Street Fest goes all out for Bank Holiday weekend

Carrickmacross Street Festival is back for 2026, from Friday, May 29th to Bank Holiday Monday, June 1st. Founded in 2001, crowds flock from all over Ireland and beyond to visit one of the country’s biggest free festivals annually. Organisers hailed last year’s event as the best one yet, with a carnival atmosphere that lasted all weekend. They are extending an open invitation to festival goers nationwide to come to Carrickmacross. The event has established itself as a must visit in the festival calendar.

All festival events are free to the public. The only thing you will have to put your hand in your pocket for is to support local businesses who support the festival each year and buy something in one of Carrick’s great shops, bars or restaurants!

The festival booklet is now available in shops and has everything you need to know. The committee are hugely thankful to all the sponsors of the festival including some of the bars who have listed their own entertainment for the weekend in the booklet, as well as businesses with in-store promotions featured.

“It really is a big event and for it to remain free is incredible considering that it costs a significant amount of money to run annually. The investment in acts, as well as sound and lighting production values goes up year-on-year; people are getting to see top acts from around the country and production values that they would have to pay for elsewhere,” Andrew Grafton, Carrickmacross Street Festival PRO commented.

In addition to attracting big name acts, such as The Young Wolfe Tones, on Saturday night, Johnny Brady, who will play on Friday evening at 9pm after the opening parade, Patrick Feeney will take to the stage on Sunday night and Philomena Begley and Hugo Duncan who will perform on Monday afternoon/evening, the festival likes to shine a spotlight on local talent too.

“The Credit Union Stage at the top of the town is always hugely popular with a large attendance each year. Over the last few years, attendances at The Shirley Arms Stage have been building also. Festival scheduling is an artform in itself, the trick is to spread crowd-pullers throughout the weekend and between each stage, so that people don’t wait until Sunday night to hit the town,” Andrew added.

Everyone enjoys the music responsibly, the stewards are always on hand and Gardaí will maintain a reassuring presence. The Civil Defence will have a central unit outside the Garda Station and the committee have walkie talkies if their assistance is required. There is also a town map included in the brochure, they really have thought of everything!

It was noted that nightly entertainment on the street will end at an agreed time. Carrickmacross Street Festival Committee is incredibly grateful for the co-operation of local residents, who have supported them since the first festival back in 2001, even maintaining an online presence during Covid.

Carrickmacross Street Festival boasts attractions for all the family, with kids' entertainment over the long weekend including a magician, caricature drawing, facepainting, a pet farm and a Teddy Bears' Picnic.