Local and national media, key stakeholders, and community dignitaries gathered at the Swift Cultural Centre in Trim for the official local launch of Púca Festival 2024. This year's festival, taking place from October 31st to November 3rd, in festival hubs Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath, celebrates Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween with an authentic, immersive, and otherworldly festival. Vibrant, fun, and contemporary in feel but strongly rooted in tradition.
Púca Festival is excited to announce that Pa Sheehy, former Walking on Cars frontman, will join Bell X1 as a special guest at the Púca Big Top on Saturday, November 2nd, and don’t miss CRAICLY Stories where the Irish storytelling community will bring ghostly tales to life, featuring special guest Sinead O’Brien from her sold-out Edinburgh Fringe shows.
Púca Festival, developed by Fáilte Ireland, has been honoured with the prestigious Grand Pinnacle Award at the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards. The award, presented on Sunday, 29th September 2024, during the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, recognizes the festival's excellence in the $500,000 to $1 million budget category.
Sponsored by Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the Pinnacle Awards celebrate the creative, promotional, operational, and community engagement efforts of festivals and events worldwide. Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE, President & CEO of the IFEA, praised this year's winners, saying, “The Pinnacle Awards recognize the outstanding achievements and top-tier creativity, promotional efforts, operational excellence, and community outreach demonstrated by festivals and events worldwide. By striving for the highest standards across all budget levels and regions, this competition not only elevates the quality of festivals and events globally but also shows how event producers can use innovation and creativity to achieve a higher level of success.”
Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals and Events at Fáilte Ireland, accepted the award in Boise, Idaho, and said: “Fáilte Ireland is delighted to accept the Grand Pinnacle award for Púca Festival 2023, which celebrates Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween. Festivals like Púca offer an excellent opportunity to showcase the rich heritage and unique culture that Ireland has to offer both domestic and international visitors. They are also important drivers of tourism revenue across the country, particularly in areas outside traditional tourism hotspots. As we celebrate the local launch of Púca Festival in Trim and prepare for the 2024 festival, we look forward to collaborating once again with Meath County Council and local tourism and hospitality businesses to deliver an unforgettable, award-winning experience in our hubs of Trim and Athboy.”
The launch event, hosted by radio personality and lineup artist Tom Dunne, offered a preview of the exciting programme that will transform Ireland’s Ancient East into festival hubs. A panel discussion with key festival partners, including Kieran Kehoe (Meath County Council), Ciara Sugrue (Fáilte Ireland), and Martin Nolan (Púca Festival Director), highlighted the festival’s evolution since 2019, its growing international profile, and its potential to attract over 50,000 visitors this year. The evening featured a musical performance by Emma Langford and a circus act from Broken Theatre, showcasing the variety of entertainment in store for Púca Festival 2024.
The Púca Festival 2024 has a stellar programme with acts including Gavin James, Kingfishr, Bell X1, The High Kings, Dermot Whelan, Panti Bliss, Mary Coughlan, Deirdre O’Kane, Neil Delamere, The Dirt Birds, Davina Devine, Tom Dunne, Fiachna O’Braonáin & Alan Connor, Emma Langford, Ruaile Buaile, Qween and Dublin Gospel Choir, The Classic Beatles, The Hans Zimmer Experience, and recently announced Leftfield (DJ Set) and Jenny Greene, CRAICLY and Pa Sheehy with more musical, comedy, storytelling and folklore acts set to be announced shortly. Events will take place across various venues in Trim and Athboy and tickets now on sale.
Many more acts will be added to the line up over the coming weeks, and festivalgoers are advised to keep an eye on www.pucafestival.com and social channels for news and ticket updates.
*The Púca Festival is subject to license.
Slán go foíll.