02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
The best events across the country this August Bank Holiday weekend
Over 30,000 festival-goers descended on Waterford's Curraghmore Estate for All Together Now on Friday, as traditional music fans will head to Wexford on Sunday for the start of the Fleadh.
It's set to be a busy August Bank Holiday weekend, with hundreds of events taking place across the country. All Together Now
The biggest is All Together Now, with homegrown talent Fontaines DC storming the stage on Friday and CMAT headlining on Saturday.
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan are due to play the Something Kind of Wonderful stage the same night. The musicians were recently embroiled in controversy after chanting 'death to the IDF' during their set at Glastonbury earlier this year.
Other acts playing across the weekend include Nelly Furtado, London Grammar, Wet Leg and Primal Scream. The arts and music festival began in 2018 and its capacity has grown three times bigger since then. Over the three days, revellers can also catch comedians and podcasters, including Tommy Tiernan and Blindboy. CMAT headlines All Together Now on Saturday Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025
The most anticipated week of the traditional Irish music calendar kicks off on Sunday.
From August 3-10, half a million visitors are expected in Wexford Town for The Fleadh. Competing singers, musicians and dancers will gather in the town for the second year in a row, alongside amazing street performers and bustling pubs. Bray Air Display
In Wicklow, the skies are set to roar to life as the Bray Air Display 2025 takes place on Saturday. It's the perfect event for any aviation enthusiast as a breathtaking array of aircraft and awe-inspiring aerobatics will be on display in the sky.
The Irish Defence Forces will also have a static display by the pier as the seafront funfair will keep all members of the family entertained.
While it's set to be a mild weekend with highs of 23C, Storm Floris will bring heavy rainfall and unseasonably windy weather on Sunday night into the bank holiday Monday.
Met Éireann issued an advisory on Friday and is set to issue warnings on Saturday ahead of the storm's arrival. The gusty winds could cause power outages, wave overtopping and localised flooding.
Northern Ireland has already been issued with a yellow wind warning by the UK's Met Office, which is in force from 6am on Monday for 24 hours. On top of heavy rainfall that could lead to dangerous driving conditions, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority have appealed to road users to take extra precautions this bank holiday weekend.
Gardaí say there will be extra checkpoints and 'considerably more enforcement' on speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelts over the long weekend.
Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon said: "This is one of the busiest weekends on the roads. Not just for motorists, but at this time of year, it's one of the busiest weekends for cyclists and pedestrians. We ask everybody to be very conscious of our vulnerable road users, our cyclists and our pedestrians.
"We're asking people to slow down, we're asking people to just plan their journey ahead. Some will have long journeys this weekend, so take your time and take your breaks. Don't be using mobile phones or anything that might distract you while driving. We really do not want to be visiting another family with terrible news this weekend.
"We're going to be out in force from today straight through to next Wednesday. So please drive carefully and drive responsibly.' Gardaí will be out in force on Irish roads this weekend (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
The RSA is urging those attending various events across the country to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It has set up a FlineBox at All Together Now festival, which is a self-service breathalyser powered by Dräger sensor technology – the same one used by Gardaí.
RSA's Sarah O'Connor said: 'We're reminding motorists and families that safety doesn't stop at the festival gates. We want everyone to enjoy the music and the atmosphere, but support and help people make smart choices about how they travel home and how they continue to use the roads on an ongoing basis.'
Chief of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, said he anticipates that emergency departments across the country will be busy this August Bank Holiday.
He is appealing to those travelling, enjoying outdoor activities and festivals to take extra precautions, adding: 'Patients presenting (to A&E) with non-urgent injuries may face longer waiting times, depending on the number of people attending and the severity of patient illnesses.
'Our staff work hard to do all they can to reduce the length of time patients wait in EDs and we apologise for any long delays people might experience.'
Other events across the country this weekend include the Carlow Fringe Arts Festival and the Cahersiveen Music and Arts Festival in Kerry. In Clare, families can enjoy a treasure hunt and street parade at Kilmilhil Festival in Clare.
While fun-seekers don't have to travel far this bank holiday weekend to find something to do, thousands will also leave the country. Over 120,000 passengers are expected to pass through Dublin Airport daily over the next three days.
Daa spokesperson Graeme McQueen said: 'The August bank holiday is always one of the busiest weekends for us and this year will be no different.
'The departure gates are set to be busy too and it's not just sun-seekers heading off to the usual hotspots like Portugal and Spain, but this weekend will once again see Oasis t-shirts galore heading to the UK for the biggest concerts of the summer, while the start of the new UK football season will bring plenty of colour to the terminals over the coming weekends.'
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