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sport · Saturday 22 August 2026 · 7:45pm 
Sligo Rovers vs Waterford
At The Showgrounds · Magheraboy Road, Sligo, Co. Sligo
At The Showgrounds · Magheraboy Road, Sligo, Co. Sligo
Sligo Rovers host Waterford FC at The Showgrounds on Saturday, 22 August 2026, in Matchweek 28 of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division. It is one of a run of home league fixtures Sligo Rovers play at their Showgrounds ground throughout the season, and with both sides fighting to move up from the bottom half of the table this year, it is the kind of match that matters for survival as much as for pride. The Showgrounds has been home to League of Ireland football in Sligo for decades and still draws a proper Saturday-night crowd for home games.
Sligo Rovers play in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division, Ireland’s top football flight, and The Showgrounds holds a compact, close-to-the-pitch crowd that gives home games a real atmosphere, especially under lights on a Saturday evening. Waterford FC make the trip from the south east for this fixture. For most home games, tickets do not need to be bought in advance: fans can pay cash at the turnstiles, which usually open about an hour before kick-off, though it is worth checking the club’s own channels close to the date in case that changes. Expect the usual matchday build-up around the ground, food and drink available inside, and a result that will move both clubs up or down the table depending on how results elsewhere go that weekend. Kick-off is in the evening, so there is a full Saturday to fill beforehand if you are making a day of it in Sligo.
The Showgrounds is on the edge of Sligo town, an easy walk from the town centre. Irish Rail serves Sligo from Dublin daily, and Bus Eireann connects the town with Dublin, Galway and Donegal. There is limited parking near the ground itself, so arriving early or walking in from town is the more reliable option on matchday.
A Saturday evening kick-off leaves the whole day free to explore Sligo town beforehand, from the Yeats sites to the county museum, or the coast at Strandhill if you fancy a walk on the beach first. There is more to see in Sligo and across Co. Sligo.
Heading to The Showgrounds in Sligo? Sligo has plenty more to see. Read the Sligo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.