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festivals · Friday 7 August 2026 · 9:00pm 
Graiguefest 2026
At The Meadows · The Meadows, Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny
At The Meadows · The Meadows, Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny
Graiguefest returns to Graiguenamanagh for a full weekend of music and camping from Friday, 7 August to Sunday, 9 August 2026. The festival is built around The Meadows, where camping, motorhome and caravan pitches sit alongside two nights of live bands, 80s favourites, folk music and DJ sets at The Hub. Friday opens with a free event before the ticketed weekend programme gets underway, drawing visitors from across the south east to this small town on the River Barrow for a weekend of outdoor music and socialising.
The weekend follows a familiar festival shape. Friday evening is free and low key at The Meadows, setting the tone before Saturday and Sunday move into a fuller programme of live acts, DJ sets and 80s and folk favourites at The Hub. Camping is central to the event, with dedicated areas at The Meadows for tents, motorhomes and caravans, so much of the socialising happens around pitches as much as in front of a stage. It is a community run event rather than a large commercial festival, and Graiguenamanagh’s setting on the River Barrow, overlooked by Brandon Hill, gives the weekend a scenic backdrop that regulars come back for year after year. Expect a relaxed, mixed crowd of locals and visitors who travel in and stay on site for the full weekend, plus the usual festival food and drink stalls around the grounds.
Graiguenamanagh sits on the River Barrow in south Kilkenny, close to the Carlow and Wexford borders, reached via the R705 and R703 regional roads. There is no train station in the town; the nearest options are Kilkenny or Carlow, both around a 30 minute drive away, so most festival goers arrive by car, with camping on site removing the need to travel again once you are there.
Graiguenamanagh is one of the prettiest towns on the River Barrow and also hosts its own Town of Books festival later in August. There is more to see in Graiguenamanagh and across Co. Kilkenny.
Heading to The Meadows in Graiguenamanagh? Kilkenny has plenty more to see. Read the Graiguenamanagh area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
In town for The Meadows? These Kilkenny tours book out in summer.
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