All tickets for the Balmoral Show must be purchased online at balmoralshow.co.uk and ideally before the closure of ‘early-bird’ prices at 10pm on Tuesday 12 May.

Those early bird entry prices have risen again this year, costing £27 for adults, £20 for young people aged 12 to 16 and £3 for children aged five to 11. Under-fives get in for free, while tickets for those over 65 cost £22.

Tickets are day-specific and will be emailed on completion of an order. They should be printed out or can also be shown via a mobile phone. It is possible to buy tickets on any day of the show, although this will also have to be done online.

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There is ample car parking at the site, with the cost £10 per car, which must be paid in cash on the day.

Directions

For those travelling from the south, take the A1 dual carriageway at Newry and follow directional signage as you approach Lisburn. Directional signage will also be in place for those utilising the M1 motorway.

There is still no direct access off the M1 to the showgrounds and with some minor roads to be navigated around the site, plenty of time should be allowed for your journey.

The alternative is to use public transport, with a free shuttle bus in operation daily from Lisburn Train Station.

The first shuttle bus will leave Lisburn train station at 9am each day, with the final returning shuttle bus departing the showgrounds at closing time. The estimated journey time is approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The station can be accessed by various bus and train services operated by Translink.

On the days of the show, selected Enterprise services to and from Dublin Connolly will stop at Lisburn Train Station, with the most extensive range of services being on the Saturday.

Opening and closing times

As in previous years, the show opens at 9.30am; however, there is a slight change to closing times, with the late closing at 8pm on a Thursday no longer in operation.

Instead, the show closes at 7pm each night from Wednesday to Friday and at 6pm on the Saturday.

There is a soft opening at the main entrance from 8am for those wishing to watch early equestrian or other livestock classes. Trade stands won’t open until 9.30am.

Join us on the IFJ stand

The Irish Farmers Journal stand is located in trade section B, which overlooks the cattle lawns.

We will have refreshments on offer to readers as well as some merchandise for sale.

Feedback

Please call in to discuss current farming topics with our editorial staff – we always appreciate feedback from readers.

There will also be a live recording of our popular Farm Tech Talk podcast on the Thursday morning of the show at 11am, where there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the panel.

Everyone is welcome to attend.