Festivals

Waterford City & County Council serves as the primary authority for administering and allocating funding for a diverse array of local and county-wide festivals.

Through www.waterfordfestivals.ie, festival organizers gain access to a streamlined platform where they can register, submit applications, and manage their funding requests efficiently.

This online portal not only facilitates the application process but also provides crucial information for planning future submissions, ensuring transparency and accessibility in the allocation of resources for enriching the cultural landscape of Waterford.  The resources will walk you through topics such as “Health & Safety”, the “Roles and Responsibilities” of festival organisers and “Child Protection”.

Celebrated every year since 2012, Winterval is Ireland’s largest Christmas festival.  As Christmas approaches, Waterford is transformed into a winter wonderland for Santa and his elves.  Featuring a range of magical delights including a Christmas market, music, theatre, lightshows an traditional fairground rides, Winterval has become synonymous with Christmas in Waterford.

First held in 1993, Spraoi is Ireland’s premiere free summer street party which showcases the very best of street theatre from around the globe.  Every August, the streets of Waterford transform into an imaginative wonderland as the city welcomes performers and audiences from around the world for a breathtaking weekend of theatre, dance, music, dance and magic .

Imagine Arts Festival captures the essence of Waterford’s burgeoning artistic community, giving it a national platform and a bigger audience.  The festival features the best of national and international artists, inspiring new ideas and thought within the local community through an eclectic programme of activities that evoke and engage on a multi-sensory level.

Imagine Arts Festival likes to capture the essence of Waterford’s burgeoning artistic community and give it a national platform and therefore a bigger audience.

On the 7th of March 1848, Thomas Francis Meagher flew a Tricolour flag at the Wolf Tone Club 33 The Mall, Waterford City, where it flew continuously for eight days and nights before being removed by the authorities.  The 1848 Tricolour Celebration is a three day event celebrating the Irish Tricolour flag and its rich history.

At Halloween, Ireland’s oldest city celebrates Samhain, the ancient Irish festival which marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker half of the year.  Traditionally a time when spirits walk abroad, and things ae not always as they seem Samhain in Waterford is a spooky mix of theatre, live music and magic and more.

Dedicated to writers and those who love the work of writers, the Waterford Writers Weekend features a jam-packed programme with a broad and engaging range of events and workshops to suit all ages and all genres.  Whether you’re an established or aspiring writer, poet, artist, or someone who simply loves to lose yourself in a good book, the Waterford Writers Weekend is a must on the artistic calendar.