Púca Festival 2026: The Halloween Experience Worth the Drive to Meath
Halloween in this country is something else entirely. While the rest of the world is only getting to grips with the whole business, Ireland has been doing Samhain since long before pumpkins and plastic skeletons were ever a consideration. And if you’re looking for a Halloween experience that actually means something — one that’ll have the kids wide-eyed and you quietly awestruck — Púca Festival 2026 is worth clearing the diary for.
The festival returns to Trim and Athboy in County Meath from Thursday 29th October to Sunday 1st November, and this year’s programme is the biggest and most varied yet. Four days of music, folklore, fire, spectacle and hands-on experiences all rooted in the ancient traditions of Samhain. The kind of thing that makes you feel genuinely glad you live on this island.
New for 2026: workshops, a Harvest Market and one very fabulous brunch
The organisers have added some genuinely exciting new elements to this year’s line-up. For the first time, the Púca Big Top will host daytime workshops, which is honestly great news for anyone who’s tried to entertain restless children from mid-morning onwards. The programme includes Mummer Mask Making with the Fingal Mummers, where kids and adults can learn about traditional Samhain disguises and make their own straw creation to bring home.
The Big Top will also host the Trim Autism Friendly Town (TAFT) Accessibility Disco, a lovely inclusive daytime experience for festivalgoers who need a sensory-friendly option. Building on that, Púca is continuing its partnership with Nua Healthcare Services for a second year, providing a Mobile Sensory Unit, CLaD Hub and a quiet marquee area at the Trim Harvest Market. If your family includes someone who can find busy events overwhelming, it’s genuinely reassuring to know that’s been thought about.
Over in Athboy, Genealogy Workshops with Accredited Genealogists Ireland will offer a chance to dig into family history — ideal if you’ve ever wondered who exactly your lot were 200 years ago and what they got up to around this time of year.
At Trim’s Porchfields, the festival’s biggest-ever Harvest Market will bring together local produce, crafts and artisan goods. There’ll be demonstrations of woodwork, willow weaving and blacksmithing, plus hands-on activities including Púca Ogham Carving, Súgán Chair Making and traditional Butter Making. The sort of afternoon that sounds chaotic on paper but turns into a core memory.
And for those who’d like something decidedly more glam: Davina Devine is bringing a Halloween Drag Brunch to Trim Castle Hotel on Saturday 31st October, complete with drag performances, brunch and cocktails. Consider it your reward for a week of costume planning and pumpkin carving.
Púca 2026 local launch
Fire, folklore and some serious live music
Beyond the workshops and markets, the wider programme has plenty to keep the whole family busy. The Lighting of the Samhain Fire in Athboy will celebrate the town’s ancient traditions, while the Living History Village on the Fairgreen will feature costumed demonstrators, traditional crafts, battle demonstrations and the Ancestral Garden. The Púca Procession in Trim, Beyond the Veil: The Púca Trail, Samhain Circus, guided foraging tours and Heritage Tours of Tlachtga round out what is, by any measure, a packed few days.
The music line-up at the Púca Big Top is no afterthought either. The Stunning, Sharon Shannon Big Band and Mundy (with support from Fin Furey) open proceedings on Thursday 29th October. The Coronas follow on Friday — that show is already sold out. Saturday brings The Whistlin’ Donkeys, High Stool Prophets, Mark McCabe and Janet Devlin, and The Waterboys will headline the closing night on Sunday 1st November. Hothouse Flowers, Jerry Fish, Qween with the Dublin Gospel Choir and comedy from John Colleary, Enya Martin and Shane Daniel Byrne also feature across the weekend.
The festival’s “Between Worlds” theme this year draws on the ancient belief that at Samhain, the boundary between light and dark, past and present, and the living and spirit worlds begins to blur. It’s a theme that lends itself to everything from the spectacular Samhain Fire to the quieter, more reflective moments — and it’s the kind of thing that lands differently when you’re standing in Meath, on ground that’s been holding these traditions for over 2,000 years.
What the people behind it are saying
Azeta Seery, Festival and Events Manager at Fáilte Ireland, noted the broader significance of the event: “Púca Festival is a flagship Halloween festival which plays a central role in celebrating Ireland as the Home of Halloween. The festival hubs in Trim and Athboy provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the area’s rich heritage and culture while enjoying a vibrant programme of contemporary Irish music, entertainment and storytelling.”
Martin Nolan, Púca Festival Director, added: “This year’s programme brings major live shows together with intimate storytelling, hands-on workshops and encounters with the characters of Irish folklore, creating an experience that connects the contemporary festival with the ancient traditions of Samhain.”
Púca Festival takes place in Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath from Thursday 29th October to Sunday 1st November 2026. For the full programme and ticket information, visit pucafestival.com.