Forest Fest returns to Emo, Co Laois, this summer and the fifth edition of the music and arts festival will be the biggest yet. This year’s festival has moved from the GAA grounds in the centre of the village to Bees Wing Farm on the outskirts to accommodate its increased capacity. The music mood is distinctly 1980s and 1990s indie with no shortage of Irish acts either. Planning on heading to the festival? Keep reading for everything you need to know.

When does it all start and finish?

Forest Fest kicks off on Friday, July 24th, and wraps up on Sunday, July 26th. For those with caravan, campervan and glamping tickets, the party begins a little earlier with access to the festival site from Thursday, July 23rd.

Who is playing and when?

For those with early access, things get underway on Thursday evening in the Kickin’ Up Dust arena from 6pm with Hermitage Green, The Valves, The Jury, The Bluffers and Half The Truth.

From Friday, the main arena will be open with six stages hosting several acts, from The Sultans of Ping on the Village Stage to Nathan Carter at Kicken Up Dust. For the full list of stage times you can check out the official app on Woov or the Forest Fest website here. Below are the stage times for Forest Stage (the main stage) over the weekend.

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Friday

• 12.20am – 1.20am Björn Again
• 10.10pm – 11.40pm Echo and The Bunnymen
• 8.30pm – 9.30pm The Charlatans
• 6.50pm – 7.50pm The Wedding Present
• 5.10pm – 6.10pm The Chameleons
• 3.50pm – 4.30pm Dea Matrona
• 2.25pm – 3.10pm Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets

Saturday

• 1am – 2am King Kong Company
• 11pm – 12.30am James
• 9.20pm – 10.20pm Deacon Blue
• 7.40pm – 8.40pm The Coronas
• 6.05pm – 7.05pm Paul Brady
• 4.30pm – 5.30pm The Fratellis
• 3pm – 4pm Andrew Strong
• 1.20pm – 2.20pm The Frank and Walters
• 12.10pm – 12.50pm The Hoosiers

Sunday

• 10.10pm – 11.40pm Qween and the Dublin Gospel Choir
• 8.10pm – 9.30pm Madness
• 6.30pm – 7.30pm The Boomtown Rats
• 4.50pm – 5.50pm Feeder
• 3.10pm – 4.10pm Cry Before Dawn
• 1.30pm – 2.30pm Jack Lukeman
• 12.10pm – 12.50pm Suso Gospel Choir

Where can I stay?

Tent camping passes can be purchased from forestfest.ie. Glamping, campervan and caravan parking passes are now completely sold out. General camping is open from 12pm on Friday, July 24th. All campsites must be cleared by 2pm on Monday, July 27th.

Campervan, caravan and glamping sites are open from 3pm on Thursday, July 23rd.

There are numerous hotels in Laois and surrounding counties, many of which will be serviced by shuttle buses from bus partners Martley’s - see the website for timetables and information on how to purchase tickets.

When does the Forest Fest site open?

The Forest Fest Main Arena opening times are as follows: Friday, July 24th, 2pm - 2am; Saturday July 25th, noon - 2am; Sunday July 26th, noon - midnight.

Will we be fed, watered and showered?

There will be numerous food stalls at the festival, and free drinking water points across the campsites and arena next to the toilet blocks.

How do I get there?

Dedicated Forest Fest coaches run from Dublin, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Mountmellick/Portarlington, Kilkenny, and Cashel, dropping you right at the festival entrance.

By train, Portlaoise is well connected by direct intercity services from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and more, with hourly shuttle buses running to the site all weekend.

If you opt to travel by car, Forest Fest is just off the M7 motorway. There is free car parking and pick-up and drop-off points. Follow the appropriate signage.

What are Forest Fest’s age restrictions?

Forest Fest is a family-friendly event. Children aged 12 and under go free, provided they are accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. For older children, aged 13-17, there is a paid adolescent ticket costing €90 for the weekend, or €50 for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday ticket. Under-18s must be accompanied by a ticketholder over 23 years of age.

Is Forest Fest accessible?

Forest Fest is committed to making the festival accessible to all attendees. Eligible ticket holders can apply for accessibility support, including a free Accessibility Companion Ticket for those who require assistance, with documentation such as an Irish Wheelchair Association permit, medical evidence, or registration with a recognised organisation.

The festival offers designated accessible parking and camping, an accessible viewing platform in the Main Arena, accessible toilets and facilities, medication storage, equipment charging on request, and priority access queues for wristband holders.

Full details are available at forestfest.ie/accessibility.

Are there any tickets left?

Weekend and one-day tickets are still available from the website, but glamping, campervan, caravan parking passes are sold out.

What’s the weather forecast looking like?

According to Met Éireann, the likelihood is of cooler maximum temperatures of about 20 degrees for Thursday, with significant cloud cover, and temperatures falling back further to the mid- to high teens as the weekend proceeds. There will also be an increased chance of showers.

Anything else?

What to leave at home

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, a number of items are not permitted on the Forest Fest site. Anyone found carrying prohibited items will have them confiscated at the gate, and those found in possession of illegal substances will be referred to gardaí.

Prohibited items include cooking equipment such as BBQs (including disposables), camping stoves, and gas canisters, as well as gazebos, garden furniture, and generators. Glass, plastic bottles and spray cans are not permitted, nor are sound systems, speakers, megaphones, drones, or professional cameras with detachable lenses. For the safety of all attendees, knives, weapons, fireworks, flares, lasers and smoke-making devices are strictly forbidden. Kites, flag poles, umbrellas, lanterns, incense, bikes, Hi-vis clothing and goods for trading are also on the prohibited list. Animals are welcome only in the form of guide dogs.

Liquids policy

No liquids of any kind may be brought through the entrance gates, and all bags are subject to search on arrival. Alcohol and any other liquids will be confiscated at the gate. Free drinking water is available at multiple points across the site, so reusable bottles and flasks can be filled once you’re inside.

The following exceptions apply: hand sanitiser and sunscreen in containers of up to 50ml are permitted, as are larger aerosol sunscreens. Attendees with essential prescription medication, such as insulin, may bring clearly labelled liquids and should declare these to security on arrival.

For a full list of restricted items, please see forestfest.ie.

Camping chairs in the arena

Camping and folding chairs are welcome at Forest Fest, but their use is restricted to designated areas within the arena zones. Chairs are not permitted inside any covered venue, in order to maintain clear sightlines, safe crowd movement, and emergency access routes. The official site map and signage across the site will indicate where chairs may be used, and the festival team will be on hand throughout the weekend to help.

For more information check out the festival website, forestfest.ie.