The Festival Guide
See our range of upcoming events and fundraisers for the festival below
8pm – Festival Parade
Featuring local groups and the Tonragee Pipe Band
(Calling all kids to join parade on the Toy Tractor Run. Prize for the best decorated tractor.)
Raising of the Festival Flag – by Ava Sheridan, Festival Queen
8.30pm – Nite Fever
Open-air concert, live on Main Street. See here for more.
10am – Historical Walk around Newport
This wonderful tour of the town is led by Michael Chambers. Hailing from Shramore, Michael has grown up in Newport and has a real depth of knowledge about the town and surrounding areas. You won’t want to miss it! (Meet at Ned Lyons monument on Meddlicott Street).
11am – GAA U13 Boys and Girls Football Blitz (Burrishoole GAA Pitch)
For the future Jason Dohertys, Clodagh McMananamons, Maria Cannons, and Lucy Wallaces of the country! Grab your boots, and join us.
11am – Children’s Novelty Sports Events (Burrishoole GAA Pitch)
All the fun and games of a sports day, with egg and spoon, wheelbarrow races, and more. The kids are sure to have a great laugh and a lot of fun.
2.30pm – Family Treasure Hunt (Meet at the Playground)
A treasure hunt fit for the whole family. This exciting event takes place across the town of Newport, on foot. That’s right, you’ll have to travel across the town, looking for clues, to find the treasure. Meeting at the playground to share the details and send you on your way!
7.45pm – Bingo (Brannens, Main Street)
Another festival tradition, bingo is back! This old favorite has been a staple of the festival for many years. Just bring a biro, pencil, marker – whatever you need to mark those books. Grab a drink and enjoy the calls. Whether you’re waiting for top of the house, two little ducks, or two fat ladies, it’ll be good fun and some great prizes.
8.30pm – Role the Bale (Main Street)
That’s right, the role the bale is back this year! A big hit some years ago, this event requires strength, and stamina. This event is for both adults and young people. We have some custom bales especially for the kids to get involved too.
9.30pm – Jive Talkin’
Live open-air music from the ultimate Bee Gee’s tribute band. See here for more.
12.30pm – Ceoil agus Craic (Main Street)
Join the Mulloy Brothers for an afternoon of traditional tunes and ballads. This event is always great craic – the perfect start to the Bank Holiday Sunday.
1pm – 5pm – Family Fun Day (Medlicott Street)
Another big tradition, our family fun day. We will have a playground paradise for the kids – with Toons and Balloons Children’s Activities. We have amusements, the “cliff hang”, the Mega Buzzer, Garden Chess, face painting, and more!
We’ll also have a prize for the best dressed lady on the day.
For the day, we are joined by Cuilmore CCE and Caroline O’Malley’s School of Dance for some wonderful music and Irish set dancing. This is followed by the wonderful country tunes of our very own Pat Mulchrone!
Finally, we’ll have the Sheep Shearing Exhibition taking place, which is excellent to watch the shearers in action.
9pm – Paul Kelly & Band
Our final open-air concert of the weekend, with Paul Kelly. See more on Paul here.
Festival Music Announcements!
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
More about the acts
Nite Fever
Friday 4th of August
Nite Fever will be joining us for the very first night of open air music.
We’re excited for a night full of music and dancing with some excellent tunes. We look forward to seeing you there dancing your socks off!
We can’t wait to welcome ‘Nite Fever’ to Newport on Friday the 4th of August – the opening night of the Festival!
Jive Talkin'
Ultimate Bee Gees Tribute Band
Saturday 5th of August
Jive Talkin’ are Irelands only 6 piece Bee Gees tribute band complete with falsettos and dazzling dance routines they are guaranteed to get any party started.
Let them sing and dance you through the decades from the sixties to present day with all those great hit songs making them the perfect band to suit all age groups.
Jive Talkin’ present a tribute to the Bee Gees through their catalogue of hits over 4 decades from the 60s to the 90s. The full live band blend the classic hits, acoustic medleys and dance floor fillers which define the show. With hits like, Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Tragedy, Jive Talkin, Chain Reaction, Grease, and Islands in the Stream.
Paul Kelly & Band
Sunday 6th of August
Donegal native Paul Kelly, a farmer, truck driver and songwriter, will be joining us Sunday the 6th of August to close the show.
At the age of 12, Paul started playing in a two-piece band with his mother and they performed a few nights a week, then in his late teens the opportunity arose for him to join a five-piece band.
He is a versatile entertainer, multi-talented instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. His genre of music appeals to young and old alike, and he is a popular artist among the country loving community.