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arts · Friday 24 July 2026 · 2:00pm - 11:59pm daily 
Forest Fest: Music & Arts Festival
At Emo Court · Emo, Co. Laois
At Emo Court · Emo, Co. Laois
Forest Fest is a three-day boutique music and arts festival held in the grounds of Emo Court, one of the finest neo-classical estates in the Irish Midlands. Running from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July 2026, it draws a crowd looking for something more personal than a stadium tour - four stages, a mix of legends and newer acts, circus and street theatre in the trees, and a campsite so you can stay for all of it. Families come, couples come, and solo festival-goers who just want to see The Undertones in a field in Laois come too.
The music stretches across four stages and covers a broad range - headliners Echo & the Bunnymen, James, and Madness anchor the main bill, with The Boomtown Rats, The Charlatans, Deacon Blue, Feeder, The Coronas, Paul Brady, and The Fratellis among many others filling out the weekend. A dedicated Kickin’ Up Dust (KUD) Arena celebrates country, Americana, folk and roots, with Nathan Carter, Hermitage Green, Mike Denver, and Keywest among the acts there.
Beyond the music, the programme includes visual arts, circus performance, street theatre, drumming workshops, and maker areas. Over 80 artists in total perform across the weekend. Award-winning street food traders and craft beer and cocktail bars are spread across the site. Camping is available on-site so you can stay for the full three days without a commute at midnight.
Emo is in Co. Laois, about 5km from Junction 15 on the M7 (Dublin to Limerick motorway), which makes it easy to reach by car from Dublin, Cork, or Galway. The nearest rail stations are Portlaoise and Portarlington, both with regular Intercity services from Heuston Station in Dublin. From there, shuttle buses run to the festival site. Marley’s Bus operates dedicated shuttles from Dublin, Portlaoise, Portarlington/Mountmellick, Tullamore, Kilkenny, and Durrow - booking details are on the festival website at forestfest.ie/bus/.
Emo Court itself - the James Gandon-designed mansion begun in 1790 - is managed by the OPW and is one of the most visited heritage sites in the Midlands, with parkland walks, a lake, and formal gardens open to the public outside festival times. There is more to see in Emo and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Emo Court in Emo? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Emo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.