Festival season starts now, and there are celebrations of food, music, books, pride, culture and community happening all over Ireland. Here are our top event picks for June.
Bord Bia Bloom
Until 2 June, Phoenix Park, Dublin, more info here
Returning for its 19th year, the festival is Ireland’s largest gardening festival, heralding the start of summer with a dazzling display of glorious gardens, fabulous food, and enthralling entertainment to entice visitors of all ages. This year will also see the launch of ‘A Taste of Bloom, curated by Neven’: a very special new dining experience.
Galway Folk Festival
4-8 June, various venues, Galway, more info here
Taking place across five days, Galway Folk Festival’s 2025 programme features over 60 fantastic acts performing across five stages. The line-up includes The Scratch, Lloyd Cole and Kíla. There’ll also be a Seanchoíche event and a late night festival club. In addition to the ticketed events, there are also plenty of free daytime shows to be enjoyed around Galway city.
Quincy Jones: A Celebration
5 June, National Concert Hall, Dublin, more info here
The 28-time Grammy award-winning music legend Quincy Jones will be honoured with an evening of show-stopping classics, presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Expect the likes of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, ‘Thriller’, ‘Come Fly with Me’, ‘Let the Good Times Roll’, and many more of the groundbreaking composer, producer, and arranger’s greatest hits.
‘Look up, Look out, Earth is the Antidote’ by Kyle Sven
5-8 June, Segotia, Rathmines, Dublin, more info here
This exhibition seeks to highlight two interconnected global issues: light pollution and climate change, bringing attention to the impact through immersive visual storytelling. The project encourages viewers to rethink their connection to the sky and the effects of modern living. It draws the gaze upward to the stars fading from view and outward to the earth that nurtures us, positioning nature as a healing force.
In The Meadows
7 June, IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, more info here
Now in its second year, In The Meadows isn’t your average festival; it’s a one-day dive into music culture with standout performances, raw energy, and a community vibe crafted for true music fans. This year’s line-up includes Iggy Pop, Slowdive and Sprints.
Design Collective pop-up
7 June, Merrion Hotel, Dublin, more info here
This exclusive design collective event invites you to a front row showroom experience and display in fashion, accessories, and wellness, featuring a selection of multi-award-winning Irish designers as they unveil a carefully curated selection and exclusive sneak salon previews. Designers in attendance include Soak, August Night, Nimiiny, and Madigan Cashmere.
Hell & Back
7 June, Killruddery Estate, Wicklow, more info here
Ireland’s toughest physical and mental challenge, Hell & Back, returns with their biggest event ever. Prepare for an action-packed day of fun, grit and unforgettable adventure. With two course options – 13km and 8km – there’s a challenge suitable for everyone, whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned Hell & Back enthusiast.
When Next We Meet Festival
7-8 June, Raheen House Hotel, Tipperary, more info here
A weekend celebration of the best in alternative and independent Irish music, When Next We Meet was born to celebrate the rich tapestry of alternative and independent Irish music by fostering intimate connections between artists and audiences. The line-up includes Pillow Queens, Morgana, Villagers, Skinner, and Paddy Hanna.
We Built This City on Rock and Coal
From 9 June, various venues across Ireland, more info here
This unique hopepunk theatre experience combines live comedy, citizen science, music, and real local voices. The show invites audiences to share their thoughts on nature and the climate crisis, with songs, sketches, and even scientific presentations improvised live on stage in response. Each performance is co-created with the community, meaning no two shows are the same, and every laugh is part of a much bigger story: how we care for the environment we live in, from our own back gardens to the edge of the exosphere.
Beyond the Awards: Stories of Success and Impact
10 June, The Conrad Hotel, Dublin, more info here
The IMAGE team are celebrating brilliance in business with our new IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year event series. Join us for an exciting evening as this year’s award winners share invaluable insights, followed by an inspiring conversation with our overall winner, Aimee Connolly.
Bloomsday Festival
11-16 June, various venues around Dublin city, more info here
One of Ireland’s most vibrant and unique literary celebrations, Bloomsday celebrates Thursday, June 16, 1904, the day immortalised in James Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses. The festival programme includes readings and exhibitions, walking tours, plenty of performances, and teatime talks.
Dalkey Book Festival
12-15 June, Dalkey, Dublin, more info here
A festival that has been celebrating literary talent and hosting some of the world’s leading writers and thinkers since 2010, Dalkey Book Festival has an incredible line-up of speakers this year, including David McWilliams, Stefanie Preissner, Dr. Caroline West and Donal Ryan.
Taste of Dublin
12-15 June, Merrion Square, Dublin, more info here
Bringing together the most delicious restaurants from across Dublin for four days of feasting, Taste of Dublin transports guests to a foodie haven in the heart of the city for an unmissable highlight of the summer. Restaurants on the line-up include Shaku Maku, Nomo Ramen, and Bovinity, to name a few.
Beyond the Pale
13-15 June, Glendalough Estate, Wicklow, more info here
One of Ireland’s best festivals by a landslide, Beyond the Pale is for music lovers and those who want to throw themselves headfirst into the art, theatre and food spectacles to be experienced across the line-up. There’s a great Irish focus on the line-up this year, including Soda Blonde, King Kong Company, Róisín Murphy, Le Boom and more.
Live at the Gate: Rosie O’Donnell
19 June, Gate Theatre, Dublin, more info here
A trailblazing icon of screen, stage, and stand-up, Rosie brings her razor-sharp wit and unmistakable voice to her newly adopted hometown for a night of brilliant comedy and community. The evening will open with a set from rising Irish comedian Becky Cheatle and Rosie’s performance will be followed by OUT LOUD, an event celebrating trans voices.
Cork Midsummer Festival
19-22 June, various venues in Cork city, more info here
Transforming Cork city into an extraordinary stage, Cork Midsummer Festival ignites bold ideas and builds bridges that connect art and audiences, artists and communities, Cork and the world. Highlights include the captivating dance show Triptych, Aideen Barry in conversation with Sinéad Gleeson, and the joyful dance party, The Opposite of Queer Trauma.
Limerick Summer Proms
19-22 June, University Concert Hall, Limerick, more info here
This spectacular celebration of classical and contemporary music features world-class performances, stunning venues, and an atmosphere like no other. Highlights include the Irish Chamber Orchestra with Kristian Bezuidenhout, The Incredible Voyage of Alasdair Molloy with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and Marty in the Evening with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Hinterland Festival
26-29 June, Kells, Meath, more info here
An annual multi-disciplinary arts festival based in the spiritual home of the Book of Kells, the festival brings visitors on an illuminating journey of debate, discussion, reflection and imagination on the world as it is, and how it might be. This year’s programme includes music from Jack Lukeman, Martin Sixsmith in conversation on Vladimir Putin, and Michael Harding on his most recent work, I Loved Him From the Day He Died.
The Birdhill Coffee Festival
27-29 June, Birdhill, Tipperary, more info here
Coffee lovers, brew buffs and espresso enthusiasts, get ready, because Ireland’s only destination coffee festival is back with another unmissable event, bringing together the best in speciality coffee, culture, and community in one place. This year’s adult-only festival promises a coffee-fuelled line-up of exhibitors, interactive workshops, live barista competitions, guest speakers, educational masterclasses, brewing demos and exclusive tastings of the finest brews from Ireland and beyond.
Dancing at Lughnasa
From 27 June, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Brian Friel’s moving and timeless masterpiece about family, home and belonging returns by popular demand. In the warmth of the Donegal harvest of 1936, the five Mundy sisters, Kate, Maggie, Rose, Agnes and Chris, love, survive, fight, and dance. This unforgettable summer brings the possibility of joy and love to these extraordinary, ordinary women.
West Cork Chamber Music Festival
27 June – 6 July, West Cork, more info here
Now in its 30th year, the West Cork Chamber Music Festival presents yet another stellar line-up of world-class musicians circling around a core of string quartets. There will be coffee concerts, candlelit performances, and a young musicians series — to name but a few of the great events taking place throughout the festival.
Dublin Pride Parade
28 June, Dublin city, more info here
Ten years since we won marriage equality by popular vote, ten years since the Gender Recognition Act, and ten years since the Children and Family Relationships Act, this year’s celebration will be a chance to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the most momentous year for LGBTQ+ rights in Irish history.
Beach Yoga & Pilates
Weekly events throughout the summer, Portmarnock Beach, Dublin, more info here
This summer, the shoreline becomes your studio as Wild Soul Yoga and Wellness, founded by yoga teacher and holistic health coach Margaret Young, returns to Portmarnock Beach for the fifth consecutive summer of beach classes. These open-air sessions offer the perfect opportunity to move, breathe, and unwind with like-minded women. Each class is designed to build strength, flexibility, and balance, all while immersed in the calming sounds of the sea and fresh coastal air.
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