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festivals · Wednesday 24 June 2026 · Various 
Mourne International Walking Festival
At Various venues in Newcastle and Mourne area · Newcastle, Co. Down
At Various venues in Newcastle and Mourne area · Newcastle, Co. Down
The Mourne International Walking Festival is one of the longest-running walking events in Northern Ireland - now in its 16th year - and it draws walkers from across Ireland and further afield to spend a weekend on the trails of the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Based in Newcastle, Co. Down, the festival runs over three days from Wednesday 24 to Friday 26 June 2026, with a mix of guided walks, traditional music, ceili dancing, and a proper Saturday night social. If you enjoy walking in genuinely dramatic hill country and like doing it with a friendly crowd, this is the kind of weekend that earns its place in the calendar.
The walking programme covers a wide range of abilities. Lowland routes run from around 10km to 40km, using public rights of way, roads, and tracks through the foothills and farmland around Newcastle. For walkers who want more of a challenge, mountain routes head up into the full Mourne landscape - high granite ridges, open moorland, and the famous dry-stone Mourne Wall. All walks are guided, so you are not heading out alone with a map; leaders know the terrain and the pace adjusts to the group.
The social centrepiece is the Knees Up Shindig on Saturday night at The Mourne Golf Club in Newcastle, from 7pm. It is an informal evening of ceili and set dancing, live traditional music, and a hot buffet supper. You do not need to know the dances - the set dancing is led and inclusive, and it tends to be one of the highlights of the weekend for first-timers and regulars alike.
The Mourne Mountains have been named the Best Walking Destination in Northern Ireland by WalkNI, and the festival itself has won the WalkNI Favourite Walking Event award for two consecutive years.
Newcastle sits on the Co. Down coast at the foot of the Mournes, roughly an hour’s drive from Belfast via the A24. From Dublin, take the M1/A1 to Newry and then the A2 coast road north, which is under two hours depending on traffic. Translink operates bus services from Newry and Belfast, and the Newcastle bus station is a short walk from the town centre. Car parking is available at various starting points for the guided walks throughout the weekend; the town also has public car parks near the seafront.
Newcastle has a long seafront promenade, a sandy beach right at the foot of Slieve Donard - the highest peak in Ulster - and a good range of cafes and restaurants along Main Street. The Mourne Mountains form the immediate backdrop to the town, which makes it one of the more striking settings for a festival weekend in Ireland. There is more to see in Newcastle and across Co. Down.
Heading to Various venues in Newcastle and Mourne area in Newcastle? Down has plenty more to see. Read the Newcastle area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.