Kinsale Gourmet Festival ★ 4.5
Ireland's oldest and most prestigious gourmet food festival, run annually in October by the Kinsale Good Food Circle since 1978. The 2026 edition runs 10-12.
32 food festivals with a guide across 4 cities in Ireland, in date order from today. Each opens the festival page with dates, what to eat and what to book around it. How these cities compare with the rest: the city food festival index.
October 2026
All festivals in OctoberSavour Kilkenny Food Festival, founded in 2006, runs 22 to 26 October 2026 with a free Festival Quarter market on The Parade, cookery stages, craft drinks and dining events.
TipThe Festival Quarter on The Parade is free, open Saturday 10am to 9pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm. The Castle Park concert (Saturday) and restaurant dinners are ticketed, so book those ahead.
Kilkenny Farmers Market ★ 4.4
Kilkenny Farmers Market runs every Thursday on The Parade with up to 20 County Kilkenny producers selling farmhouse cheese, smoked trout, organic meat, honey.
Mahon Point Farmers' Market, established in 2006, runs every Thursday from 10am to 2pm outside the main entrance of Mahon Point Shopping Centre in Cork, with over 50 stalls of local, often organic food.
A two-day indoor food and drink festival at Cork City Hall in November, showcasing the best of local food, drinks and crafts from Cork and Kerry producers.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
November 2026
All festivals in November
Galway Christmas Market ★ 4.4
Galway Christmas Market fills Eyre Square from early November to 31 December with over 50 wooden chalets selling bratwurst, crêpes, pretzels, mulled wine and beer.
TwinkleTown fills Smithfield Square in Dublin 7 from 20 November to 31 December with a Christmas market, food and drink stalls, an ice rink and the Twinkle Tavern for winter warmers.
TipEntry is free, but ice skating and the Santo Panto are ticketed, so book those before you travel.
December 2026
All festivals in DecemberGifted at the RDS ★ 4.3
Gifted runs in the RDS main hall in Ballsbridge each December, pairing 400 craft and design makers with a Christmas Food Emporium of more than 100 Irish artisan food producers.
TipAdult tickets are €15 online, and everything bought on the opening Wednesday carries 10 percent off.
January 2027
All festivals in JanuaryBeyond the October Gourmet Festival, the Kinsale Good Food Circle - Ireland's oldest food festival organisation, founded 1978 - runs seasonal events.
February 2027
All festivals in FebruaryExpected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Dublin City Council's Lunar New Year programme spans about nine days across the city, with dumpling making classes, a Chinese banquet, in store tastings at Asia Market and carnival food stalls.
TipThe dumpling masterclasses and the banquet are ticketed separately and fill first; book them in January.
March 2027
All festivals in March
St Patrick's Festival ★ 4.4
Ireland's national festival runs five days to 17 March, the parade leaving Parnell Square at noon, with food in the programme including the St Patrick's Long Table dinner in Stoneybatter.
TipThe parade starts at 12pm on 17 March; the Long Table sitting at L. Mulligan Grocer costs €55 and sells out early.
April 2027
All festivals in AprilDublin Coffee Festival ★ 4.0
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Dublin Coffee Festival at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, an annual April weekend of specialty coffee with brewing competitions, latte art.
TipWeekend pass is the value; Friday evening adds an Industry session. The brewing competition runs Saturday.
May 2027
All festivals in MayExpected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Blas na Bealtaine in May is Galway month-long food festival celebrating local produce; chefs, farmers and producers collaborate in a city-wide programme.
The Burren Slow Food Festival in Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, is a free one-day artisan food fair with producers and chef demonstrations, held on a Sunday in May near Galway.
Ireland's most celebrated boutique food festival, held annually in May on the Ballymaloe House grounds in East Cork.
Kilkenny Beer Festival ★ 4.1
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Kilkenny Beer Festival at Sullivan's Taproom on John Street pours 10 Irish craft brewers across a May weekend with live DJs, pub food and reusable cups.
TipThe €5 cup deposit is refundable on Sunday close. Saturday 13:00-16:00 is the smoothest window for tasting flights before the evening crowd.
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Howth Maritime and Seafood Festival at Howth Harbour in Co Dublin, an annual free entry seafood festival with chef demos, oyster bar and boat tours.
TipFree entry; chef demos run on the West Pier stage. DART from Connolly Station; arrive 11:00 to beat the lunch queue.
June 2027
All festivals in June
Bord Bia Bloom ★ 4.4
Bord Bia Bloom takes over 70 acres of the Phoenix Park across the June bank holiday, with show gardens, a food hall of Irish producers, food trucks and daily chef demonstrations.
TipTickets start around €30; Thursday, the opening day, is the calmest of the five.
Whiskey Live Dublin ★ 4.4
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Whiskey Live Dublin at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Ireland's premier whiskey festival, two days of distillery stands, masterclasses and rare-bottle pours in June.
TipGeneral admission and masterclass packages available; book masterclasses early as they sell out first.
Dublin Cocktail Week ★ 4.0
A ten day citywide wristband run by DublinTown: about 40 bars and restaurants, Bar 1661 and Fidelity among them, pour signature cocktails at €7 to €10 for wristband holders.
TipWristbands are sold online at about €18 and must be collected in person before your first drink.
Taste of Dublin ★ 4.6
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Taste of Dublin on Merrion Square in Dublin, an annual June multi-cuisine open-air festival with chef demos, twenty Dublin restaurants and producer.
TipStandard entry from €19.50; the Häagen-Dazs VIP Suite at €52.50. Thursday afternoon is the calmest session.
Bloomsday Festival ★ 4.2
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Bloomsday Festival on 16 June in Dublin, the annual James Joyce Ulysses literary festival, with Edwardian breakfasts and the Gorgonzola sandwich at Davy.
TipDavy Byrnes serves the canonical Gorgonzola sandwich and Burgundy at lunch. James Joyce Centre runs the breakfast; book a week ahead.
July 2027
All festivals in JulyExpected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Fingal's county show at Newbridge House and Farm in Donabate, north of the city, with a Fingal Food Circle producer village, hourly cookery demonstrations, livestock rings and horticulture tents.
TipEntry is free if you walk, cycle or take the train to Donabate; car parking has to be booked ahead.
The Galway International Arts Festival runs 12 to 25 July 2027 across the city's venues with theatre, music, visual art and street spectacle; the organiser names no food programme.
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
The Galway Races in July bring a city-wide food week with restaurant special menus and market pop-ups; race week is when Galway restaurants run their most.
August 2027
All festivals in AugustCork on a Fork Fest ★ 4.6
Cork City Council's flagship food festival, launched in 2022 and now in its fifth year. The 2026 edition runs 12-16 August across more than 150 events.
Big Grill Festival ★ 4.5
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Four days of live fire cooking in Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, where Irish and visiting pitmasters sell small plate barbecue from about €8, alongside craft beer bars and grilling demos.
TipFriday and Saturday usually sell out in advance, and the site is cashless, so bring a card.
Dalkey Lobster Festival ★ 4.3
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Dalkey turns Castle Street into Cuisine de Dalkey for a weekend each August, with village kitchens serving lobster rolls, mussels, crab claws, oysters, chowder and fish and chips.
TipFree to attend and no ticket needed; the Tramyard stalls and the Town Hall craft fair run the same weekend.
September 2027
All festivals in SeptemberfEast Cork ★ 4.4
A six-day food and drink festival in Midleton, East Cork, celebrating the region's exceptional agricultural and culinary heritage. Running 2-7 September.
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
A ten-day festival in September celebrating the food, producers, landscape and people of West Cork. The 2026 edition runs 6-15 September across towns.
Dublin Beer Festival ★ 4.1
Expected dates, not yet confirmed by the organiser
Two ticketed sessions in the Ring Hall at the RDS in Ballsbridge, pouring more than 180 beers from 35 plus Irish and international breweries, with festival food stalls and acoustic sets.
TipEntry is via Gate T on Simmonscourt Road; the ticket includes a sampling glass and pours are paid per measure.
The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival, the world's longest running oyster festival, fills the Claddagh each September with shucking championships and a seafood trail.
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