July 2023

Ballina, the Salmon Capital of Ireland, hosts this very popular and family-friendly festival with over 250,000 visitors each year.

This year the event runs from Saturday, 8th July to Saturday, 15th July 2023.

Now in its 59th year, the 2023 Ballina Salmon Festival celebrates the 300th Anniversary of the formal formation of Ballina.

River Moy is the jewel in Ballina’s crown, and the Moy River Swim, one of the oldest river swims in Ireland, will open the festival on Saturday, 8th July.

The festival also includes the iconic Heritage Day on Wednesday, the 12th of July. Visitors will step back in the early 20th century and watch craftspeople displaying their trades of tinsmiths, thatching, butter making, woodturning and blacksmithing.

The Festival also offers different daily programmes of events and workshops, especially for children, while delicious food stalls and traditional music create a fantastic atmosphere all over the week.

The Teddy Bear Picnic will kick off the children's programme on Sunday, 9th July.

The spectacle and street theatre company Macnas will deliver a bespoke parade on the streets of Ballina as a grand finale on Saturday, 15th July, followed by the traditional fireworks display along the River Moy banks overlooking the Cathedral.

Ballina Salmon Festival will run from Saturday, 8th July to Saturday, 15th July 2023.