The Best Music Festivals in Ireland

Ireland with its smooth whiskeys, silky stouts, stunning backdrops, and essential musicians including U2, Hozier, Roisin Murphy, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor and countless other legends, is the perfect place for a music festival.

Contributing some of the most important music of our times, it’s no surprise they love a good festival. Whether it’s hip hop, techno, rock, indie, pop, soul, grime, or funk that does it for you, there’s a festival in Ireland that'll have you buzzing. 

So let’s get straight to it. Here are the best Irish music festivals.

 

Emerge

Photo: EMERGE BELFAST / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2024 (August Bank Holiday Weekend)

Where: Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast, Northern Ireland 

2024 lineup: Patrick Topping, Peggy Gou, Ben Hemsley, Hannah Laing, blk., KETTAMA, I Hate Models, Interplanetary Criminals, Skin On Skin and many more

Just half an hour from Belfast International Airport, Emerge will be popping off with the biggest names in house, techno, and other electronic genres at Boucher Playing Fields. Geordie DJ Patrick Topping and global sensation Peggy Gou will each close one of the two nights, whilst Skiddle favourites blk., Ben Hemsley and Hannah Laing are some of the names that make up a stacked bill. Going down on the August bank holiday weekend, not only will you have extra time to recover from the madness, but the weather should be on your side. No wonder it's safely considered one of the finest festivals across the Northern Irish border. 

For the size of the lineup, tickets are affordable at just over £100. But prices may increase as the festival looms closer, so snag them now to save a few quid!

 

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Electric Picnic

Photo: Electric Picnic / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 16th - Sunday 18th August 2024 

Where: Stradbally in County Laois, Ireland

2024 lineup: TBA

Electric Picnic is one of the biggest Irish music festivals that welcomes a bunch of artists from a variety of genres to perform to over 40,000 music fans. Just over an hour's drive from Dublin, this boutique fest has already announced some huge names for this year’s edition. Outside the tunes, there's the theatre, a crafts area with workshops, a lake to swim in, and a hidden rave area for those who shun sleep in the name of the rave. 

 

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Longitude Festival

Photo: Longitude Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 29th - Sunday 20th June 2024

Where: Marlay Park in Rathfarnham, Ireland

2024 lineup: Central Cee, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Becky Hill, Belters Only, D-Block Europe, Sonny Fodera, Joel Corry and many more 

Head to Longitude for killer hip-hop, grime, trap, drill, and house and techno bangers. A 40-minute drive from Dublin, the fest goes down in Marlay Park and will see both huge and emerging talents perform over the weekend such as Central Cee and Doja Cat, along with other acts like 21 Savage, Becky Hill and Sonny Fodera. A slew of talent has already been unveiled and there's way more to come, so stay tuned! 

 

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Forbidden Fruit 

Photo: Forbidden Fruit Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 1st - Sunday 2nd June 2024 (June Bank Holiday Weekend)  

Where: Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, Ireland 

2024 lineup: Nelly Furtado, Four Tet, Bicep present Chroma (DJ set), Barry Can't Swim, DJ Seinfeld, Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn and many more 

Returning as the first festival of the summer, Forbidden Fruit takes place in the heart of Dublin city and has some solid names on its lineup for 2024. Celebrate a much-welcomed bank holiday with Barry Can't Swim on the decks, Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn on the mic and plenty of acts from all over the musical landscape. From techno to trance and dance, whether you like Nelly Furtado or Four Tet, there's something for you.

 

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Open Ear Festival 

Photo: Open Ear / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June 2024 

Where: Sherkin Island in Cork, Ireland

2024 lineup: TBA

If the other fests here are a bit too mainstream for your taste, perhaps Open Ear might be more you. The fest prides itself on its oath to “present the best in Ireland’s electronic and experimental music scene”. Taking to the sunny skies of Cork's Sherkin Island include experimental electronica acts Sam De La Rosa, Crispy Jason, Vacant Heads and Wisecrack. 

 

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All Together Now

Photo: All Together Now / Facebook.com 

When: Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th August 2024 (August Bank Holiday Weekend)

Where: Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford, Ireland 

2024 lineup: Jorja Smith, The National, Future Islands, Bakar, Barry Can't Swim and many more 

All Together Now, the festival that was the brainchild of the man behind the original Electric Picnic, is back with loads of fun to be found across 18 stages. All Together Now was created for “like-minded people - music lovers, passionate performers, families, artists, musicians, creators, rebels, and refugees of a changing festival landscape - to come together and create a truly magical atmosphere across one weekend.” 

There’s also comedy, theatre, art, spoken word, and debates, with workshops and wellness activities. With this in mind and with a lineup like that, we don’t need any more convincing. 

 

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Sea Sessions Festival

Photo: Sea Sessions Surf & Music Festival / Facebook.com

When: Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd June 2024 

Where: Bundoran Beach in County Donegal, Ireland 

2024 lineup: Johnny Marr, Jake Bugg, Alan Fitzpatrick, blk., Jazzy, Route 94, Cian Ducrot, Casso, Fionn Curran, Daire and many more 

As you might have guessed by the name, Sea Sessions is a beach festival in Donegal that celebrates music, surfing, sports, and just letting loose for a weekend. The lineup is pretty diverse with sets from indie legends Johnny Marr and Jake Bugg, techno master Alan Fitzpatrick, and Irish singer Jazzy. And if you find some free time, there are lots of sporty activities to check out, including beach yoga, surfing, a skate park, and beach sports like volleyball, rugby, football and frisbee.

 

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Stendhal Festival

Photo: Stendhal Festival / Facebook.com

When: Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th July 2024  

Where: Ballmully Cottage Farm in Limavady, Northern Ireland

2024 lineup: Heather Small, Hot Chip, Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball (from Gomez), The Orb, Skinny Living, Ye Vagabonds and many more  

If you’re looking for a festival that the littluns will love, Stendhal Festival has won its fair share of Best Family Festival awards over the years, with the organisers eager to improve family fun each year. Alongside the tunes, there’ll be comedians, performance art, exhibitions, and workshops to explore. This year's lineup sees blues, hip-hop, alt-rock, funk, and DJs, so we're going to have an ecletic selection of sounds for 2024. 

 

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United Tribes Festival 

 

Photo: United Tribes studios / Facebook.com

When: Friday 28th - Sunday 30th June 2024 

Where: Beatties Farm in Omagh

2024 lineup: Mungos HiFi, Twisted Sisters, Space Shepherds, Fagin's Reject, Unrepentant Reggae Sounds, Big Jacket Crew and many more

Now back for its third iteration, United Tribes Festival is one of the most unique and intimate festivals around, comprising acts from all corners of the musical spectrum across four stages. Punk, folk, hip-hop, reggae, indie, metal, bass music, jungle, DnB, trance, techno, house and more are all present in the assortment of underground artists from all over the UK, Ireland and Europe. 

Its four stages all have secrets and surprises in store, with one stage dedicated to reggae and similar, with another focused on psytrance with immersive UV art installations. We couldn't forget the NaturaFuse Area, a cool little spot of the festival which boasts yoga, daily poetry, workshops and talks.  

 

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Jika Jika Festival 

Photo: Jika Jika! / Facebook.com

When: Saturday 29th June 2024

Where: Ebrington Square in Derry

2024 lineup: Ewan McVicar, Special Request, Eclair FiFi, Caoimhe 

Known for their wicked parties, Derry-based events brand Jika Jika! are the go-to house and techno connoisseurs in the city, and their contribution to the festival circuit is another unmissable event. Headlined by Scottish house prodigy Ewan McVicar as he brings his collection of belters across the Irish Sea, Jika Jika Festival transforms the lovely Ebrington Square into a techno paradise.

Some of the most serious disc spinners like Special Request and Eclair FiFi are providing the tunes, as it easily makes it in there as one of our picks for the best music festivals in Ireland. Plus, the next day sees another bucket list belter in Sunday in the City, where soul and disco titans Sister Sledge and a bevy of world class entertainers make the streets of Derry their own. 

 

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So there you have it, the best festivals in Ireland. While some might not think of Ireland as their first choice for a music festival, there’s fantastic variety, and there’s plenty to explore when the festival’s over. We hope you’re as pumped as we are to check out these class Ireland festivals.

 

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

 

 

  

 

 

Header image: Longitude Festival / Facebook.com