1. Embrace the Púca spirit
Oíche Shamhna or Halloween has always been associated with tales of the púca – a spirit or ghost capable of shape-shifting into different forms, or other supernatural beings. A Celtic festival marking the transition between summer and winter, it was believed that on Samhain, this world of the living blurred with the world of the dead, allowing the fairies, or the púca, to come to life.
From 30 October to 2 November, across two festival locations in Trim and Athboy, Co Meath, the Púca Festival salutes those Halloween spirits by lighting up the night sky with fire performances, music and stories.
Embark on an eerie journey with Beyond the Veil: The Puca Trail, a mystical walk in search of otherworldly spirits, or enjoy the thrilling spectacle of the Samhain Circus event or foraging tour and heritage tours of Tlachtga, also known as the Hill of Ward.
Headliners include The 2 Johnnies, performing alongside Chasing Abbey, Mark McCabe, Block Rockin’ Beats and a Groove Armada DJ set. New for 2025 is Spooky Classics by Candlelight, a concert featuring iconic film scores in Trim.
pucafestival.com
A fiery scene from the Púca Festival taking place in Trim and Athboy, Co Meath from 30 October to 2 November.
2. Puppet fun in Co Down
Puppets might conjure up nostalgic images of Zig and Zag and Bosco for some of us of a certain vintage, but this age-old performance is still thrilling audiences, young and old, even in a digital age.
See your favourite agricultural characters come to life in Tales from the Farmyard at Ards Puppet Festival, returning to Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co Down, on 26 and 27 October for two magical days of puppetry, performance and creativity.
Other highlights include Edward Lear’s Dream from Sea Legs Puppet Theatre, plus Lempen Puppet Theatre’s Flotsam and Jetsam, Penny and the Far Thing and The Fisher and His Wife.
Beyond the stage, explore the enchanting Woodland Wonderland where you can meet HandMade Theatre’s curious creatures, watch It’s Bee-Hind You by Professor Queen-Bee, marvel at the Flea Circus or make your own puppet in fun drop-in workshops. There are a mix of free and ticketed events.
puppetfestival.andculture.org.uk
Sea Legs Puppet Theatre presents Tales from the Farmyard at the Ards Puppet Festival in Co Down.
3. Folklore in the midlands
With tourism bodies pitching this country as ‘The Home of Halloween’, festive activity around the spooky night has stepped up a gear in recent times in a bid to attract domestic and foreign visitors.
This year, counties Longford and Westmeath have come together to launch a seasonal programme celebrating the ancient feast of Samhain in the ancient landscapes of bogs and waterways in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
Three flagship festivals form the heart of the 2025 programme: Dead of Night Festival and Féile na Samhna in Longford, and Samhain on the ancient site Uisneach in Westmeath.
In all there will be over 30 events across both counties, with a Samhain Supper on Cloughan Farm, near Abbeyshrule in Co Longford, Ghost Tours of Old Mullingar; and a Fire and Shadows Procession on 31 October in Longford town, just a flavour of the standouts.
visit westmeath.ie or @Longford
Tourism on Instagram
Gavin Smith, Ani Morton and Hope Feeney at the launch of Home of Halloween- Longford and Westmeath: Samhain: Fire, Folklore and Feasting in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. \ Shelley Corcoran
4. Dramatic nights in Mayo
Longer winter nights kickstart amateur drama groups into action up and down the country. The spotlight is on the Mayo town of Ballina from 31 October-2 November as it welcomes nine groups to tread the boards as part of the town’s one-act drama festival.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival showcases the magic of live theatre, with a mix of drama and comedy on show in nine productions over the weekend. Four groups battle it out in the open section and five others compete in the confined competition.
Among the groups participating are Phoenix Players, Millrace Drama, Upstage Players, Hoodwink Theatre Productions, Tullamore Amateur Dramatic Society, Backstage Theatre Group, Breffni Players, Bradán Players and Castleconnor Drama Group. Tickets are €15 per night or a weekend ticket is €35.
ballinaartscentre.com
5. Spooky in Wicklow
The magic of the Smurfs and Halloween come together as part of a new attraction especially for younger children this year at Beyond the Trees in Avondale, Co Wicklow.
Enter a world where imagination reigns and the Smurfs come to life in a magical Halloween celebration with games, stories and mask making, just a flavour of the fun on offer from 25-30 October. Children will get to wander through an enchanting Smurf-sized wonderland filled with towering mushrooms, giant pumpkins, and glowing lanterns.
Most importantly of all, each child will get to meet real-life Smurfs ready with hugs, waves, and the biggest Smurfy smiles.
Tickets from €18.
beyondthetreesavondale.com or eventbrite.ie
Immerse yourself in nature and spooky smurfs at Beyond The Trees attraction at Avondale in Co Wicklow.
\ Coillte
6. Savour Kilkenny
Mark Samhain in appropriate fashion with a feast of good food and flavour from 24-27 October in the medieval city of Kilkenny.
Sample and shop your way through the 100 stall market close to Kilkenny Castle, explore the Brewers & Distillers Marquee, and enjoy free live cookery demos from Rory O’Connell, Aisling Larkin, Paul Flynn, Sophie Morris, Rachel Allen and Edward Hayden, to mention just a few.
Last year, over 68,000 people filled the streets of Kilkenny to experience one of Ireland’s largest food festivals, and organisers are bidding to top that. Watch out for unique dining events in conjunction with local restaurants, street food, health and wellness talks, children’s entertainment, a night street party and a Madra Monday event celebrating our canine buddies.
savourkilkenny.com
7 Jazz time in Cork
The October Bank Holiday weekend has been synonymous with the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival for close to 50 years now, and the line-up for the 2025 edition promises more electrifying music from 23-27 October throughout venues in the city.
And it’s not all jazz either. Expect a diverse range of musical styles which definitely surpass any dusty definitions of ‘jazz’, so there’s plenty of swing, bebop, fusion, funk, hip-hop and R&B on the menu.
Headliners include Cymande, one of the most influential Black British bands of the 1970s, known for blending jazz, funk, soul, and Caribbean rhythms, and Lee Fields, dubbed the greatest pure soul singer alive today.
TikTok sensation Sienna Spiro is also sure to draw a crowd, while the seven sons of jazz great Phil Cohran carry on his musical legacy in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The Sultans of Ping, Tolü Makay, The Tumbling Paddies and Maverick Sabre make up just some of the Irish musical attractions.
guinnesscorkjazz.com
8 Hocus pocus in Killarney
Wander through winding vines in search of your perfect pumpkin or a delightfully ghoulish gourd at Killarney Pumpkin Farm, part of a one-of-a-kind Halloween experience every day up to 31 October.
It is just one of a myriad of attractions at this agricultural and visitor gem tucked away in the hills of Headford, just outside the bustling Kerry tourist town. Get lost in the corn maze, meet the witch and the alpacas or enjoy spooky Samhain storytelling.
Then there’s a visit to the pumpkin pixie village, pixie disco or the haunted cottage before climbing aboard the Killarney Ghost bus.
Tickets from €18.28 plus booking fee.
killarneypumpkinfarm.ie or
eventbrite.ie
Halloween fun at Killarney Pumpkin Farm.
1. Embrace the Púca spirit
Oíche Shamhna or Halloween has always been associated with tales of the púca – a spirit or ghost capable of shape-shifting into different forms, or other supernatural beings. A Celtic festival marking the transition between summer and winter, it was believed that on Samhain, this world of the living blurred with the world of the dead, allowing the fairies, or the púca, to come to life.
From 30 October to 2 November, across two festival locations in Trim and Athboy, Co Meath, the Púca Festival salutes those Halloween spirits by lighting up the night sky with fire performances, music and stories.
Embark on an eerie journey with Beyond the Veil: The Puca Trail, a mystical walk in search of otherworldly spirits, or enjoy the thrilling spectacle of the Samhain Circus event or foraging tour and heritage tours of Tlachtga, also known as the Hill of Ward.
Headliners include The 2 Johnnies, performing alongside Chasing Abbey, Mark McCabe, Block Rockin’ Beats and a Groove Armada DJ set. New for 2025 is Spooky Classics by Candlelight, a concert featuring iconic film scores in Trim.
pucafestival.com
A fiery scene from the Púca Festival taking place in Trim and Athboy, Co Meath from 30 October to 2 November.
2. Puppet fun in Co Down
Puppets might conjure up nostalgic images of Zig and Zag and Bosco for some of us of a certain vintage, but this age-old performance is still thrilling audiences, young and old, even in a digital age.
See your favourite agricultural characters come to life in Tales from the Farmyard at Ards Puppet Festival, returning to Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co Down, on 26 and 27 October for two magical days of puppetry, performance and creativity.
Other highlights include Edward Lear’s Dream from Sea Legs Puppet Theatre, plus Lempen Puppet Theatre’s Flotsam and Jetsam, Penny and the Far Thing and The Fisher and His Wife.
Beyond the stage, explore the enchanting Woodland Wonderland where you can meet HandMade Theatre’s curious creatures, watch It’s Bee-Hind You by Professor Queen-Bee, marvel at the Flea Circus or make your own puppet in fun drop-in workshops. There are a mix of free and ticketed events.
puppetfestival.andculture.org.uk
Sea Legs Puppet Theatre presents Tales from the Farmyard at the Ards Puppet Festival in Co Down.
3. Folklore in the midlands
With tourism bodies pitching this country as ‘The Home of Halloween’, festive activity around the spooky night has stepped up a gear in recent times in a bid to attract domestic and foreign visitors.
This year, counties Longford and Westmeath have come together to launch a seasonal programme celebrating the ancient feast of Samhain in the ancient landscapes of bogs and waterways in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
Three flagship festivals form the heart of the 2025 programme: Dead of Night Festival and Féile na Samhna in Longford, and Samhain on the ancient site Uisneach in Westmeath.
In all there will be over 30 events across both counties, with a Samhain Supper on Cloughan Farm, near Abbeyshrule in Co Longford, Ghost Tours of Old Mullingar; and a Fire and Shadows Procession on 31 October in Longford town, just a flavour of the standouts.
visit westmeath.ie or @Longford
Tourism on Instagram
Gavin Smith, Ani Morton and Hope Feeney at the launch of Home of Halloween- Longford and Westmeath: Samhain: Fire, Folklore and Feasting in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. \ Shelley Corcoran
4. Dramatic nights in Mayo
Longer winter nights kickstart amateur drama groups into action up and down the country. The spotlight is on the Mayo town of Ballina from 31 October-2 November as it welcomes nine groups to tread the boards as part of the town’s one-act drama festival.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival showcases the magic of live theatre, with a mix of drama and comedy on show in nine productions over the weekend. Four groups battle it out in the open section and five others compete in the confined competition.
Among the groups participating are Phoenix Players, Millrace Drama, Upstage Players, Hoodwink Theatre Productions, Tullamore Amateur Dramatic Society, Backstage Theatre Group, Breffni Players, Bradán Players and Castleconnor Drama Group. Tickets are €15 per night or a weekend ticket is €35.
ballinaartscentre.com
5. Spooky in Wicklow
The magic of the Smurfs and Halloween come together as part of a new attraction especially for younger children this year at Beyond the Trees in Avondale, Co Wicklow.
Enter a world where imagination reigns and the Smurfs come to life in a magical Halloween celebration with games, stories and mask making, just a flavour of the fun on offer from 25-30 October. Children will get to wander through an enchanting Smurf-sized wonderland filled with towering mushrooms, giant pumpkins, and glowing lanterns.
Most importantly of all, each child will get to meet real-life Smurfs ready with hugs, waves, and the biggest Smurfy smiles.
Tickets from €18.
beyondthetreesavondale.com or eventbrite.ie
Immerse yourself in nature and spooky smurfs at Beyond The Trees attraction at Avondale in Co Wicklow.
\ Coillte
6. Savour Kilkenny
Mark Samhain in appropriate fashion with a feast of good food and flavour from 24-27 October in the medieval city of Kilkenny.
Sample and shop your way through the 100 stall market close to Kilkenny Castle, explore the Brewers & Distillers Marquee, and enjoy free live cookery demos from Rory O’Connell, Aisling Larkin, Paul Flynn, Sophie Morris, Rachel Allen and Edward Hayden, to mention just a few.
Last year, over 68,000 people filled the streets of Kilkenny to experience one of Ireland’s largest food festivals, and organisers are bidding to top that. Watch out for unique dining events in conjunction with local restaurants, street food, health and wellness talks, children’s entertainment, a night street party and a Madra Monday event celebrating our canine buddies.
savourkilkenny.com
7 Jazz time in Cork
The October Bank Holiday weekend has been synonymous with the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival for close to 50 years now, and the line-up for the 2025 edition promises more electrifying music from 23-27 October throughout venues in the city.
And it’s not all jazz either. Expect a diverse range of musical styles which definitely surpass any dusty definitions of ‘jazz’, so there’s plenty of swing, bebop, fusion, funk, hip-hop and R&B on the menu.
Headliners include Cymande, one of the most influential Black British bands of the 1970s, known for blending jazz, funk, soul, and Caribbean rhythms, and Lee Fields, dubbed the greatest pure soul singer alive today.
TikTok sensation Sienna Spiro is also sure to draw a crowd, while the seven sons of jazz great Phil Cohran carry on his musical legacy in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. The Sultans of Ping, Tolü Makay, The Tumbling Paddies and Maverick Sabre make up just some of the Irish musical attractions.
guinnesscorkjazz.com
8 Hocus pocus in Killarney
Wander through winding vines in search of your perfect pumpkin or a delightfully ghoulish gourd at Killarney Pumpkin Farm, part of a one-of-a-kind Halloween experience every day up to 31 October.
It is just one of a myriad of attractions at this agricultural and visitor gem tucked away in the hills of Headford, just outside the bustling Kerry tourist town. Get lost in the corn maze, meet the witch and the alpacas or enjoy spooky Samhain storytelling.
Then there’s a visit to the pumpkin pixie village, pixie disco or the haunted cottage before climbing aboard the Killarney Ghost bus.
Tickets from €18.28 plus booking fee.
killarneypumpkinfarm.ie or
eventbrite.ie
Halloween fun at Killarney Pumpkin Farm.
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