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festivals · Friday 7 August 2026 · Various 
Waterford Walls Festival
At Waterford City · Waterford City, Co. Waterford
At Waterford City · Waterford City, Co. Waterford
Waterford Walls Festival turns the city into an open-air gallery from Friday, 7 August to Sunday, 16 August 2026. Now in its 12th year, it is Ireland’s largest street art festival, bringing more than 40 local, national and international artists to paint large-scale murals on walls across Waterford city over ten days. The murals stay up long after the festival ends, so the event has steadily built one of the country’s biggest outdoor public art collections into the city’s everyday streets.
Artists work in public through the ten days, so visitors can watch murals develop from bare wall to finished piece rather than only seeing the result. The programme runs alongside the painting with panel discussions, artist talks, film screenings and Draw and Dine evenings, plus guided walking tours that take in the growing collection of murals across the city. Family events and workshops for children and young people run through the festival, with past editions including hands-on sessions where kids try spray-painting techniques and mural-making under the guidance of festival artists. Free printed maps showing mural locations are available from Waterford Tourist Information, Number 21 on The Glen and Luca Records, making it easy to follow a self-guided trail at any time during or after the festival.
The murals are spread across Waterford city centre and are best seen on foot, following one of the printed trail maps. Waterford railway station and the main bus routes are within walking distance of the Viking Triangle, where much of the festival activity is concentrated.
Waterford Walls adds a fresh layer of colour to a city already built around a working medieval core, so a mural walk pairs easily with the Viking Triangle museums. There is more to see and do in Waterford and across Co. Waterford.
Heading to Waterford City in Waterford? Waterford has plenty more to see. Read the Waterford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.