Púca Festival 2026: dates, free events and travel to Trim and Athboy

CountryCulture

Published 20 Oct 2026

by Aoife Walsh

Púca Festival 2026: dates, free events and travel to Trim and Athboy

CountryCulture

Published 20 Oct 2026

by Aoife Walsh

Babylon Radio

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Púca Festival 2026 runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 in Trim and Athboy, County Meath. It celebrates Samhain, the ancient Irish festival behind Halloween, with music, fire shows, folklore and four free featured events, according to the Púca Festival website.

If you have just moved to Ireland, it is one of the easiest ways to see where Halloween began, and it is a short trip from Dublin.

What is the Púca Festival?

The púca is a shape-shifting spirit from Irish folklore, linked to Samhain. The festival uses the character to celebrate Ireland as the home of Halloween, with events across both towns over four nights. Trim is home to the medieval Trim Castle, and the organisers describe Athboy as the heart of the Samhain tradition. Our explainer Exploring Púca (Pooka) tells the story behind the name.

Who is playing at Púca Festival 2026?

The festival lists these headline shows, all in Trim:

Thursday 29 October: The Stunning, Sharon Shannon Big Band and Mundy, with support from Fin Furey, plus comedy from Enya Martin
Friday 30 October: The Coronas, with support from Roísín O, and Hothouse Flowers, plus comedy from John Colleary
Saturday 31 October: The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Highstool Prophets and Mark McCabe, with special guest Janet Devlin, Jerry Fish’s Electric Sideshow Cabaret, and Qween and the DGC
Sunday 1 November: The Waterboys.

Concerts are ticketed and sold through the festival website. The organisers mark the programme “subject to licence”, so check the festival schedule before you travel.

How much are tickets?

These are the prices listed on each event page on the festival website. Every price is plus a booking fee, and the festival does not publish the fee amount, so you will see the final total at checkout.

The Stunning, Sharon Shannon Big Band and Mundy (Thursday, Púca Big Top, standing): €35 plus booking fees
The Coronas with Roísín O (Friday, Púca Big Top, standing): €50 plus fees
The Waterboys (Sunday, Púca Big Top, standing): €50 plus fees
The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Highstool Prophets and Mark McCabe (Saturday, Púca Big Top, standing): €40 plus fees
Hothouse Flowers (Friday, Trim Castle Hotel, seated): €31.50 plus fees
Jerry Fish’s Electric Sideshow Cabaret (Saturday, Trim Castle Hotel, seated): €31.50 plus fees
Qween and the DGC (Saturday, Knightsbrook Hotel, seated): €31.50 plus booking fee
Samhain Circus (over 18s, Athboy, every night at 9pm): €25 plus booking fee
Sorcas na Samhna Accessibility Circus (Sunday 1.30pm, Athboy): €5 plus booking fee.

Which events are free?

Four featured events are listed as free:

Púca Procession, The Gathering of the Spirits: a night-time parade of costumed spirits, drums and fire through the streets of Trim, from 6pm on Friday 30 October
Lighting of the Samhain Fire: fire performers, storytelling and a free set from Kíla at the Fairgreen in Athboy on Saturday 31 October, from 5.30pm
Projections on Trim Castle: an audio-visual show on the walls of the medieval castle
The Pyro Collective: fire choreography and aerial acrobatics at the Barbican Gate of Trim Castle on Friday 30 October, from 7pm.

Times are marked subject to change, so check each event page on the festival website before you go. For free events, arrive early: the streets around the castle fill up fast after dark.

Are there age limits or bag rules?

Yes. According to the festival’s essential information page:

Big Top events are strictly 16+. That covers the Thursday, Friday (The Coronas), Saturday (The Whistlin’ Donkeys) and Sunday (The Waterboys) concerts at the Púca Big Top in the Porchfields
the Samhain Circus in Athboy is over 18s only, and you need ID
Qween and the DGC at the Knightsbrook Hotel is for over 16s, who must be with a parent or guardian aged over 25, and ID is required
the free procession, Samhain Fire and Pyro Collective show have no age limit listed, but check the page for any other ticketed event before you book, as rules can differ.
bags must be no bigger than 40cm x 40cm x 20cm, and large rucksacks and suitcases are not allowed
you cannot bring your own alcohol.

Is the festival accessible?

According to the festival’s accessibility page:

the festival promises wheelchair-friendly facilities and accessible pathways, and where access is limited, stewards will signpost alternative viewing areas
accessible toilets will be at key festival sites, marked on the festival map
the Púca Big Top has a dedicated viewing platform for 2026
Accessibility Tents at both towns, run by Nua Healthcare Services, offer quiet, low-sensory spaces for anyone who feels overwhelmed
the Sorcas na Samhna Accessibility Circus on Sunday is a relaxed show for people with access needs or sensory sensitivities and their families, with adjusted sound and light, reduced capacity, accessible pathways and an accessible toilet unit.

The festival does not publish details of accessible parking spaces or companion tickets. If you need either, email the organisers at puca@mpiartists.com before you book.

How do I get to Trim and Athboy?

The festival travel page and Transport for Ireland list these options:

Bus: Bus Éireann runs routes to Trim and Athboy, including the 111 from Busáras in Dublin, the 188 from Navan to Athboy and the 190 from Navan to Trim. A dedicated Festival Coach will also run from Dublin, Drogheda, Navan, Slane, Kells and Mullingar, with booking details on the festival’s social media
Train and bus via Enfield: Irish Rail runs daily services from Dublin Connolly to Enfield. From outside Enfield Station, TFI Local Link route 189 runs to Trim every day, Monday to Sunday, according to the TFI Local Link Louth Meath Fingal timetable. Buses leave Enfield Station at 07:31, 10:11, 12:11, 14:11, 16:11, 18:11, 19:31 and 20:31 and reach Ring Road in Trim about 30 minutes later (there is also a 22:06 departure that goes only as far as Longwood). Check your return journey before you set off. The last 189 from Ring Road, Trim leaves at 21:29 and reaches Enfield Station at 21:59, according to the route 189 timetable. The last train from Enfield to Dublin in the Irish Rail timetable leaves at 21:17, so this bus does not connect with a late-night train to Dublin. Check both the TFI Journey Planner and Irish Rail live journey planner before you travel
Between towns: according to Transport for Ireland’s Púca Festival page, a free shuttle runs between Trim and Athboy on each festival day, taking about 20 to 30 minutes. From Trim, it leaves Ring Road (The Bridge bus stop) on the hour from 12:00 to 22:00, with a final shuttle at 23:15. From Athboy, it leaves Fagan’s Pub, opposite the Garda station, on the half hour from 12:30 to 22:30. The festival’s own travel page still says the timetable is “to be posted soon”, so these times come from TFI
Car: free parking is available at the Porchfields in Trim. Parking in Athboy is limited, so the organisers suggest the shuttle.

Using public transport a lot? A TFI Leap Card usually works out cheaper than cash. Our guide to Ireland’s public transport explains how it works.

Is it a good first Halloween for newcomers?

It is a gentle introduction to Irish traditions, with free street events, family-friendly shows and big Irish bands in one weekend. If you are still settling in, our First 30 Days in Ireland guide covers the basics, and you can find more ideas on Babylon Events.

Official sources

Sources last checked: Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Featured image: Macnas performers during the Port na bPúcaí Halloween parade in Galway City, October 2017 (archive photo, not the Púca Festival or 2026). Photo by Joeykavanagh, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.