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seasonal · Friday 11 September 2026 · Various 
Blackstairs Blues Festival
At Various - Enniscorthy Pubs · Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
At Various - Enniscorthy Pubs · Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
Every September the medieval town of Enniscorthy trades its usual Saturday-morning quiet for something rawer and better - a full weekend of blues that spills out of pub doorways and onto the streets. The Blackstairs Blues Festival has been going since 1995, making it Ireland’s longest consecutively running blues festival, and it has stayed true to its roots: free admission, intimate venues, and music that ranges from the work songs of the Mississippi Delta right through to Chicago electric. If you love blues, this is a weekend worth building a trip around.
The festival runs across a trail of Enniscorthy’s vintage pubs and cafes, so there is no main stage to queue for and no single point of congestion. You follow the sound. Sets run across three days - Friday evening through to Sunday - and the town’s compact centre means you can move between venues on foot without planning it too carefully. The whole thing started in Bob Rackard’s Pub on Rafter Street, and that original spirit of a small group of enthusiasts gathered around good music has carried through to the present day. Expect electric blues, acoustic sets, and musicians with serious international credentials sharing space with the bar crowd. Entry is free.
Enniscorthy sits on the River Slaney in central County Wexford, roughly halfway between Dublin and Rosslare. By road, the N11/M11 from Dublin takes around 90 minutes; from Waterford, follow the N25 east then join the N30 north into the town. Bus Eireann runs regular services from Dublin to Enniscorthy, and the town is on the Dublin-Rosslare Europort rail line with Irish Rail, making it straightforward to arrive without a car. The town centre is compact and walkable once you are there. Street parking is available on quieter roads around the centre, and there are car parks within a short walk of the main pub trail.
The town itself repays a proper look - the riverside, Enniscorthy Castle, and the 1798 Rebellion museum give you plenty to fill the gaps between sets. September is a fine time to be in Wexford, with the weather usually still reasonable and the county roads quiet. There is more to see in Enniscorthy and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to Various - Enniscorthy Pubs in Enniscorthy? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the Enniscorthy area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.