Top Food Festivals in Ireland 2025: The Ultimate Guide for Foodies
Tue May 13 2025
written by Nessa Robins
In Ireland, we love a food festival, and this is testament to the amount of new food and drink festivals emerging year-on year. Whether you’d enjoying sipping a cocktail while taking in a cookery demonstration, or immersing yourself in a seafood trail, we are sure you’ll find a festival to suit your needs in this comprehensive list of some of the best food festivals happening around Ireland in the coming months.
Burren Slow Food Festival
The Burren Slow Food Festival includes cookery demonstrations, tastings, craft and farmer’s market, yoga classes, as well a pop-up café and barbecue area. On the eve of the Festival, there is a Slow Food Banquet in the Burren Storehouse, Lisdoonvarna, showcasing the quality ingredients from the area. This year’s festival motto “Taste the Atlantic” will be reflected in the talks and cookery demos throughout the fectival.
Lisdoonvarna Community Hall, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare; May 11th slowfoodclare.com
Ballymaloe Festival of Food
The Ballymaloe Festival of Food is a three-day event, packed with activities and food experiences. There are cookery demonstrations, a series of talks and workshops, guided tours, plus many pop-up dining events. With a host of all-star chefs and guests, including Jay Rayner, Tom Parker Bowles and Antony Worrall Thompson, this is a weekend not to be missed by any food-lover.
Shanagarry, Co Cork; May 16-18th ballymaloegrainstore.com/ballymaloe-festival-of-food
Bord Bia Bloom
Bord Bia Bloom is Ireland’s largest gardening festival, but it is also a haven of delight for food-lovers. Each year, there is an abundance of food producers in the food tents offering delicious samples of their products. Throughout each day, the Quality Kitchen Stage hosts cookery demonstrations by some of the best loved chefs in Ireland, while there is also a fantastic selection of food vendors on site. With a packed programme of talks and interactive events, this is a wonderful festival for all the family to enjoy.
Phoenix Park, Dublin; May 29th-June 2nd https://www.bordbiabloom.com
Taste of Dublin
Celebrating its 20th year, Taste of Dublin continues to be a yearly highlight for many food enthusiasts. Festival-goers have the opportunity to taste signature dishes from some of the finest restaurants in Dublin. With a stellar line-up of cookery demonstrations and panel discussions, immersive experiences, artisan producers stands, as well as live entertainment, there is the makings of a great afternoon or evening for young and old alike.
Merrion Square, Dublin 2; June 12-15th tasteofdublin.ie
Flavours of Fingal
Flavours of Fingal is Ireland’s largest family-friendly county show. There is a mixture of music, entertainment, farming, food, and sport. From sheepdog trials to activities for children, such as the chance to learn some circus skills, there is much to do making it a fantastically, fun-filled family day out.
Newbridge House and Farm, Donabate, North Dublin; July 5th-6th
All Together Now
All Together Now is a festival which incorporates music, art, food and wellness, while offering a star-studded music, comedy and cookery demonstration line-up. The Grub Circus at The Theatre of Food, programmed and hosted by food writer Joe McNamee, has a jam-packed programme again this year to include events, demos, cooking competitions, tastings, workshops, and debates. Darina Allen, Rachel Allen, Rory O’Connell, Kevin Thornton, Enda McEvoy and Sally Barnes are amongst the food personalities featuring this year.
Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford; July 31st – August 3rd
Rush Harbour Festival
The Rush Harbour Festival, which includes the Fingal Rush Air Display, takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend. There promises to be a hive of activities over the weekend to include concerts, line dancing, craft markets, plus in the festival kitchen there will be a host of cookery demonstrations (this year’s line-up is yet to be announced).
Rush Co. Dublin; August 1st -5th https://www.facebook.com/whatsoninrush
Cork on a Fork Fest
Cork on a Fork is a five-day event showcasing Cork’s lively food culture and the quality of local produce, through food trails, cookery demonstrations, tastings, masterclasses, talks, and unique dining experiences.
Various locations, Cork city; August 13-17th corkonaforkfest.ie
Big Grill Festival
Big Grill BBQ & Food Festival brings together some of the best Irish and international chefs and barbecue experts to create a BBQ experience like no other. As well as having the opportunity to taste dishes from around the world, the Bastecamp Stage will host classes on how to grill, smoke, marinate, and butcher meat. A must-visit for the BBQ enthusiast!
Herbert Park, Dublin 4; August 14-17th biggrillfestival.com
Dalkey Lobster Festival
The Dalkey Lobster Festival celebrates the lobster season in style with a weekend of cookery demonstrations and tastings, live music, street entertainment, and artisan exhibits.
Dalkey, Co Dublin; August 23rd-24th dalkeylobsterfestival.com
Electric Picnic -Theatre of Food
The Theatre of Food at Electric Picnic hosts a jam-packed schedule for the entire weekend of the festival. The line-up for this year’s programme is yet to be announced but if it’s in line with the last sixteen years there promises to be a host of Michelin chefs, skilled storytellers, as well as some of Ireland’s most celebrated chefs and food writers.
Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois; August 29th – 31st https://www.electricpicnic.ie/explore/theatre-of-food/
Waterford Harvest Festival
The Waterford Harvest Festival showcases Waterford’s best places to drink, eat, and explore, through cookery demonstrations, talks, panel discussions, and unique dining experiences. There will also be live music and lots of free family events.
Various locations, Waterford City; September 5th -7th https://www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie
Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival
The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is Ireland’s longest running food festival. It also plays host to the World Oyster Opening Championship, with competitors hailing from all parts of the world to be crowned with the World Championship title. With live music, cookery demonstrations, and lots of family-fun activities, this festival is a wonderful event to celebrate the start of the oyster season.
Galway City; September 26th-28th galwayoysterfestival.com
Dingle Food Festival
Often hailed as the best food festival in Ireland, Dingle Food Festival is a food-lovers paradise. Offering a Taste Trail which includes over sixty tasting outlets, food markets, food discussion panels, masterclasses, cookery demonstrations, book launches, and much more. The festival is also home to the prestigious, annual Blás na hÉireann awards.
Dingle, Co Kerry; October 3rd-5th dinglefood.com
Savour Kilkenny
Savour Kilkenny is now in its 17th year, taking place in different locations throughout Kilkenny City. There are over 100 food stalls to visit, along with cookery demonstrations by many household names, dining and drinks experiences, hands-on workshops, and engaging talks. There are also plenty of workshops and activities for children, making it a great family-fun event to attend.
Kilkenny City; October 23rd-27th savourkilkenny.com
Samhain Festival of Food & Culture with Sheridan’s Irish Food Fair
Samhain Festival of Food & Culture celebrates Ireland’s rich culinary and cultural heritage, while Sheridan’s Irish Food Fair celebrates the best of Irish food and drink. The weekend is filled with immersive food and drink tasting events, food tours, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and a stunningly iconic Samhain long table supper.
Kells, Co Meath; November 6-9th
