The best Irish festivals to book for next summer
Theoretically, staying home and saving your money makes most sense, but in the wise words of the GAA, nothing beats being there.
Forbidden Fruit
In my mind, Forbidden Fruit pushes play on festival season. Taking place over two days on the June bank holiday weekend on the grounds of the Irish Museum Of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, it whets the appetite for what’s to come over the months ahead.
It’s a non-camping festival with a curfew, so whether you’re yet to rough it in a field for the weekend or are over the backache of tent living, it’s an ideal opportunity to partake in the revelry and still get to rest those weary bones come nightfall.
It’s Dublin’s first and longest running city centre festival, so it’s got quite the reputation for all the right reasons, and its 11th instalment made it one of the front runners on the Irish festival circuit. This summer, headliners included Four Tet, Barry Can’t Swim, Overmono, and the one and only Nelly Furtado, who absolutely stole the weekend.
The Irish continent included Le Boom, Gemma Dunleavy, SHEE, Sally C, and Qbanaa (to name but a few), and though the musical offering is largely electronic, house, and techno, there’s a broad scope of genres to be found across the site from the minute the gates open at 2pm.
Taste of Dublin
Any foodie worth their salt made an appearance in Merrion Square at some point or another over the three days of Taste of Dublin. If the recent stream of restaurant closures have taught us anything, it’s the importance of showing up for the chefs and eateries that we love — because your support is necessary for their survival.
Whether you just want to enjoy some delicious food, scope out emerging food trends, or learn from skilled chefs through workshops and master classes, Taste of Dublin is the ideal afternoon. This year’s chef lineup included JP McMahon, Aishling Moore, Mark Moriarty, and Jordan Bailey, and the experiential offering was top tier.
There were conversations providing food for thought, a chocolate making experience, cocktail making, live entertainment, and an interactive visitor experience creating iconic dishes from The Bear. As for the restaurants dishing up grub across the weekend, my personal highlights were Bahay, Dosa Dosa, and Bar Italia.
Another Love Story
I was a ‘first-time lover’ at this year’s 10th anniversary of Another Love Story, a festival I’d long dreamt of attending, and it did not disappoint. My weekend was drenched in art, culture, and discovery. If you’re after something intimate and wholesome, yet packed with incredible performances and new music, this is the place for you.
Despite the poor phone signal (which actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise), I stumbled upon some truly captivating acts. One standout was DUG, an American folk duo whose mesmerising performance left the crowd wanting more. Another highlight was YARD, a brilliant fusion of experimental electronic sounds with techno and rock.
Sampha the Great and Modeselektor were the icing on the cake, making my experience unforgettable.
Beyond the music, there was so much to explore—swimming in the nearby lake, relaxing in the sauna, or trying your hand at pottery at Throwing Shapes. With a variety of food options and cosy hangout spots, the festival offered plenty of space to unwind. The art installations in the forest were a particular favourite of mine; they were absolutely stunning.
Overall, Another Love Story felt refreshingly intimate and never overwhelming. If you’re a first-time festival-goer, this is one I highly recommend. It’s a truly special experience, and I’ll definitely be back.
—Words by Amber O’Shea, Social Media Manager
WellFest
Did you know that Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin city is also home to Europe’s largest outdoor health, fitness and wellness event? Festival season isn’t all about partying it up in a field somewhere, and this festival serves as a welcome reset for many.
Meditation, yoga, pilates — you name it, there’s likely a guided session happening over the weekend, along with plenty of seminars and talks with well-known faces from the health and wellness space. Our very own Dominique McMullan sat down with Vogue Williams and Oonagh O’Hagan of Meagher’s Pharmacy group for incredibly thought-provoking discussions, and Joe Wicks kept the energy high on stage with some fitness demos.
Mindfulness is a hugely important aspect of the festival, with guided meditations, sound baths and energy healing sessions going on. The importance of good nutrition is hammered home again and again, with cooking demos, food trucks, and educational talks making sure we have the tools to eat well and approach our diets with a healthy mindset.
All Together Now
This year, a 25,000-strong crowd descended on the grounds of Curraghmore House for the fifth chapter of All Together Now, a music, arts, food and wellness festival that has claimed the August bank holiday weekend as its own. It’s become an annual tradition for many, and each instalment sees improvements and progressions so that it could reach the level of polish it exhibited this year.
The standout mainstage performance of the weekend has got to go to one Ms Natasha Beddingfield and The Mary Wallopers, who managed to turn the field into a céilí dancing session as the crowd linked arms and thrashed around to their heart’s content, hedonistic Aussie party people, Confidence Man, and the mesmerising Glass Beams, who made their Irish debut at the Lovely Days stage.
Aside from the music offering—which made a concerted effort to spotlight the wealth of homegrown talent we’re blessed with this year—All Together Now’s range of experiences surpass just music. There’s a whole Theatre of Food, a wellness area for yoga and even saunas, a craft village, live podcasts, comedians, storytelling and conversations that engage the mind from early morning into the night.
The age demographic is: everyone. As I mentioned, it’s a family-friendly festival, so you’ll see whole families wandering around all wholesome, plenty of twenty-somethings buzzing to be free from the working world for a weekend, and those in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s having a boogie into the early hours.
Cork on a Fork
Ireland is blessed with many (many, many) epic food festivals that take place year-round, and Cork on a Fork is up there with the cream of the crop. Taking place across four days in August, the festival celebrates the rich culinary heritage and vibrant food scene of Cork, turning the city centre into a gastronomic paradise.
Drawing food enthusiasts from near and far, Cork on a Fork offers a diverse array of experiences for all palates including unique dining events, pop-up restaurants, chef collaborations, live cooking demonstrations from top chefs, interactive workshops, food and drink pairings events, bite-sized talks, and plenty of kids’ food activities
If I could recommend anything for next year’s instalment, it’s the VQ Shared Table. Stretching down MacCurtain Street to accommodate a grand total of 400 people, this long table dining experience brings chefs from the eateries that line the street together to collaborate on a menu and bring a selection of delicious sharing plates, drinks, live music, and a festival atmosphere to the street.
I was seated directly opposite my date for the evening, something that initially jarred with my slightly (mainly because my hearing is actually very terrible), but the whole point of the event is to encourage conversation and discussion, to meet like-minded foodies and put energy and thought into what it is you’re eating. It was genuinely one of the best dining experiences I’ve had this year.
Electric Picnic
Last but by no means least, Electric Picnic should be on everyone’s bucket list. A festival that every Irish person should experience at least once, it really needs no introduction. In fact, it’s already sold out for next year, so this recommendation serves only as a reminder to keep an eye out for those selling their tickets on their Instagram stories far closer to the time, or directly after the lineup is announced (no shade, but who knows?).
I feel as though the main complaint about EP is that it’s a young crowd hellbent on having one last blowout before stepping into their new lives in college, and while that may be partially true, the demographic is just as broad as at any of the aforementioned festivals. Old, young, visibly-grumpy-26-year-old me — we were all present and accounted for.
There is so much effort put into the making of this festival, from the different areas ranging from wellness and food to theatre and discussion, and the art installations and decorations all over the place are incredible. There is something new to look at with every step you take, so make sure you spend some time in the main arena during the day, rather than waiting it out at the campsite until the headliners come on.
Speaking of headliners, I am personally still not over seeing Kylie Minogue in the flesh. Maybe I’ll never recover. I first saw CMAT live at Electric Picnic back in 2022, so seeing how much she’s grown in such a short space of time was incredible. Elsewhere, Faithless were absolutely insane, and The Wolfe Tones stole the show.
Honourable mention to the festival’s healthy lineup of Irish acts, with some personal favourites including Cardinals, The Clockworks, The Scratch and Big Sleep putting on incredible sets.
Featured image via Anamaria Meiu.
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