- Cork On A Fork Food Festival (12 to 16 August): Cork City’s flagship celebration of food culture features over one hundred events including chef collaborations, pop-up dining, producer tastings, street feasts, craft brewery tours, and family-friendly activities highlighting the county’s renowned produce and passion for gastronomy.
- Cork Pride Festival (late July to early August, extending into August): A vibrant week-long celebration of love, diversity, and inclusion with parades, performances, community events, and parties across Cork City promoting equality and LGBTQ+ visibility.
- Youghal Medieval Festival (2 August): This historical event in Youghal brings medieval re-enactments, markets, music, and family activities to the historic town, immersing visitors in its rich past.
- Castletownbere Festival of the Sea (31 July to 8 August): A lively maritime festival in Castletownbere celebrating the sea with boat races, music, food, and community events on the Beara Peninsula.
- Baltimore Regatta (1 to 3 August): Competitive sailing races and waterfront festivities in Baltimore, combining sport, music, and harbour celebrations in this scenic West Cork village.
- National Heritage Week in Cork (15 to 23 August): County-wide events celebrating Cork’s heritage through open days, guided tours, exhibitions, talks, and cultural activities at historic sites and natural landmarks.
- Cork Puppetry Festival (around 29 July to 1 August): A creative festival showcasing puppetry performances, workshops, and family entertainment in Cork City.
Annual & recurring festivals
- Ballydehob Jazz Festival (May): A vibrant village festival featuring a mix of international jazz stars, a “Jazz Wall” of fame, and a lively street parade.
- Cork International Choral Festival (May): One of Europe’s premier choral events, bringing choirs from all over the world to Cork City for high-level competitions and concerts.
- West Cork Islands Festival (June): A unique celebration across several islands (such as Sherkin and Bere) featuring heritage tours, water sports, and local arts.
- Bandon Walled Town Festival (June): A family-friendly heritage event celebrating the town’s history with medieval reenactments, markets, and music.
- Cork Midsummer Festival (June): A multi-disciplinary arts festival across Cork City featuring contemporary dance, theatre, visual arts, and site-specific performances.
- West Cork Chamber Music Festival (June/July): An internationally acclaimed event in Bantry featuring world-class quartets and soloists in the intimate setting of Bantry House.
- Scoil na gCláirseach – Festival of Early Irish Harp (July): A specialized festival in Kilkenny/Cork regions (often centered in Kilkenny but with strong Cork ties) dedicated to the historical wire-strung harp.
- West Cork Literary Festival (July): A major week-long gathering in Bantry for readers and writers, featuring workshops, readings, and masterclasses with renowned authors.
- Skibbereen Arts Festival (July/August): A community-led festival showcasing local and international talent through film, music, poetry, and visual art installations.
- Calves Week (August): A popular sailing regatta based in Schull, attracting sailors from across Ireland and the UK for competitive racing and evening entertainment.
- National Heritage Week in Cork (third week in August) features walks, talks, exhibitions, and activities across the county.
- Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival (September): A world-renowned gathering on Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island, celebrating the ancient art of oral storytelling.
- A Taste of West Cork Food Festival (September): An extensive county-wide celebration of local producers, featuring long-table dinners, food trails, and markets across various towns.
- Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (September): An award-winning “guitarists’ festival” that fills the pubs and streets of Clonakilty with diverse performances from folk to rock.
- Cork Folk Festival (September/October): A long-running celebration of traditional and folk music taking over venues across Cork City with concerts, lectures, and sessions.
- Guinness Cork Jazz Festival (October): Ireland’s biggest jazz event, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to Cork City for headline acts and a massive “Music Trail” through local pubs.
- Cork International Film Festival (November): Ireland’s first and largest film festival, showcasing a massive program of features, documentaries, and shorts from around the globe.
Festivals
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Cork:
Introduction – 1837 – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells –Hotels – Hotels8 – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Musicians – Name – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Saints – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers
