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Festivals and Events

Festival in KilkennyFestivals 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 Cultural Events Initiative. 

Overview of the Festivals and Cultural Events initiative

Applications for 2010 funding

2010 Calendar of Festivals and Cultural Events

Festivals Research Template


Post Event Report & Claim documentation


Resources for Festival Organisers


Festival and Cultural Events Initiative 2010 

St Patrick's Day paradeThe primary aim of the Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative is to encourage the spatial spread of visitors throughout the country, by strategically investing in attractive and sustainable festivals and cultural events which enhance the local tourism product and in turn expand regional tourism.

Festivals provide opportunities to showcase culture, people and places, provide additional reasons to visit urban and rural areas over and above the normal attractions offered and greatly improve the overall visitor experience of Ireland.

During 2009, Fáilte Ireland invested approximately €4m in direct support of up to 200 festivals throughout the country.

We also promotes events through national and regional advertising, through www.discoverireland.ie and through the Calendar of Festivals and Events. In 2009 the festivals team is also focusing on delivering the research and strategy needed to guide future investment and development.

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Applications for 2010 Funding 

Support will be available to Festivals and Events in 2010 through two programmes, the National Programme and the Regional Programme as outlined below.

Please note the fund is limited and applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis on the ability of the proposed event to attract overnight visitors, to provide a quality visitor experience and to raise awareness or attract media coverage of the attractions of the host locality.

Regional Programme

  • The Regional Events Programme is intended to support festivals and participative events which attract significant numbers of overnight visitors to the host locality.
  • 120 events received funding through the Regional Programme in 2009.  The Regional Programme is managed by regional FI staff. To contact the festival co-ordinator for your region please download this document; regional festival co-ordinators (Word, 41kb)
  • The event must demonstrate financial sustainability and have the capacity to develop over time to a point where it does not require financial support from Fáilte Ireland.

Eligibility

  • To be eligible for this programme the event must have marketing expenditure in excess of €10,000. Festivals and events below this threshold are not eligible to apply.
  • Events falling below this threshold are advised to contact the Fáilte Ireland officer in their region to discuss opportunities for promotion under the “Discover Ireland” campaign, which includes PR, print and radio, advertising and online marketing.
  • Participative events (ag adventure races) which attract a minimum of 1,000 bed nights to the locality and which preferably showcase our culture, heritage or natural landscape are eligible to apply. Participative events below this threshold are not eligible to apply.
  • Festivals that are below the expenditure threshold for the National Festivals Programme (see below) may be eligible to apply to this programme.
  • To be considered for support please contact the festival co-ordinator for your region (regional festival co-ordinators) and please ensure that details of your festival or event have been entered on the 2010 Failte Ireland Calendar of Festivals and Events at www.failteireland.ie/calendar.
  • Please note that only applications that have been invited in writing by officers of Fáilte Ireland / Dublin Tourism / Shannon Development will be accepted. The closing date for applications for support of 2010 events is February 26th.
Download the 2010 Regional Application Guidelines

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National Festivals Programme

  • The 2010 National Festivals Programme is aimed at festivals only (ie; excludes participative events).
  • The National Festivals Programme is intended to support festivals which attract international visitors to Ireland and significant numbers of overnight visitors to the host locality.
  • Only festivals with an annual expenditure in excess of €200,000, who have the capacity to promote themselves effectively at national and international levels, are eligible to apply.
  • The event and its organisers must demonstrate a track record in bringing significant tourism and economic benefits to the area / another area.
  • 40 festivals received funding through the National Programme in 2009. The National Programme is managed by central Fáilte Ireland staff.
  • A call for applications for the 2010 National Festivals Programme was advertised in the National Press in December 2009 and the closing date was January 18th 2010. Further applications for 2010 support will not be accepted.

National Application guidelines

Further detail on eligibility and evaluation criteria for the Fáilte Ireland Festivals and Events Initiative is available from the application guidelines document 2010 (pdf, 161kb).

Closing date

The closing date for receipt of applications to the National Programme was midnight on Monday 18th January 2010. The application process for the National Programme is now closed.

2010 Calendar of Festivals and Events

Fáilte Ireland has compiled a Calendar of Festivals and Events for 2010.

The Calendar of Festivals and Events database will be circulated widely and used as a tool to facilitate promotion of Ireland's diverse festivals and events and promotion of Ireland as a tourism destination.

In addition, a print version of the calendar featuring a representative selection of festivals and events has been produced and will be distributed widely in Ireland and overseas. You may download this publication here (pdf, 1.4MB).

Or visit our consumer site www.discoverireland.ie/Festivals-and-Events.aspx
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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 2010 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. Download the PDF documents below.

Festivals and Events best practice guide (872kb)
How to make your event a green one (642kb)
Supporting Festivals and Cultural Events (246kb)

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Contact Us

For further information email festivals@failteireland.ie or alternatively contact:

Fiona Maddock
Administrative Assistant
Email: fiona.maddock@failteireland.ie
Phone: 01 8847 151

Rory McCarthy
Festival & Events Officer
Email: rory.mccarthy@failteireland.ie
Phone: 01 8847 166


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