Record-breaking Taste of Kildare delivers biggest festival yet

Taste of Kildare has delivered its biggest and most successful festival to date, as thousands of visitors descended on Naas Racecourse last weekend for a two-day celebration of the very best of Kildare's food, hospitality, producers and entertainment.

Taking place across Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, this year's festival saw record-breaking crowds pass through the gates. The scale of the 2026 event marked a major step forward for Taste of Kildare, transforming Naas Racecourse into a bustling festival village packed with restaurants, food producers, chefs, live entertainment, family attractions and some of the county's best-known hospitality businesses.

From early on Saturday, crowds filled the racecourse as visitors sampled food from across the county, watched some of Ireland's leading chefs take to the demonstration stage and enjoyed a packed programme of entertainment throughout the weekend.

The festival brought together an extensive line-up of Kildare restaurants, hotels, chefs, artisan producers and food and drink businesses, giving thousands of people the opportunity to discover the extraordinary depth of the county's food offering in one place.

Live cooking demonstrations hosted by Aishling Larkin were among the weekend's biggest draws with chefs such as Kevin Dundan and Eva Pau, while food stands and pop-ups served everything from restaurant dishes and local produce to BBQ favourites, sweet treats and afternoon tea.

Music and entertainment ran throughout both days, culminating in a Sunday performance from country music star Cliona Hagan, while the extensive children's programme and free admission for under-10s helped make 2026 one of the festival's biggest family events to date.

The success of the weekend has also underlined the growing importance of Taste of Kildare as a platform for local businesses, giving participating restaurants, hotels, producers and brands direct access to thousands of visitors while showcasing Kildare as one of Ireland's leading food and tourism destinations.

Chloe McGrory, Into Kildare said: "The response to Taste of Kildare this year has been phenomenal. To see thousands of people coming through the gates and the racecourse filled with people enjoying everything Kildare has to offer has been incredibly special.

"This has been our biggest Taste of Kildare yet, but what we're particularly proud of is the number of local businesses represented across the weekend. The festival is about putting Kildare's incredible food, hospitality and producers centre stage and giving people another reason to visit, stay and explore the county.

"There is already huge excitement about where we can take Taste of Kildare next, and after the success of this weekend, our ambition for 2027 is even bigger."

Taste of Kildare 2026 also provided a major showcase for the county's growing community of independent food and drink businesses, with the Flavours of Kildare network bringing together producers supported by Local Enterprise Office Kildare.

The festival was delivered by Into Kildare with the support of Kildare County Council and its partners and sponsors, bringing the tourism, hospitality and business community together for what has become one of the standout dates in Kildare's annual events calendar.

Beyond the festival itself, organisers believe its continued growth can deliver a wider benefit for the county by encouraging visitors to discover Kildare's restaurants, hotels, attractions and producers long after the weekend is over.

With the 2026 festival now setting a new benchmark for Taste of Kildare, attention is already turning towards an even bigger event in 2027.

Speaking about the event, Jacqui McNabb, Head of Economic Development, Enterprise,Retail and Tourism at Kildare County Council said: "What we saw this weekend demonstrates the appetite that exists for a major food and entertainment festival in Kildare. Taste of Kildare brings our businesses, our communities and our visitors together and showcases the county on a significant scale.

"The growth of the festival has been remarkable, and we want to build on that momentum. This weekend has shown just how much potential there is for Taste of Kildare to continue growing and become an increasingly important event for Kildare and the wider region."

If you would like to exhibit or become a vendor next year, visit www.tasteofkildare.ie for more information.