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festivals · Saturday 8 August 2026 · Various 
Geesala Festival 2026
At Geesala village · Geesala, Co. Mayo
At Geesala village · Geesala, Co. Mayo
Geesala (Gaoth Sáile) is a small village on the Erris coast of North Mayo, and its summer festival runs across nine days each August, spreading events between the village itself and neighbouring venues on the Mullet Peninsula. It is organised year to year by the community rather than a paid production, and the programme reflects that: boat racing, angling and pub-based entertainment rather than big-ticket acts.
The festival opens with a traditional boat racing regatta on the Saturday at 12:30pm, followed the next morning by a deep sea angling competition at 9:30am, both long-standing fixtures of the Erris festival calendar. Through the following week the programme fills out with children’s sports and entertainment, horse and greyhound racing, bingo nights, a golf competition at Doohoman Par 3, a 10K road race and an arm wrestling competition. Music runs most evenings across several venues, including the High Chaparral Bar, the Erris Coast Hotel, Geesala Community Centre, Kiltane GAA Complex and Doohoman Golf Course, so the festival effectively moves around the village rather than sitting in one place. Individual events carry their own entry fees, generally in the €5 to €10 range, rather than one festival-wide ticket.
Geesala is on the R313, roughly 15km west of Bangor Erris and 30km from Belmullet, in one of the more remote parts of Mayo. The N59 from Ballina through Bangor Erris is the main route in; there is no rail service and bus options are limited, so a car is close to essential for festival week. Parking is informal, on the village’s main road and at the individual venues.
The village sits on the edge of the Mullet Peninsula and Broadhaven Bay, with quiet Atlantic coastline within a short drive. There is more to see in Geesala and across Co. Mayo.
Heading to Geesala village in Geesala? Mayo has plenty more to see. Read the Geesala area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.