All systems go in Emo for the Laois Forest Fest

The green light is switched on in Emo where its all systems go for the first ever Forest Fest in the Laois village.

Campsites opened at 1pm on Friday, July 22 with the gates open at 4pm and the honours of opening the festival goes to Greenshine at 5.30pm followed by Harvest - the Neil Young Tribute at 6.15pm and you won’t want to miss either of them…

There is a full bar and food court service at Forest Fest all weekend. Payment is by cash or card. (But be aware there’s no ATM or phone charging points on site, so come prepared).

On Saturday and Sunday, the gates open at 12 midday with concerts continuing up until midnight. We are showing the All Ireland Final on the Big Screen and fold up canvas camping chairs are permitted.

There’s a shuttle bus service operating right throughout the weekend, operated by the reliable local company Martley’s Buses to get everyone safely to and from the festival. There’s also a taxi rank set down.

The stage is set for fantastic Forest Fest at Emo as running order announced!

Promoter Philip Meagher is looking forward to welcomed a big crowd to Laois.

"We’re delighted you can join us and thank you for buying your tickets for the first ever Forest Fest. We want you to have a ball, a memorable weekend of fun and festivities to the soundtrack of the summer and over 50 acts on stage," he said.

Mr Meagher appealed to concert goers to remember that they are they are the guest of the local community which is nestled in woods and a heritage location.

"We are also conscious that we are hosting Forest Fest in Emo village adjacent to the Coillte forestry and the beautiful national heritage site, Emo Court. Our festival site is adjacent to the local school and is a community facility. Our campsites are on local farmland.

"We ask all our visitors to respect the local community, its residents, properties, and the landscape. Please adhere to our Leave No Trace policy as these farmlands must return to use next week without any danger to livestock or machinery. Use the bins and skips provided. No littering please," he said. MORE BELOW MAP and STAGE TIMES

Mr Meagher asks people to please always adhere to the advice and direction of our event management team.

He also asked that for convenience and to avoid delays on arrival please have your tickets either printed out with bar code available or downloaded onto your phone - not just the email - and this will assist your ticket verification and wristband access to the festival grounds.

"We will continue to support you with regular updates and information on our social media platforms throughout the weekend for your enjoyment.

Forest Fest is set light up Laois this summer

"Take care and have a fantastic Forest Fest weekend in Emo village," concluded the promoter.

The map and stage times for all the acts are up on www.forestfest.ie for you to view or download.