Bandon Banshee Festival 2026

Bandon Banshee Festival is a Samhain-themed programme of events that fills the October midterm break in Bandon, running from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Organised by Creative Bandon with backing from Cork County Council, Pure Cork and Failte Ireland, it’s built specifically around giving families something to do together across the week that costs little or nothing, leaning on Samhain, the ancient Irish festival marking the end of summer, as its organising theme.

What to expect

The programme spans story, art, drama, film and ideas, celebrating local culture and community rather than a single big set-piece event - expect a spread of smaller happenings across the town over the nine days rather than one headline night. Given the midterm timing, most of the programming is aimed squarely at children and families, and organisers have made a point of keeping the bulk of it free to attend so cost isn’t a barrier during the school break. As with many town-run community festivals, the detailed day-by-day schedule tends to firm up closer to the date, so checking Creative Bandon’s channels in the weeks beforehand is the best way to plan a visit around specific events.

Getting there

Bandon sits on the N71, about 30 minutes west of Cork City by car. There’s no direct rail link; Bus Eireann services connect Bandon to Cork City and on toward Clonakilty and Skibbereen along the N71 corridor. The town centre has on-street and car park parking, though spaces can be tighter during festival events, particularly at weekends over the midterm break. Bandon’s town centre venues are all within easy walking distance of each other, so once parked, getting between events on foot is straightforward.

Good to know

• Dates: 23 October to 1 November 2026, Bandon town centre
• Focus: Family-friendly Samhain programme of story, art, drama and film
• Price: Mostly free, aimed at families over the midterm break
• Organised by: Creative Bandon, with Cork County Council, Pure Cork and Failte Ireland