th 2013
The Guinness Jazz Festival is Ireland's biggest and most prestigious jazz event and is one of the most important events on Ireland's arts and cultural calendar.
This year some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries will entertain the fans in over 75 venues citywide. The main concert venues are the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork Opera House and the Triskel Arts Centre. The famous Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel offers world class jazz on five stages day and night ( daytime sessions have free admission) while the easy to find Guinness Jazz Trail offers entertainment in over 40 excellent pubs and clubs, most of it free of charge.
accommodation Co. Cork
Belfast Festival at Queen's
Dates: October 18th - November 3rd 2013
The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's promises to be an explosion of music, drama, theatre, talks, film, dance and comedy. A suitably wonderful collection of new experiences await our loyal Festival-goers and a programme chock-full of both familiar and one-off unique events will entice people who have never been to a festival before, to participate.
The anticipation of Festival is always to be savoured, but this year, our aim is to round off NI2012 with sixteen days of cultural opportunities that you really won’t want to miss. So, make the most of next year’s Festival, plan your wish list early, book your tickets and wallow in the expectations that come with knowing that an exciting cultural adventure awaits.
accommodation Co. Antrim
