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The Midlands is fast-becoming known as the home of big events and festivals in Ireland. A packed calendar of events sees many of Ireland’s (and even many of Europe’s) largest outdoor events taking place in the region, drawing crowds of visitors and revellers.
The Electric Picnic is held in the gorgeous surrounds of Stradbally Hall, Laois. On the go since 2004, the capacity is now 70,000 people. This year’s line-up includes Billie Eilish and Niall Horan from Sept 1st to 3rd. It has won International Awards for Best Large, Best Line-up and Best Family Festival
Known as ‘the Ploughing’, the annual event attracts crowds of over 300,000 people to Ratheniska, Co. Laois each September. More than a Ploughing competition, the event has grown and grown to become one of the biggest celebrations of farming and country life in Europe, with food, music and more, all combining to make this a must-see in the Irish events calendar.
The World’s largest festival of Irish music and culture is currently back home in Mullingar. The event draws crowds of over half a million people from Ireland and around the globe to celebrate the best in traditional Irish music and dance. An event for all the family, the next festival takes places from 6th to 14th August 2023.
The RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival comprises of nine nights of the best in Irish amateur drama performed at the Dean Crowe Theatre Athlone for the prestigious Festival Trophy as well as for other major acting and technical awards. The festival recently celebrated its 70th year, and is now supported by an active Fringe which involves street theatre, art exhibitions, workshops and events for all age groups.
The All-Ireland Scarecrow Festival is held in Durrow, Laois at the end of July each year. Lifesize scarecrows are made by locals and community groups and displayed all around the village. Featured on RTE, the volunteer-led festival has featured scarecrows of Donald Trump, King Kong, Pope Francis, Noah’s Ark and Electric Picnic. The Scarecrow village also features workshops, music and entertainment.
In 2023, Granard in County Longford became Ireland’s newest booktown. The idea to make Granard into a booktown festival came from a trip to Wigtown in Scotland where arts and books turned the small town of Wigtown into the national book town of Scotland. Like Wigtown, Granard was filled with book events, writers, talks and workshops throughout the town in April.
Along with the best-known festivals which take place across the Summer, there are festivals that take place across the Midlands, including, the Tullamore Show, and the newer festivals like Still Voices Film Festival and Forest Fest in Emo. Over 1 million people travel to the region in the space of just a few weeks
Tullamore Show & FBD National Livestock Show is Ireland’s premier agricultural event. Every year it attracts the best cattle, sheep, and equine breeders from all over the country. It is Ireland’s largest one-day show, averaging 60,000 visitors in recent years, with 700 Trade Stands from Agri Sectors, Home Industries, Farm Produce, Innovation, Forestry, Agri Machinery and more.
Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival is an annual community arts festival in Birr, Co. Offaly featuring professional, national and international artists bringing visual arts, theatre, music, street theatre, pop up performers, workshops, exhibitions and lots more, together with a variety of community events. One of the longest running festivals of its kind in Ireland, 2023 will be the 55th year of the festival
The annual Maria Edgeworth Festival takes place every May in Edgeworthstown. From initial beginnings over twenty five years ago the Festival has established itself as one of the best Literary events on the Irish Calendar and has attracted visitors from all over Ireland and abroad who share an interest in Literary History. The 2023 event which will take place from the 5th to the 7th May 2023.
In it’s 2nd Year, Forest Fest is a boutique festival which will be staged in the quaint County Laois village of Emo from July 21st to 23rd. Boasting large acts this year, like Suede, The Proclaimers, Bell X1 and James, it is certainly becoming a must see event.
OFFline is a festival based in Birr, Co Offaly. The festival has at its heart a competition, which requires teams to shoot & edit short films (less than 10 minutes) with a top prize worth €5000 at stake
Body & Soul is a music and Arts Festival taking place from 16 to 18 June, 2023 at Ballinlough Castle Estate, Co. Westmeath. With a capacity of 5000 people, it is a strictly over 21s festival. The line-up this year included Moderat ✦ Alison Goldfrapp ✦ Kojaque ✦ Denise Chaila ✦ Kneecap
This years competition will take place on Saturday 29th July in Mullingar Arts Centre. Louis Walsh and Anne Doyle are back as the judging panel. 2024 promises to be even bigger with a week long festival planned with lots of new and exciting events taking place throughout the week.
For a full listing of all events taking place across the region, from national festivals to community events, you can see the Event Guides for each of our counties below
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