Wicklow Regatta Festival 2026

Wicklow town spends more than two weeks each summer racing boats, judging fancy dress and singing in its own pubs, and the 148th Wicklow Regatta Festival runs from Sunday, 19 July to Monday, 3 August 2026. Organised by a long-standing volunteer committee, the regatta fills the town’s pubs, pier and harbour with free entertainment for residents and visitors alike. Highlights this year include a family day, a duck race on the Vartry River, a raft race off Watson’s Pier and a fireworks display over the East Pier on the August bank holiday weekend.

What to expect

Nearly every night of the festival, a different pub hosts “singing pubs”, an hour of local singers and musicians taking the stage in turn, a tradition the regatta has carried for decades. Daytime events are aimed squarely at families: a kids’ treasure hunt at Murrough car park, a heritage walk led by a local historian, a Don Conroy art workshop, and a Wicklow’s Got Talent heat at the De La Salle Pastoral Centre. The first weekend of August is the busiest stretch. Saturday brings a Zumba class, a Family Day with games at St Patrick’s National School pitch, a fancy dress competition and a teddy bears’ picnic. Sunday adds a kite flying demonstration near Black Castle, Splash Sunday in the harbour, a duck race on the Vartry River, a raft race off Watson’s Pier and, at 11pm, a fireworks display over the East Pier. The festival closes on bank holiday Monday with the Wicklow Rowing Club’s own regatta on the water.

Getting there

Wicklow town sits on the Dublin to Rosslare railway line, with Wicklow station a short walk from the harbour and Market Square. Bus Éireann and Wexford Bus both serve the town. Driving from Dublin takes roughly 45 minutes via the N11/M11 outside peak times, though street parking fills quickly on festival weekends, so arriving early or walking in from outside the centre is worth planning for.

While you’re in Wicklow

The regatta is a good excuse to explore the rest of the town beyond the festival programme, from the Black Castle ruins on the headland to the beach at Brittas Bay a few kilometres south. There is more to see in Wicklow and across Co. Wicklow.

Good to know

• Dates: Sunday, 19 July to Monday, 3 August 2026
• Venue: throughout Wicklow town, including Market Square, the harbour and East Pier
• Price: free entry to almost all events; a handful of extras carry a small charge, such as the Lions Club quiz at €40 a team
• Several events require pre-registration and have filled in previous years
• Full nightly schedule published on wicklowregatta.com