Cannonball 2026 Is Coming to Ireland and It's Free for Families
If your kids have ever gone wide-eyed at a flashy car on the motorway, brace yourself — because Cannonball 2026 is coming, and it’s bringing over 200 of the world’s most spectacular supercars right through the heart of Ireland this September. Better still, it’s completely free to watch, it’s stacked with live entertainment and children’s activities, and this year it’s raising money for one of the most important charities in the country.
Cannonball has officially named Ronald McDonald House as its charity partner for 2026, with Irish motorsport star Alex Dunne on hand to make the announcement alongside a rather show-stopping orange Lamborghini Aventador. Between the supercar and the 20-year-old Offaly driver who’s currently tearing up the FIA Formula 2 Championship, it’s fair to say the press call had some serious pulling power.
What is Cannonball, exactly?
Think of it as a rolling festival of extraordinary cars — Ferraris, McLarens, Porstons, Bentleys, Maseratis, and more — that winds its way across Ireland over a long weekend, stopping in towns along the route and turning each one into a free family day out. We’re talking DJs, live entertainment, giant screens, Brazilian dancers, street performers and children’s entertainment. The kind of thing that genuinely costs you nothing but will feel, to the small people in your house, like the most exciting day of their lives.
The event has already raised an incredible €2,281,871 for Irish children’s charities over the years, and this year every penny goes to Ronald McDonald House — the charity that provides families with a place to stay when their child is seriously ill and receiving treatment far from home. Since opening in November 2004, Ronald McDonald House has supported 5,413 families and provided over 117,000 nights of accommodation. It’s the kind of charity that you hope you’ll never need and are endlessly grateful exists.
Where and when can you catch it?
Cannonball 2026 kicks off on Thursday, 10th September when the supercars begin arriving at The Johnstown Estate in Enfield, Co. Meath from around 7pm. It’s worth heading along just for that — watching a convoy of Lamborghinis and Ferraris roll into a Meath hotel car park is not something you see every day. The official start line is on Friday, 11th September at 11am, with the convoy heading through Ireland’s Ancient East before stopping at The K Club in Straffan for lunch, then pressing on through the Midlands to Tullamore, Co. Offaly for the first finish-line festival from around 6pm.
Saturday the 12th sees the cars head west through Athlone and on to Ennistymon for lunch before arriving into Limerick City from approximately 5pm — another free family festival with all the entertainment you’d expect. The grand finale takes place on Sunday the 13th in Kilkenny City, where the first supercars are expected to arrive from about 5.30pm for what promises to be a spectacular end to the weekend.
This year’s route takes in Meath, Kildare, Offaly, Westmeath, Clare, Limerick, Cork and Kilkenny — so chances are it’ll pass reasonably close to wherever you are.
A young fan gets behind the wheel of an Aventador.
It’s free, it’s fun and it’s for a brilliant cause
One of the best things about Cannonball is that the fun isn’t just on the sidelines — the drivers themselves are known for turning up in full fancy dress, adding an extra layer of brilliant madness to the whole thing. Spectators are encouraged to join in too, with prizes for the best costumes. So if your kids have been looking for an excuse to wear their Halloween gear in September, here’s your justification.
Beyond the spectacle, the economic impact on the towns it visits is estimated at €2.5 million each year — so it’s a genuinely good news story for communities across the country as well as for the families who rely on Ronald McDonald House.
Alex Dunne is a member of the prestigious Alpine Academy and widely tipped as one of Ireland’s brightest prospects on the road to Formula 1. This partnership with Ronald McDonald House represents exactly the kind of cause Cannonball should be supporting. It’s hard to argue with that.
For the full route and detailed maps of where the convoy will pass through each town, head to cannonball.ie. Mark those dates in the calendar — this one is worth the trip.