Strategic Tourism Festival Investment Scheme 2026-2028

Fáilte Ireland has been supporting festivals to generate tourism for many years. The focus of these festivals is that they highlight something unique to their destination and which is distinctively Irish. Festivals and participative events are key to Irish tourism, offering visitors a chance to engage with our culture, people, and places. They motivate both domestic and international visitors to ‘visit now’. When held outside peak seasons and traditional hotspots, they help distribute tourism revenue more evenly, supporting a sustainable industry and benefiting wider business sectors.

The objective of this scheme is to support, develop, and deliver a diverse and compelling portfolio of uniquely Irish tourism-led festivals and events to maximize the benefits of tourism festivals for the tourism economy and local destination.

The Expression of Interest Stage is now closed.
 

Details of the New Scheme:

• All festival organisers in the Republic of Ireland are invited to participate in an open call for the 3-year multi-annual funding scheme from 2026 to 2028.
• The eligibility criteria are specifically tourism focused.
• This is a competitive process and funding amounts may vary over the duration of the scheme.
• Application forms for stage 2 will be issued to successful applicants once the Expression of Interest is evaluated.

Trade portal accounts:

All applicants should ensure they review the Guidelines, FAQs and the State Aid Handbook before completing their Expression of Interest. These materials are linked below.

Scheme Key Dates: