Festivals and Events
Festivals are an important component of the cultural tourism product and particularly so when marketed in the right way. Select a topic from the list below to find out more about Fáilte Ireland's Festivals and Events Initiative.
The 2012 Festivals and Events Initiative
2011 and 2012 Calendar of Festivals and Events
Festivals Research Template
Post Event Report & Claim documentation
Resources for Festival Organisers
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The 2012 Festivals and Events Initiative
- THE 2012 APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW CLOSED
- The call for applications to both the 2012 National and Regional Programmes opened on Monday 21st November 2011 with a deadline of midnight Friday 13th January 2012.
The Festivals and Events Initiative is administered by Fáilte Ireland’s Business Tourism & Events Division, in consultation with its regional offices, and Dublin Tourism and Shannon Development.
The initiative is intended to assist festivals and participative events that:
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Attract significant numbers of overnight visitors to the host locality.
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Animate key destinations within Ireland.
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Provide quality visitor experiences of Irelands culture, heritage and landscape.
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Raise awareness or attract media coverage of the attractions of the locality.
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Demonstrate financial and environmental sustainability.
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Is this the right programme for me?
There are two grant schemes. Limited resources are focused on events with an immediate tourism impact. Event organisers are requested to consider the following minimum eligibility thresholds before completing an application.
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The regional programme is aimed supporting events that drive domestic tourism and help to improve the visitor experience by animating key destinations in Ireland.
Minimum eligibility thresholds
To apply for this programme, events must clearly demonstrate the following:
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Festivals must generate a minimum of 600 bednights. In the absence of valid accommodation surveys or audience surveys, the tourism impact will be estimated by Fáilte Ireland staff.
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Participative sporting events must generate a minimum of 1,000 bednights.
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The festival /event must have a minimum expenditure of €10,000.
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Festivals and events that are not eligible for financial support under this scheme may avail of practical business supports provided by Fáilte Ireland including training, mentoring and in certain cases promotion.
Applications for the Regional Programme
- THE 2012 APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW CLOSED
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The national programme is aimed at supporting events which attract international visitors to Ireland.
Minimum eligibility thresholds
To apply for this programme, events must clearly demonstrate the following:
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Festivals must generate a minimum of 3,000 bednights (in the absence of valid accommodation surveys or audience surveys, the tourism impact will be estimated by Fáilte Ireland staff).
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Participative sporting events must generate a minimum of 4,000 bednights.
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Events must raise a minimum of €50,000 in private sector funding (ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandise etc).
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Festivals and Events who do not exceed these thresholds may be eligible to apply for the Regional Programme.
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Large spectator-based sporting events are not eligible for this programme
Applications for the National Programme
- THE 2012 APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW CLOSED
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Evaluation Criteria
There is no guarantee of funding for events that achieve the minimum eligibility criteria. The fund is limited and eligible applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis against the criteria below.
Fáilte Ireland will prioritise events that:
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Attract overnight visitors to Fáilte Ireland approved accomodation.
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Attract overseas visitors to Ireland.
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Animate key destinations within Ireland.
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Provide quality visitor experiences of Ireland’s culture, heritage and landscape.
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Raise awareness or attract media coverage of the attractions of the locality.
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Are well organised and run by experienced professionals.
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Demonstrate a track record in bringing tourism benefits to the area / another area. (Events that have previously been funded but cannot demonstrate the impact in terms of tourist numbers attending the event should expect funding to be reduced).
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Demonstrate financial sustainability and have the capacity to develop to a point where they do not require financial support from Fáilte Ireland.
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A 2012 print calendar featuring a representative selection of festivals and events has been produced. You can download the 2012 Calendar of Festivals and Events (PDF, 1.36MB). This calendar features merely a selection of highlights from 2012, for a full listing of all the exciting festivals and events taking place all year visit, www.discoverireland.ie/whatson
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Festivals Research Template
Festival organisers intending to carry out research are welcome to use the Fáilte Ireland festivals research template.
Download the research template (Word, 370kb)
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Post Event Report and Claim Documentation Templates
The 2011 post event report and claim documents are listed below.
Festivals in the National Programme should submit claims to festivalclaims@failteireland.ie.
Festivals and Events in the Regional Programme should submit claims to the relevant product officer in their region.
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Resources for Festival Organisers
Fáilte Ireland has commissioned a number of publications designed to assist organisers of new and existing festivals and to explain Fáilte Ireland's role in its support of such events.
Presentations from the Fáilte Ireland Festivals Workshop 30/11/2010
Charlotte Di Corpo, The Edinburgh Festivals Innovation Lab (PDF, 1.3MB)
Daniel Bissonette, festivals working together in Montreal (PDF, 700kb)
Jeffrey Meulman, Cross-promotion in Amsterdam festivals (PDF, 2.5MB)
Brendan Rice, Cross Promotion at Kilkenny Arts Festival 2010 (PDF, 5MB)
Emma Gorman, overseas promotion for festivals and events with Tourism Ireland (PDF, 3.7MB)
Marion O’Connor, Fáilte Ireland Enterprise Supports (PDF, 1MB)
Paul Gudgin, Sharing the risk - fringe festivals (PDF, 1.7MB)
Georgina Neal, Memberships and Individual Giving (PDF, 700kb)
Michelle O’Keeffe, generating revenue from affiliate schemes and online advertising (PDF, 1.8MB)
Online Marketing: Advice notes from Theatre Forum and Fáilte Ireland
Improving your internet marketing (PDF, 1MB)
Introduction to Google Analytics (PDF, 1MB)
Introduction to Pay Per Click Advertising (PDF, 1.4MB)
Landing page design essentials and checklist (PDF, 1MB)
Landing page design workbook(PDF, 500kb)
Box office systems: Advice notes from Theatre Forum and Fáilte Ireland
Guide to buying a ticketing system_part 1 (PDF, 200kb)
Guide to buying a ticketing system _part 2 (PDF, 300kb)
Other downloads
Festivals and Events best practice guide (PDF, 872kb)
How to make your event a green one (PDF, 642kb)
Supporting Festivals and Cultural Events (PDF, 246kb)
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