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festivals · Saturday 4 July 2026 · Various 
Liberty Music Festival
At Thurles Town Park · Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
At Thurles Town Park · Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Sixteen tribute bands across two afternoons in the open air, right in the middle of Thurles town - the Liberty Music Festival is the kind of event that draws people who have never been to a tribute act before and converts them on the spot. Now in its second year, it bills itself as Ireland’s largest live tribute band festival, and the 2026 line-up makes a strong case. The crowd here is relaxed, mixed-age, and up for a good time rather than a hard-core gig.
Both Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July run the same way: gates open at 1:00pm from the Cathedral Street side, and eight bands take the stage through to around 9:50pm each evening. The 2026 line-up leans heavily on classic-rock and pop royalty. Returning acts include Qween (Queen), Waterloo (ABBA), EZ/DC (AC/DC), and Complete Madness (Madness). New for 2026: Acquiesce (Oasis), Legendary (Bon Jovi), The Wildboyz (Duran Duran), DMode (Depeche Mode), James Birmingham (Wham!), ROX (Roxette), 2B40 (UB40), Blondied (Blondie), Yourythmics (Eurythmics), The Paul Weller Experience, The Rod Stewart Songbook, and Showdown (ELO). That is a lot of ground covered.
The venue is Thurles Town Park, a green open space tucked just off Liberty Square. A fully licensed bar operates on site - proof of age required, and outside alcohol is not permitted. Gourmet food vendors are spread across the grounds. There are limited picnic tables, so bringing a folding chair is genuinely useful advice. The park is fully accessible for wheelchair users and anyone with reduced mobility.
Children under 12 enter free. Anyone aged 17 or under must be accompanied by an adult. No glass, cans, or outside alcohol are allowed in.
Thurles is straightforward to reach from most of Munster and further afield. The M8 Dublin-Cork motorway passes nearby, with Thurles roughly 40 minutes from Limerick and an hour from Cork city. From Dublin, it is under two hours by road.
By train, Thurles has its own station on the Dublin Heuston to Cork mainline - a solid option if you are coming from Dublin, Limerick Junction, or Cork. The walk from the station to Liberty Square takes around ten minutes.
Several public car parks sit within short walking distance of the festival site, including the Munster Hotel Car Park on Cathedral Street, the Liberty Square Car Park, and the Ulster Bank and Parnell Street car parks. Campervan parking is available separately at a local rugby club (book in advance through the festival website). Note that entry to the festival site is via Cathedral Street only; Emmet Street is exit only.
Thurles is one of the true heartland GAA towns - Semple Stadium, one of the great hurling grounds in the country, is right in the town. Tipp hurling is a religion here, and the atmosphere around the town any summer weekend reflects that. There is more to see in Thurles and across Co. Tipperary.
Heading to Thurles Town Park in Thurles? Tipperary has plenty more to see. Read the Thurles area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.