The blues is set to take over the streets, pubs and harbour of Howth. From Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August 2026, the Howth Roots & Blues Festival will feature more than fifty concerts across seven venues in the coastal village north of Dublin. Forty performances will be free to attend.
Since its creation in 2019, the festival has championed a vibrant approach to music: real instruments, artists connecting with their audience, and no pre-recorded backing tracks. Blues, soul, country, bluegrass and Americana will provide the soundtrack for visitors throughout the weekend.
Forty free concerts in Howth’s pubs
A musical trail around the harbour
One of the festival’s distinguishing features is its format. Rather than bringing every artist together in an enclosed venue, it turns Howth into a musical trail. Audiences can walk from one venue to the next and freely discover a large part of the programme.
Free concerts will take place at McNeills, O’Connells, The Bloody Stream, The Harbour Bar and Wrights Findlater, among other venues. Several stages have their own distinct identity, including the Phil Lynott Stage at the Bloody Stream, which pays tribute to the celebrated Thin Lizzy singer who grew up in Howth.
At Wrights Findlater, the Roots & Blues Barstool Stage will offer a more intimate format: one stool, one microphone and a new solo artist every hour. It is a simple, welcoming way to recapture the spirit of Irish music sessions.
Hothouse Flowers among the headliners
Ticketed concerts at the Abbey Tavern and the Summit Inn
Alongside the free performances, several concerts will require a ticket. Irish band Hothouse Flowers will perform an acoustic show at the Abbey Tavern on Sunday evening. This historic venue will also host Zoé Basha, Crow Black Chicken, The Rob Strong Band and a Bonnie Raitt tribute performed by Susan Tomelty and her musicians.
On the heights of the peninsula, the Summit Inn will host two mini-festivals. Saturday will be devoted to blues guitarists, with Paul Sherry, Silas Caldwell and Mik Pyro accompanied by the Dublin Blues Cartel. On Sunday, the Women in Blues programme will bring together Niamh Strong, French artist Elise Frank and The Mary Stokes Band.
A festival of blues and coastal scenery
A chance to discover Howth in a different way
The setting adds greatly to the event’s appeal. Once a fishing village and now one of the most popular day trips from Dublin, Howth combines a lively harbour, seafood restaurants and walking trails with fine views over Dublin Bay.
Between concerts, visitors can stroll along the quays, watch the fishing boats or make their way to the start of the peninsula’s coastal trail. The various stages are spread between the harbour, the village centre and Howth Summit, so it is best to check the programme before planning a route.
How do you get to the Howth Roots & Blues Festival?
Additional DART trains until after midnight
Howth is around 25 minutes from Dublin city centre by DART. The station leads directly onto the harbour and is just a short walk from the Bloody Stream and several free stages.
According to the organisers, Irish Rail is planning late DART services during the festival, with departures running until around 12.30 am. This option is strongly recommended, as parking in the village is limited during busy weekends.
No booking is required for the forty free concerts. Shows at the Abbey Tavern and the Summit Inn are ticketed, however, and may sell out. The full programme and timetable are available on the official Howth Roots & Blues Festival website.
