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seasonal · Friday 31 July 2026 · Various; sailing races from 1:00pm Sunday and Monday 
Kinsale Regatta Festival 2026
At Kinsale Harbour and town centre · Kinsale, Co. Cork
At Kinsale Harbour and town centre · Kinsale, Co. Cork
The Kinsale Regatta is one of those events that genuinely earns its billing. Ireland’s oldest regatta, running since around 1801, it fills the harbour and the town for four days over the August Bank Holiday weekend - a mix of serious sailing competition, open-water swimming, family entertainment on the pier and live music on the plaza each evening. If you want to feel like Kinsale is fully alive, this is the weekend to come.
On the water, the racing covers ocean yachts, mixed dinghy classes and a long-distance swim around Sandycove Island. Children’s sailing is part of the programme too. Spectators get a decent view from the pier and the quayside, where the racing passes close to shore on Sunday and Monday afternoons from 1pm.
On land, the festival has expanded well beyond its sailing roots. Past years have included open swimming races at The Dock Beach, children’s kayaking, a Harbour Working Day on the pier, and a fireworks display over the harbour on Sunday night. Brass bands, trad sessions, a Pillow Fight on the Pier and a Water Carnival fill the afternoons, while the evenings bring live bands to the town plaza. The RNLI station typically opens its doors over the weekend - worth a look if you have children in tow.
The 2026 festival marks 225 years of the regatta. The Kinsale Regatta 5 Mile Road Race kicks things off on Friday 31 July, starting at the local GAA club and finishing in the town centre. Up to 900 runners take part, with people travelling from across Ireland and further afield. Entry is via eventmaster.ie.
Kinsale is about 25km south of Cork city, roughly a 30-minute drive on the R600. Bus Eireann route 249 runs from Cork’s Parnell Place bus station and takes around 50 minutes; extra services often run on bank holiday weekends. Parking in Kinsale is limited at the best of times - during regatta weekend, arrive early or use the park-and-ride area if one is signposted. The town is compact and walkable once you are in.
The town has some of the best food in Munster, a well-preserved historic core and a harbour worth wandering long after the racing finishes. There is more to see in Kinsale and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Kinsale Harbour and town centre in Kinsale? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Kinsale area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.