Forest Fest 2025: Daily line-ups, stage times, ticket information, weather and more
, a boutique independent music and arts festival, returns to the village of Emo in
Co Laois
this weekend for its third year.
The event was established in 2022 by solicitor and indie-rock fan, Philip Meagher, when he envisaged a festival primarily targeted towards a more mature audience.
The three-day festival has several music stages, a funfair with rides for all ages, circus shows, workshops, various art installations and a host of street entertainers.
With about 20,000 people expected to attend the festival, a bit of planning can do no harm. Here is everything you need to know.
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When and where is it on?
The festival runs from Friday to Sunday in the village of Emo, Co Laois. Early entry for campers is available on Thursday.
Are there any tickets left?
At the time of writing, whole weekend, individual day admissions and camping tickets were still available. These can be purchased through the
Forest Fest website
. Buy tickets from accredited sources only and add yours to your phone's wallet before you leave home to keep it handy.
Who is performing and when?
Festivalgoers are spoiled for choice with a variety of acts scheduled to perform over the weekend. Headliners for this year include
Franz Ferdinand
,
Manic Street Preachers
, Orbital and
The Stranglers
.
A host of Irish music acts are lined up across the other stages, including
Pillow Queens
, Ryan Sheridan, Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets and Motionsickness. A number of tribute bands will feature too if you fancy a sing-a-long, with Live Forever Oasis, Qween, Daft Punk Tribute and The Complete Stone Roses all set to play.
Check out the full line-up below.
Friday, July 25th
Franz Ferdinand's angular guitar music still wows crowds
Main Stage
Something Happens – 5pm-6pm
Tom Meighan – 6.40pm-7.40pm
Franz Ferdinand – 8.20pm-9.50pm
The Dandy Warhols – 10.30pm-11.30pm
Live Forever Oasis – midnight-1am
The Village Stage
Harvest – 5.30pm-6.30pm
Cry Before Dawn – 7pm-8pm
The 4 of Us – 8.30pm-9.30pm
The Farm – 10pm-11pm
Alabama 3 – 11.30pm-12.45am
Daft Punk Tribute – 1am-2am
The Perfect Day Stage
The Jury – 4.40pm-5.25pm
Shark School – 5.45pm-6.30pm
The Jobseekerz – 6.50pm-7.35pm
Intercom Heights – 7.55pm-8.40pm
Seattle Grunge Experience – 9pm-9.45pm
The Luna Boys – 10.05pm-10.50pm
Risky Business – 11.10pm-11.55pm
The Deadlians – 12.15am-1am
Thin As Lizzy – 01.15am-2am
Fleadh Stage
Madra Salach – 4.20pm-5pm
Meadhbh Hayes – 5.20pm-6pm
Alltacht – 6.20pm-7.10pm
CUA – 7.30pm-8.20pm
Laura Jo – 8.40pm-9.30pm
Moxie – 9.50pm-10.40pm
Stocktons Wing – 11pm-midnight
Ibiza Stage
Lauren (Saxophone) – 4pm-2am
Danny Kay Ibiza – 4pm-5pm
Alan Professor – 5pm-6pm
Gee Moore – 6pm-8pm
Terry Farley – 8pm-10pm
X-EXPRESS-2 – 10pm-midnight
Gee Moore – midnight-2am
Saturday, July 26th
Sean Moore, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers. Photograph: Alex Lake
Main Stage
Thumper – 12.40pm-1.40pm
Aoife Destruction & The Nilz – 2.20pm-2.50pm
Therapy? – 3.20pm-4.20pm
Peter Hook & The Light – 5pm-6pm
The Stranglers – 6.40pm-7.40pm
Kula Shaker – 8.20pm-9.20pm
Manic Street Preachers – 10pm-11.30pm
Orbital – 12.15am-1.45am
The Village Stage
Dylan Flynn and The Dead Poets – 12.15pm-1pm
The Coathanger Solution – 1.20pm-2.05pm
These Charming Men – 2.30pm-3.30pm
Dirty Blonde – 4pm-5pm
Coach Party – 5.30pm-6.30pm
Pillow Queens – 7pm-8pm
Kerbdog – 8.30pm-9.30pm
Reef – 10pm-11pm
Teenage Fanclub – 11.30pm-12.40am
The Riptide Movement – 1am-2am
The Perfect Day Stage
Houston Death Ray – 12.20pm-1.05pm
Southern Freud – 1.25pm-2.10pm
The Magic Mod – 2.30pm-3pm
Kiera Dignam – 3.20pm-4.05pm
Dopamine – 4.25pm-5.05pm
Fake Friends – 5.25pm-6.05pm
The Classic Beatles – 6.25pm-7.25pm
Apollo Junction – 7.45pm-8.25pm
The Manatees – 8.45pm-9.30pm
Dutch Criminal Record – 9.50pm-10.35pm
Post-Party – 10.55pm-11.40pm
Walk The Line – midnight-1.30am
Fleadh Stage
Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra – noon-12.45pm
Chris Comhaill – 1.15pm-2pm
Cormac Looby – 2.15pm-3pm
The Oars – 3.15pm-4pm
Kevin Coniff and The Dublin Trio – 4.15pm-5pm
Buille – 5.15pm-6pm
Eric De Buitléir – 6.15pm-7pm
Mary Coughlan – 7.30pm-8.30pm
The Sharon Shannon Trio – 9pm-10pm
Beoga – 10.30pm-11.30pm
KAN – midnight-1am
VIP Stage
The Magic Mud – 7pm-7.30pm
The Legendary Drama Kings – 7.45pm-8.30pm
Ibiza Stage
Lauren (Saxophone) – noon-2am
David H (Percussion) – noon-2am
Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm
Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 1pm-2pm
Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 2pm-3pm
Gee Moore – 3pm-5pm
Mr C – 5pm-7pm
Gee Moore – 7pm-9pm
Jam El Mar (Jar and Spoon Classics) – 9pm-11pm
DJ Pippi – 11pm-1am
Gee Moore – 1am-2am
Sunday, July 27th
Main Stage
Travis. Photograph: Steve Gullick
Rattle and Hum – noon-1pm
Nick Lowe – 1.30pm-2.30pm
Bad Manners – 3.10pm-4.10pm
Jack L – 4.50pm-5.50pm
Tony Hadley – 6.30pm-7.50pm
Travis – 8.30pm-10pm
Qween – 11pm-midnight
The Village Stage
Ryan Sheridan – 12.15pm-1.05pm
Paddy Casey – 1.35pm-2.25pm
B–ngo Loco – 2.55pm-4.25pm
Andrew Strong – 4.55pm-5.45pm
Robert Finley – 6.15pm-7.15pm
Hermitage Green – 7.45pm-8.45pm
Billy Bragg – 9.15pm-10.30pm
The Magic Numbers – 11pm-midnight
The Perfect Day Stage
MOA – 12.15pm-12.45pm
Fizzy Orange – 1.05pm-1.45pm
Thanks Mom – 2.05pm-2.45pm
Strength in Numbers – 3.05pm-3.45pm
Basht – 4.05pm-4.45pm
Glasshouse Performs: The Velvet Underground – 5.05pm-5.50pm
The Youth Play – 6.10pm-6.55pm
Motionsickness – 7.15pm-8pm
Pogueology – 8.20pm-9.05pm
Grooveline – 9.25pm-10.10pm
Sack – 10.30pm-11.20pm
The Drive – 11.40pm-12.20am
Fleadh Stage
Set Dancing W Maureen Culleton & Irish Dancing from Scoil Rince Ni Anglais – noon-12.40pm
Eva Coyle and Band – 1pm-2pm
Sean Lyons and Eva Carroll – 2.30pm-3.15pm
Frankie Gavin and De Dannan – 3.45pm-4.45pm
Buioch – 5pm-5.45pm
Niall McCabe – 6pm-7pm
Freddie White – 7.30pm-8.30pm
Hunger of the Skin: Brian Finnegan – 9pm-10pm
The Complete Stone Roses – 10.20pm-11.30pm
Ibiza Stage
David H (Percussion) – noon-midnight
Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm
Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 1pm-3pm
DJ Sean – 3pm-3.40pm
Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 3.40pm-4.40pm
Lange and The Morrighan – 4.40pm-6pm
Gee Moore – 6pm-7pm
Mr C (The Shamen) DJ Set and Live PA with David H – 7pm-10pm
Gee Moore – 10pm-midnight
What else is there to see and do?
Apart from live music, Forest Fest has a variety of experiences on offer. Festivalgoers will have access to a drop-in circus workshop for children, a replica archeological dig site, food vendors offering cuisines from around the world, stands selling crafted goods and other items and shows by street performers. There will also be art installations from global artists.
What time should I arrive?
Early access for those camping and glamping will open on Thursday at 2pm. General camping opens at noon on Friday. For Friday day ticket holders the gates will open at 4pm. For Saturday and Sunday ticket holders the gates will open at noon. The festival arena will remain open until 1am each night.
How do I get there?
As with many festivals held in remote rural locations, it takes some planning to get there.
By bus:
Day return buses to Forest Fest will run from Dublin, Tullamore (via Geashill), Mountmellick/Portarlington, Kilkenny (via Carlow, Athy and Stradbally), Portlaoise and Cashel (via Horse and Jockey, Thurles, Urlingford, Cullahill, Durrow, Abbeyleix). You can buy a ticket on any of these day return buses from
Forest Fest's website
.
By car:
Forest Fest is easily accessible by car as it is only 5km away from the M7. Take Exit 15 and then follow signs for Emo and Mountmellick.
There will be a free car park for all patrons of the festival. The walk from the car park to the venue is approximately 15-20 minutes. The organisers have said that there will be a shuttle bus from the car park to the venue available for patrons with mobility or accessibility needs.
By train:
There are regular hourly train services to Portlaoise and Portarlington railway stations and the festival will be served by local taxi and shuttle bus services.
What if I'm camping?
Unlike other festivals there does not seem to be an option to rent or buy your camping gear for the weekend, so it is best to come prepared. If you fancy paying more for accommodation you can book to glamp instead of camp and sleep in one of their pre-pitched tents. You can book them
here
.
Toilets are dotted around the festival grounds and the campsite has a number of hot shower blocks. There will also be a designated concrete cooking area at the top of the campsite. This is the only area where stoves are permitted and the festival has a total ban on disposable barbecues.
There will be a regular shuttle bus service for all campers to and from the campsite to the festival gate and all general amenities.
What's security like?
Forest Fest is open to people of all ages and all bags, cars and items are subject to search upon entry.
There will be 24/7 security at the festival arena and campsite.
Strictly no liquids are allowed into the festival arena, alcohol and other liquids will be confiscated or disposed of at the gate.
The organisers have
a list online
of all items that will be confiscated if found and have said that gardaí will be notified about any illegal items and you may be removed from the festival as a result.
Anything else?
There will be spaces available to store medications which require refrigeration and there will also be free drinking water available on site, so make sure to bring a reusable bottle
There will be phone charging points around the festival site and in the Glamping and VIP areas.
How is the weather looking?
It is forecast to be a cloudy start to Friday with scattered showers. As the day goes on these showers are expected to become more isolated with sunny spells developing. Highest temperatures of 16-20 degrees with moderate, occasionally fresh, westerly winds. There will be a good deal of dry weather on Saturday with sunny spells and showers. There is a chance of more persistent rain on Sunday, Met Éireann has said.
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