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food-drink · Sunday 20 September 2026 · Various 
Bia Bundoran Food Festival 2026
At Various restaurants and venues in Bundoran · Bundoran, Co. Donegal
At Various restaurants and venues in Bundoran · Bundoran, Co. Donegal
Bundoran has quietly built a proper food scene over the last decade - fresh seafood, homemade baking, organic produce from the Community Garden, and more than a few chefs who take local sourcing seriously. Bia Bundoran (bia is the Irish for food) is the first annual festival that pulls this all together into a single weekend, with restaurants and food producers opening their doors to visitors in a way they do not at any other time of year. If you enjoy eating well and want to understand a town through its food, this is a good excuse to make the trip.
The festival runs across multiple venues in the town over three days, with each participating business offering something specific to the event. Restaurants set up special taster menus and weekend deals, so you can move through several places without committing to a full sit-down dinner at each. There is also a wine tasting experience and a gin master class for those who want to go deeper on drinks.
One of the more unusual sessions is the Food and Foto tour, a short practical course in food photography - shooting dishes from root to plate, getting the light right, and capturing the kind of image that actually does the food justice. You eat what you photograph, which is a reasonable arrangement.
The brewery tour heads out to the Donegal Brewing Company in nearby Ballyshannon, so you get to see a working craft brewery as part of the weekend. Back in Bundoran, there is a family-friendly foraging talk with a wild plant display - useful if you walk the coast and have ever wondered what grows there. Tours of the Bundoran Community Garden, tucked into the West End with views over Donegal Bay, round out the programme.
Bia Bundoran is part of Failte Ireland’s Taste the Island initiative, which runs each autumn from September to November across the island.
Bundoran sits on the N15 in the south-west of Donegal, roughly 3.5 hours from Dublin and about 35 minutes from Sligo town. From Sligo, it is a straightforward drive north on the N15. Bus Eireann serves Bundoran on the Sligo to Donegal route. The town is compact and walkable once you arrive, and most festival venues will be on or close to the main street. Street parking is generally available, with a car park near the seafront.
September is one of the better months to be here - the summer crowds have thinned, the Atlantic light is sharp, and Tullan Strand and the Fairy Bridges are worth a walk whatever the weather. There is more to see in Bundoran and across Co. Donegal.
Heading to Various restaurants and venues in Bundoran in Bundoran? Donegal has plenty more to see. Read the Bundoran area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.