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festivals · Saturday 1 August 2026 · Various 
Riverfest Limerick 2026
At Limerick Waterfront/Docks · The Docks, Limerick City, Co. Limerick
At Limerick Waterfront/Docks · The Docks, Limerick City, Co. Limerick
Riverfest Limerick is one of Ireland’s biggest free city festivals, built around the River Shannon and drawing tens of thousands of people over a long weekend of music, water sport, food and spectacle. It suits families with young children just as well as it suits someone who wants to kayak the Shannon in the morning and sit at a riverside food stall in the afternoon. Entry to the main festival village and most on-the-water displays costs nothing, which makes it one of the best-value days out in the country.
The centrepiece is the Riverfest Village at Arthur’s Quay Park, where artisan food traders, craft stalls, vintage fairground rides and a live music stage keep things moving from morning until late. Out on the river, Nevsail and other operators run kayaking, paddleboarding and boat tours; there are also open-water swimming events, dragonboat racing and rowing parades that give the whole waterfront a busy, celebratory feel.
Street performers and circus acts work through the crowds along the quays, while local venues across the city host music sessions and cultural events as part of a wider programme. A fireworks display over the Shannon is the traditional close to the weekend - genuinely worth staying for if you can.
The programme spans multiple days, with times varying by strand, so it is worth checking the full schedule at limerick.ie/riverfest before you come so you can plan around the water events or any headline acts that interest you.
Limerick city is on the main Dublin to Cork rail line. The train from Dublin Heuston takes just over two hours, and from Cork it is around an hour and a quarter. Bus Eireann and Expressway coaches connect Limerick to most other cities. The Colbert Station is a short walk from the city centre and a few minutes from the waterfront.
By road, Limerick sits at the junction of the M7 (Dublin), M18 (Galway) and N20 (Cork), so it is easy to reach from all directions. During the festival weekend, the quays get busy - park on the edges of the city and walk in, or use one of the multi-storey car parks off O’Connell Street.
Limerick city rewards a bit of time beyond the festival. King John’s Castle sits right on the river and is one of the best-preserved Norman castles in Ireland; the Hunt Museum holds a remarkable private collection a short walk from Arthur’s Quay. There is more to see in Limerick and across Co. Limerick.
Heading to Limerick Waterfront/Docks in Limerick? Limerick has plenty more to see. Read the Limerick area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.