The Best Music Festivals in Ireland

Get acquainted with the Emerald Isle’s best music festivals in our detailed guide, and make plans for an excursion out into the open spaces this spring and summer.

Skiddle Staff

Last updated: 29th Jan 2026

Ireland, with its smooth whiskeys, silky stouts, stunning backdrops, and essential musicians - including U2, Hozier, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, Sinéad O’Connor, Enya, Fontaines D.C., and electronic icons such as Bicep, Krystal Klear, Rebūke, OR:LA, and KETTAMA - is the perfect place for a music festival.

Having contributed some of the most important music of our time, it’s no surprise the country loves 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 Music Festival Belfast

When: Sunday 30th August 2026 (August Bank Holiday Weekend)

Where: Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Situated just half an hour from Belfast International Airport, Emerge is a huge draw for dance fans from right across Europe, who come willingly to witness some of the most respected names in the electronic music scene doing their thang.

With artists covering both harder and more hypnotic styles of techno, alongside the many offshoots of house - from deep and tech to funky and beyond - it’s regarded as one of the best and most varied dance music festivals north of the Irish border.

Electric Picnic Festival

When: Friday 28th - Sunday 30th August 2026

Where: Stradbally in County Laois, Republic of Ireland

Electric Picnic is without question one of Ireland’s biggest music festivals, regularly welcoming major names from across genres to perform for more than 40,000 fans each year.

Taking place annually in the historic county of Laois, just over an hour’s drive from Dublin, the boutique-style event is known for spotting rising talent and delivering a fully immersive festival experience.

Beyond the headline sets and big tunes, there’s theatre, hands-on craft workshops, a lake to swim in, and even a hidden rave area for those willing to sacrifice sleep in the name of the dancefloor.

Forbidden Fruit

When: Saturday 30th - Sunday 31st May 2026 (May Bank Holiday Weekend)

Where: Irish Museum Of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin

Commandeering the heart of Dublin city for two days of outstanding live music, Forbidden Fruit is the capital's first and longest-running city-centre festival. Running over the May Bank Holiday weekend, the event customarily marks the beginning of the festival season in Ireland, and see’s heavyweight talents performing across its stages in front of thousands of enthusiastic, and seriously up for it, music fans.

The staging and light production at this event is worth the price of the ticket alone, never mind the lineup (which is also always something to behold).

Open Ear Festival

When: Thursday 28th - Sunday 31st May 2026

Where: Sherkin Island in Cork, Ireland

If the other festivals here feel a bit too mainstream for your taste, Open Ear Festival might be more your speed.

This deliberately intimate event takes place off the beaten track on the remote Sherkin Island, off Ireland’s southwest coast. Over four days, it skips big-name headliners in favour of showcasing the best in Ireland’s underground electronic and experimental music scene.

Expect artists exploring club‑adjacent sounds - from ambient to drone, electronica, techno, and noise - set against the island’s idyllic rural backdrop. It’s a magnet for creatives, adventurers, and anyone ready to embrace something a little different.

All Together Now

When: Thursday 30th July - Sunday 2nd August 2026

Where: Curraghmore Estate in County Waterford, Ireland

All Together Now, the festival dreamed up by the mind behind the original Electric Picnic, is one of those events you have to experience to believe - imagine Glastonbury-level production paired with top-tier musical talent.

Designed for “like-minded people - music lovers, passionate performers, families, artists, musicians, creators, rebels, and refugees of a changing festival landscape” - this is a truly magical festival with an atmosphere that’s hard to replicate.

Beyond an incredible lineup, you’ll find live comedy, theatre, art installations, spoken word, debates, workshops, wellness activities… the list goes on. No convincing needed.

Stendhal Festival 2026

When: Thursday 2nd - Saturday 4th July 2026

Where: Ballmully Cottage Farm in Limavady, Northern Ireland

If you’re searching for a festival your little ones will love, Stendhal Festival has collected its fair share of Best Family Festival awards in the past, with organisers expanding the family-fun offering year after year. Alongside the music, expect live stand-up comedy, performance art, exhibitions, and a packed programme of hands-on workshops.

Then there’s the setting… This inclusive gathering takes place at Ballymully Cottage Farm, framed by breathtaking scenery along the famous Causeway Coastal Route.

It’s a festival experience your whole family will be talking about long after the tents come down.

Belsonic Festival

When: Friday 12th June - Wednesday 1st July 2026

Where: Ormeau Park in Belfast

Lighting up Ormeau Park each June with a series of spectacular outdoor concerts, Belfast’s Belsonic Festival has become something of a destination for world-class acts spanning rock, pop, dance and more, just as much as it has for music fans.

Rather than being held over one long weekend, Belsonic unfolds over multiple nights, spanning three weeks during the height of the summer. Big-name sets and diverse supporting artists fill the bill, creating a summer soundtrack that’s hard to beat.

Best of all? The festival is within walking distance of Belfast’s buzzing city and nightlife.

AVA Festival

When: Friday 29th - Saturday 30th May 2026

Where: Titanic Slipways in Belfast

What first began as a grassroots one-day gathering has now become an all-out weekend-long party, armed with cutting-edge sound systems and mind-blowing immersive visuals. Of course, it could only be AVA Festival.

Platforming the best in Irish and international electronic music upon the iconic Titanic Slipway, AVA’s lineup is boundary-pushing, blending legendary acts with forward-thinking performers across techno, house, garage, drum & bass and beyond.

Consider yourself a time-honoured raver? A regular after-hours dance floor warrior? This festival is definitely one to consider.

Longitude Festival

When: TBA

Where: Marlay Park in Dublin

Taking over Marlay Park every July and bringing along with it a weekend stacked with big beats, star power and unparalleled summer vibes, Longitude is considered by many Dubliners a must-attend event.

Since making its debut in 2013, the festival has earned its place on the Irish festival calendar, pulling in huge international acts across hip-hop, pop, dance and electronica, drawing enormous crowds each year.

Away from the muck and mire of the fields, Longitude makes the most of its city-park setting, pairing headline sets with local food vendors and bars, and once the curtain falls on the festival's stages, the party continues long into the early hours in the heart of Dublin.

Beyond The Pale

When: Friday 12th - Sunday 14th June 2026

Where: Glendalough Estate in Glendalough

Three days celebrating music, art, food and culture, set deep within the wild woodlands of the Glendalough Estate in County Wicklow - count us in.

Beyond The Pale is a boutique festival built for lovers of great music. Each summer, it welcomes sought-after international acts while championing homegrown favourites and rising new talent.

The experience stretches far beyond the stage. Reset with morning yoga, sweat out the night before in the festival’s hot saunas, cool off with a refreshing cold dip, then head out for woodland foraging, all framed by the awe-inspiring Wicklow Mountains.

So there you have it, our selection of the best festivals in Ireland. While some might not think of Ireland as their first choice for a music festival, there’s a fantastic variety and there’s plenty to explore when the festival’s over too.

Looking to attend a festival elsewhere this year? Maybe you're looking for a particular sort of experience? Why not check out our other detailed festival guides, covering the best in UK dance and EDM, house and techno, trance, indie and alternative, and hip-hop.

And if you’re considering a trip to Ibiza this year, we’ve got a festival and event guide for that too! Don’t we treat you well?

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.