'Counting down the days' Forest Fest creator shares insights into this year's bigger festival
Bring on the dancing horses and “oh sit down”, because Forest Fest 2026 is about to hit Laois bigger than ever next weekend.
The five year old music festival has taken a growth spurt this year, into a spacious new site on the edge of Emo village that really gives festival feels, with campsites right next to all the action.
Once again with a host of incredible acts from the past and present, it still retains its family friendly vibe with teen tickets and camping chairs permitted.
The award winning festival is founded and overseen by Laois solicitor and music fan Philip Meagher, who spoke on site to the Leinster Express where the tents and stages are springing up in the sunsoaked fields of “Bee’s Wing Farm”.
“We’re three days ahead of schedule with the really good weather, the build started about 10 days ago, with the land being so firm the access has been very easy. In previous years we were working with sports fields and we had to be incredibly careful of the surface pitches,” he said.
He is happy to see the festival mature into a larger site due to its popularity.
“It’s fantastic, I didn’t think four years ago when this all started that we’d be getting to this size. It’s really exciting now, I can’t wait for it all to kick off.
“There are some tickets available, the Saturday tickets are very nearly sold out, so I’d be encouraging people to buy those tickets immediately. We’re very happy with ticket sales.”
He describes the boost to the local economy.
“All the local hotels are booked out, I don’t think there’s a hotel room between here and Dublin. From Tullamore to Naas and Kilkenny and all the hotels in Laois fully booked out for months now. All the local restaurants will do well, the local shops selling concert going material, the hardware stores are selling out of camping chairs,” the promoter said.
It has jumped from a daily capacity of 12,000 to 16,000 and could grow in size again next year.
“We’ll see how it works out this year, and we’ll review things in August. We work very closely with the local authorities and Gardaí, we are looking forward to seeing how the site does.”
He has a few favourites he is looking forward to welcoming to Laois.
“My all time favourite was always Lloyd Cole when I was growing up, but also the headliners, James, Madness, Deacon Blue, Echo & The Bunnymen, I’d have always followed them so it will be great to meet them in person and hear them play live.
“Teenage Philip is like a kid in a sweetshop now, it’s very exciting. I’m looking forward to it. We’re counting down the days,” he said.
The heatwave will have gently wound down too.
“It’s actually to cool down which is perfect for us, for families and kids so it’s looking like it’s shaping up to be ideal weather,” Philip Meagher said.
New this year is a Kickin’ Up Dust (KUD) Arena – a dedicated festival within a festival celebrating country, Americana, folk and roots music, with headliners Nathan Carter and Michael English, and an option to buy separate tickets.
This year Friday is headlined by Echo & The Bunnymen, The Charletans and The Undertones. Saturday offers James, Deacon Blue, The Coronas and Paul Brady and Sunday is headlined by Madness, The Boomtown Rats, Feeder and Kerbdog, with tons more brilliant acts each day, crossing the decades and genres from pop, rock and disco to trad and country.
The Forest Fleadh Stage will have everyone dancing, with Kíla and Brass, Aldoc, Dervish, Cherish The Ladies and Goitse among 27 acts.
A Top of the Crops Barn Disco, a custom-built farm barn built directly around a repurposed combine harvester DJ booth, will spin the ultimate 70s, 80s, and 90s classics late into the night.
For family fun Portarlington’s Port Art Collective creatives are back with a big new interactive creative space for kids and families, alongside a full fairground.
There are early performances for caravan, campervan and glamping ticket holders on Thursday by Hermitage Green, The Valves and more.
You can still bring your camping chair, but only for use in dedicated outdoor zones.
For an extra €151, VIP ticket holders will be living in luxury in yurt marquees with bars and food, fancy toilets, private carpark, entertainment, a big screen showing the main stage, and site shortcuts.
Laois businesses are in action, with Glamping provided by the Abbeyleix company Pitched Perfect while local hotels in Portlaoise, Kildare, Tullamore and Abbeyleix are served by regular shuttle buses.
The beer is local too, with Ballykilcavan Brewing Co. among the brands on sale.
The festival is partnering this year with Native Events to focus on reducing emissions, protecting biodiversity, and encouraging collective action through initiatives across energy, transport, waste, food and governance of the festival.
“Our focus is centred on working with traders and attendees to create a greener, more responsible festival for everyone involved,” organisers said.
An interactive map is on their website, while full stage schedules are on the WOOV App.
Official Return Shuttle Buses will be operating across the weekend with daily pickups and late-night return departures. Routes are running from Dublin, Tullamore, Mountmellick / Portarlington, Kilkenny, Portlaoise, and Durrow.
Adult weekend tickets are €259 including fees, day tickets are €97 including fees for Friday, €135 for Saturday and €118 for Sunday. Forest Fest also offers tickets for families, teens and single parent families, and carers passes for people with disabilities. However camping is not free, at €60 per person for the weekend.
Forest Fest begins on Thursday July 23 at 4pm for campers, 2pm to 2am on Friday, noon to 2am on Saturday and noon to midnight on Sunday for all other ticket holders, until 2am nightly.
Campervan parking and campsites are open from 3pm on Thursday to 3pm Monday.