Púca Festival is returning this Halloween from 23-31 October and there are plenty of events lined up. The festival will take place in Athboy, Drogheda, Slane and Trim.
Marking the end of the harvest season, Púca Festival celebrates Samhain, with performances and events bringing otherworldly magic to Ireland’s Ancient East.
Here are some of the most anticipated events from this year’s festival:
The Spirit of Púca Inhabits Slane Castle
The grounds of Slane Castle are transformed into a playground for the spirits of Halloween.
Immerse yourself in Irish Folklore, as Púca, Boann, The Morrigan and Fear Dearg roam the woodlands and illuminations and installations bring the landscape to life.
Follow the 1km path through the grounds and experience the ghostly fun within. Expect spoken word poetry from Stephen James Smith’s ‘The Darkest Night’, light and sound in Mark Anderson’s ‘Fireflies’ and a special Halloween weekend performance from the aerialists and performers of LUXE.
More information on the artists and installations can be found here.
Opening hours:
6.30pm – 12.30am (23–28 October)
5.30pm – 12.30am (29–31 October)
For more information and to book tickets, click here.
An evening of Slane Irish Whiskey, storytelling and folklore
As one of the festival’s associated events, Slane Distillery joins forces with Candlelit Tales for an evening filled with spooky stories, folklore and whiskey.
The 1.5 hour experience includes:
- A short background into the history of the Gothic Stable block at Slane Castle which is now home to Slane Irish Whiskey
- A fully tutored Slane Irish Whiskey deconstructed tasting (includes four whiskeys)
- A 45 minute storytelling session with Candlelit Tales in the Private Whiskey Lounge overlooking the Púca festival site
- One Slane Whiskey Púca Punch Cocktail per person
- Access to the Púca festival trail after the experience
The event will take place in the VIP Whiskey Lounge on the following dates:
Saturday 23 October
Sunday 24 October
Thursday 28 October
Friday 29 October
Saturday 30 October
Time: 18:30 – 20:00
The event is limited to just 12 places per night, book now to avoid disappointment.
The Murder Hole Tours at Trim Castle with Cynthia Simonet
A limited number of tickets are available to join Cynthia Simonet as your expert guide to the dark side of local history as she takes you on a tour exploring the castle’s history and brings back to life the people who lived, worked and died there – sometimes meeting a grizzly end.
This event will take place from 25–31 October, 6pm-10pm.
The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow – Cabaret
Trim Castle Hotel
29–31 October, 8pm
Jerry Fish brings his world-renowned Electric Sideshow to Trim Castle Hotel for three nights this October. Each night, Jerry will be joined by an eclectic and diverse group of performers, along with special guests:
Camille O’Sullivan (Friday 29 October)
MayKay (Saturday 30 October)
Jack L (Sunday 31 October)
Live Music at Odd Mollies, Drogheda
Head to Drogheda for a variety of live music performances over the course of the festival. Odd Mollies on Peter Street is a hotspot for great music and good fun.
Here are some of the acts you can look forward to seeing in Drogheda’s beloved live music venue:
Lemoncello
29 October, 8pm
Irish duo Lemoncello bring their emotive harmonies and cello playing to Púca Festival in a performance sure to capture the hearts of audiences.
Jiggy
30 October, 8pm
Music group Jiggy combines traditional Irish music and world rhythms with cutting-edge dance grooves.
Aoife Scott
31 October, 8pm
Dublin based Singer-songwriter Aoife Scott showcases her dynamic repertoire of folk music in Drogheda this Halloween.
To find out what else is on at this year’s Púca Festival, check out the full programme here.