Welcome to July’s blaze of glory – great festivals and events to visit

Ireland hosts a variety of festivals in July, celebrating its rich cultural heritage, music, arts, and more. These festivals provide a wonderful opportunity to experience Irish culture, music, arts, and community spirit.

Whether you are planning your annual family holiday, a few days or weekend away with your friends, there is a lot happening around the country during the month of July. Music, Literary and Arts festivals —they are all happening in July. Why not visit some of these great events and make a holiday of it? Pack up your tent, hook up your caravan, and experience all that Ireland has to offer. Camping Ireland has over 100 great caravan and camping parks around Ireland, all inspected and quality-approved, you will find plenty of places to pitch up for a few nights.

In the South East there is a host of top class festivals and events taking place.

Starting off the Festival season is Clonmel Junction Arts Festival runs from 28^th June to 7^th July in the South Tipperary town and celebrates touring theatre and live music.  The theme for this year is the Legacy X Next, focusing on our rich history of artists living and working in the area, and looking forward to the next generation of legacy-makers!  A unique event is the Baby Loves Music concert for babies aged 0 – 12 months inspired by lullabies, dreams, peace and rest!

Tipperary has some top quality caravan & camping parks around the county.  Book into one of these great sites and take a trip into Clonmel to experience the music and theatre taking place.

Gowran Park in Kilkenny is the place to be on 7^th July where the Kilkenny Country Music Festival takes place.  There will be lots of music and dancing with some of the best Country Singers in Ireland.  Spend a few days at one of the caravan & camping sites in Kilkenny and take a trip to Gowran Park for great music and entertainment.

Waterford’s Comeraghs Wild Festival celebrates its 10th birthday across the first two weekends in July, starting with an open air concert in the stunning courtyard at Curraghmore House & Gardens.  The festival continues  from July 6 to 14 and will include a mix of activities in the mountains and in the sea, live music, dance and outdoor events celebrating history, culture and natural beauty of the Comeragh Mountains, Copper Coast and Nire Valley region.  Get booking your pitch in Waterford in July and take a trip to Curraghmore House & Gardens to enjoy this great festival.

Leinster Fleadh 2024 takes place in Wicklow Town from 12th – 14th July. Musicians, singers and dancers from across Leinster will compete for a place in Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.  If you are planning to stay in Wicklow during July take a trip into Wicklow town and soak up the atmosphere at ‘the Fleadh’.

The West and North West is truly awake this July with some great festivals and events taking place.

Cairde Sligo Arts Festival takes place from July 6 to 13 and promises to transform Sligo town and county into a vibrant hub of colourful and exciting festive activity, featuring events across music, theatre, dance and more.  It is a celebration of imagination and shared experience that welcomes all.

Sligo has some great caravan & camping parks suitable for all the family and is also home to Ireland’s only dedicated Adult only site.  Check out great spots to overnight in Sligo.

2 great festivals are taking place in Donegal during July.  First up is the Eargail Arts Festival from 13^th to 28^th July, 16 days of music, theatre, visual, arts, film, literature, circus and carnival along the Atlantic seaboard.  The festival showcases artists native to the area and provides opportunities for cultural exchange, in venues from purpose built theatres and galleries, to village halls, forests and beaches, creating a unique cultural experience in the most unlikely of magical places.

This festival is followed by the Mary from Dungloe Festival from 27^th July to 5^th August which has been running since 1967.  It is family friendly with a wide variety of musical, cultural, child friendly, arts, sporting, artistic and novelty events. The Carnival Parade on the 2nd Sunday of the festival is a great highlight

These festivals diverse programmes will have something to appeal to everyone, so wherever you are staying when you are in Donegal you can enjoy these great events during the month.

Ballina Salmon Festival celebrates their 60^th anniversary this year and is the longest running community festival along the Wild Atlantic Way. Family fun, music, arts, culture and heritage, sports and the River Moy make the festival a very special week to remember.  The festivities kick off with the Cruinniú na mBád on the 6^th which is a gathering of the boats on the River Moy.

On Sunday 28^th July Mayo International Kite Festival takes place at Keel on Achill Island.  This will be a spectacular site with international pro fly kite creations the size of a bus in a thousand colour extravaganza high in the sky.  This will be a great day out for all ages and includes workshops for kids as well as kite flying competitions – highest kite, best design and more colourful or best kite crash!

You will be spoilt for choice with the selection of top quality caravan & camping sites to book.  Book for a night, a weekend, a week or longer and enjoy this fabulous Mayo region.

There is always something happening in Galway including the Galway International Arts Festival from 15^th to 28^th July.  There are a number of free and ticketed events taking place including theatre, music, visual arts, circus, comedy and much more. With the medieval city of Galway as the backdrop explore Irish and international events as this spectacular event.

Galway has a great selection of places to pitch up and enjoy a few days in the area.  You can stay close to Galway city or out along the Connemara coastline along the Wild Atlantic Way.  Get booking your stays now.

Moving southwards there is a number of family friendly events taking place along the southern part of Ireland.  Féile Brian Boru will take place from 3^rd to 7^th July in the beautiful twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina.  This year the Vikings are coming to help them celebrate and will be offering craft demos, battle re-enactments, Viking Longboat trips on the Shannon and much more.

Book into one of the great sites in Clare and take a trip to Killaloe to experience this Féile.

The Ballybunion Arts Festival runs from 18^th to 21^st July and is a great family friendly event including theatre, poetry, music, performances, visual art and workshops as well as integrating the Irish language throughout the festival.

Kerry is home to a great selection of quality approved caravan & camping sites.  You have a number of quality sites along the Ring of Kerry and on the Dingle Peninsula, a good selection in Killarney and Tralee and even more in North Kerry.

West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry runs from 12^th to 19^th July and is now a firmly established highlight of the Irish Literary calendar.  Famous Irish and international writers, both established and emerging, gather in the picturesque town each year. There are master classes, readings, and workshops, as well as interviews with authors, book launches, and a cornucopia of other events.  The list of visitors to Bantry this year includes Anne Enright, Colm Tóibín, Adania Shibli, David Nicholls, Dolly Alderton, Paul Lynch, Rónán Hession, Eimear Ryan, Theo Dorgan, Andrea Mara, Irvine Welsh, Miriam Margoyles, Elizabeth Day and Jason Allen-Paisant.  This will be followed by the Skibbereen Arts Festival from 26^th July to 4^th August with live music, exhibitions, films, workshops and Olympics themed street party!

Cork has the highest number of registered/approved caravan & camping parks in Ireland.  Book a few nights away and take a trip to one of these great festivals.

Northern Ireland has a number of great and varied festivals and events taking place in July.  The Belfast Trad Festival takes place from 21^st to 28^th July.  Belfast Trad celebrates the cultural diversity of the different traditions in Northern Ireland.  Featuring a week long programme of workshops and a full programme of concerts, talks, lectures, sessions, céilís & festival clubs, Belfast will be alive in July.

Fleadh Ulster from 21^st to 28^th July in Dromore Co. Tyrone promises to be epic.  There will be a packed programme of Irish traditional music, song, dance and language for all the family to enjoy.

Take a holiday in Northern Ireland.  Pitch up in one of the top quality sites and enjoy these great events during July.

Camping Ireland has so much information to help you plan your caravan & camping trip away.  The new website is very user-friendly and has a number of great features which makes it very easy to navigate.  One of the new features is that you can now add filters to your selection.  This will allow you to get information on parks that are specific to your needs.

You can now filter for sites as follows:

Camping type – camping, glamping, mobile home hire, etc.

Holiday type – beach holiday, countryside, family-friendly, dog friendly, etc.

Facilities – beach nearby, playground, games room, shop, etc.

County

Region – Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Dublin or Northern Ireland

Also, many sites are now offering online booking which will help you secure your pitch at the click of a button.

Whatever you want Camping Ireland has something to suit everyone.  Enjoy the independence and flexibility that camping in Ireland can offer in quality approved sites.  We look forward to welcoming you to Ireland’s outdoor living.