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11 Festivals You Should Visit in Laois this Summer

Enjoy the fantastic festivals lined up across Laois this summer

Plan ahead and enjoy a fun-packed time in the midlands and beautiful County Laois

With another summer of fun well and truly on its way, we wanted to make sure you had a full list of festivals to follow so you can plan your time around them in Laois this summer. These must-visit festivals are so tempting that you’ll want to visit Laois numerous times this year and so, we hope we can inspire some of your holiday plans and encourage some of the fun you get up to! 

JUNE

Gordon Bennett Classic Car Run

2nd – 5th June 2023 across Co. Laois 

This fun run takes place over the June Bank Holiday with the midland County of Laois in Ireland as the event base. Also covering other counties including Carlow and Kildare, all three of which were chosen for the original 1903 race. This historic route offers visitors many interesting and scenic locations in the region while celebrating and discovering “The Race that saved Motor Sport”. The Gordon Bennett Route takes you on a historic journey across the spectacular Irish countryside. While the famous Gordon Bennett route was raced by the world’s greatest daredevils at record-breaking speeds in 1903, we suggest you set yourself at a much easier pace. Relax, follow in the footsteps of our motoring pioneers taking time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the way.

Learn more here

Timahoe Heritage Festival

3rd & 4th of June 2023 at Timahoe Heritage Centre

Timahoe Heritage Festival celebrates 1100 years of Viking monastic history with a broad variety of activities, workshops, demonstrations and so on. See a list of each workshop and activity here. From weaving displays, funfairs, and coin striking workshops to food and craft fairs to cooking displays and so much more, it’s a festival not to be missed.

Learn more here

Buds & Blossoms Laois Garden Festival

11th of June 2023 in Spink Community Grounds, Abbeyleix

Growing bigger every year, Buds & Blossoms Gardening Festival promises to put out all the stops this year. It’s a Sunday well spent with an abundance of top gardening speakers, food and entertainment for all the family. A variety of Laois’ local food producers and plant specialists will exhibit and talks and demonstrations from different contributors will also be a highlight. Keep the kids happy with plenty of activities and fun taking place such as balloon modelling, clown fun and music.

Learn more here

Old Fort Quarter Festival

22nd – 25th of June 2023 in Portlaoise

Old Fort Quarter Festival finally returns and is set to be a good one. With headline gigs ticketed on the Main Stage in Laois Music Centre, along with entertainment for all ages across Main Street and Fitzmaurice Plaza, Portlaoise, it’s a weekend in Laois not to be missed. From heritage events and street theatre, to street markets and a pub music trail, as well as music generation, Laois’s special event for teenagers and the four ticketed concerts nightly on the main stage, Laois promises to be buzzing.

Learn more here

 

JULY

The Folly Festival

7th & 8th of July 2023 in Cullohill Castle

Music and comedy combined, The Folly Festival is what dreams are made of in festival fashion. This festival provides family fun for all of the family with daytime events open for all to attend and evening acts for that perfect balance of a fun-filled, family-friendly festival making it a family favourite and one to remember when you let loose in Laois!

Learn more here

Forest Fest

21st – 23rd of July 2023 in Emo Village

Hot on the heels of collecting the ‘Best Festival’ accolade at the Midlands Hospitality Awards, Forest Fest have wasted no time in staking their claim to holding onto the title for 2023. This summertime boutique festival brings a weekend of music and arts to Laois with headliners like JAMES, BELL X1, SUEDE, SUZANNE VEGA, THE PROCLAIMERS, GABRIELLE, PAUL BRADY, PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT and ASH just to name a few. Visitors can even make the most of their weekend and camp out. This family-friendly indie boutique festival is in the heart of Emo and has four stages to allow for a range of acts to perform and suit every music fan.

Learn more here

Durrow Scarecrow Festival

30th July – 7th August 2023 in Durrow, Laois

Laois’s famous festival is back! Durrow Scarecrow Festival was nominated for ‘Best Festival’ in the Irish Times Ticket Awards twice and it’s no wonder why. This community effort festival gives creative spec to the world of scarecrows but also lives up to its title as a festival jam-packed with family entertainment, great markets, events and overall fun. With food and craft fairs, exhibitions and more, without forgetting the one everyone’s been waiting for, the scarecrow championships.

Learn more here

AUGUST

Twin Trees Festival

17th – 20th August 2023 in Ballinakill

Visit Laois this August and wander The Twin Trees Festival, a three day outdoor painting event taking place in Heywood Gardens on day one, the woodlands and lakes on day two and Ballinakill Village on day three. With past participants and new artists on the scene, we welcome all to visit Laois to see the very picturesque Ballinakill on canvas. Let’s celebrate art and culture in Laois.

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Power of Words Festival

18th – 20th August 2023 in Abbeyleix

Abbeyleix welcomes all to this year’s Power of Words Festival which celebrates words expressed through written, spoken, acted and sung communication. Set in a town surrounded by and built off its rich heritage, this festival promises to give a deeper look into the meaning of language.

 

Learn more here

SEPTEMBER

Electric Picnic

1st – 3rd September 2023 in Stradbally

This festival needs no introduction. Ireland’s biggest music and arts festival is back and bigger than ever in the Midlands. Spend the weekend enjoying everything from music and comedy to theatre and interactive art with holistic health and world cuisine in between. It’s a weekend for everyone and one that will go down in Irish festival history!

 

Learn more here

National Ploughing Championships

19th – 23rd September 2023 in Ratheniska

Ireland’s biggest agricultural show takes place in Ratheniska this September with a week set to celebrate the best ploughmen and women in the country in the annual ploughing contest. With hundreds of business tents to exhibit their brands and so much fun to be had across the 3 days, it’s another of Laois’s must-do festivals. Don’t forget to pack the wellies and a raincoat though!

 

Learn more here

Laois is waiting to supply your festival fun this summer. Explore LaoisTourism.ie for things to do, places to stay, where to eat and more in the heart of Ireland this summer season.

 
See what else is happening across the county with our official Laois Tourism Event Guide 

Discover a new Laois of life this summer with festival fun

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