The Taste of Westmeath launch at Killua Castle last September drew a large crowd, and gave food and drink producers from across the county the opportunity to showcase their products under the Taste of Westmeath banner.

€933,000 for regional and food tourism festivals in 2026

Published: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 2:00 PM

Grants include new €310,000 fund dedicated to supporting food festivals

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke, TD, has announced a combined €933,250 in funding to Fáilte Ireland for tourism festivals across Ireland in 2026.

The fund, managed by local authorities, will support regional tourism development and strengthen Ireland’s growing reputation as a world-class food destination.

As part of Fáilte Ireland’s ongoing commitment to festival development nationwide, the minister confirmed €623,250 in funding to 31 local authorities under the 2026 Regional Festivals Fund, which will support approximately 250 festivals across the country.

The announcement also included the introduction of a new, dedicated 2026 Food Festival Fund, totalling €310,000, which is designed to strengthen food festivals and support Ireland’s evolving culinary tourism offering.

The 2026 Regional Festivals Fund allocation represents an increase on 2025 levels, ensuring that every local authority now receives a minimum of €10,000 to support local festival activity.

Minister Peter Burke said: “This investment represents a significant commitment to strengthening tourism in every region, ensuring the economic benefits of our growing visitor economy are shared across the country.

“By supporting local festivals and Ireland’s flourishing food festival landscape, we are directly aligning with the ambitions of the National Tourism Policy to drive regional spread, support local enterprise and enhance destination development.

“This funding also comes at an important moment, as it creates real opportunities to grow culinary tourism nationwide and supports the development of our new Culinary Tourism Strategy, which will further strengthen Ireland’s reputation for quality food experiences.”

Fáilte Ireland CEO Caroline Bocquel stated: “Festivals play a vital role in showcasing Ireland’s creativity, culture and hospitality, while driving regional visitation and supporting local economies.

“This enhanced investment for 2026 will help ensure that festivals, particularly those with a strong culinary focus, can continue to grow, innovate and contribute to the development of vibrant destinations across the country. It will help us build momentum, strengthen our culinary positioning, and ensure festival organisers have the tools, resources and digital capabilities they need to reach new audiences.”

For 2026, the enhanced regional funding will be complemented by a targeted investment in food focused festivals under a dedicated Food Festival Fund. Each local authority will receive an additional €10,000 to support established food festivals that contribute to local economic activity, celebrate Ireland’s culinary strengths, and attract domestic and international visitors.

This announcement builds on Fáilte Ireland’s broader investment in tourism festival development. In 2025, the agency awarded €4.4 million over three years under the Strategic Tourism Festival Investment Scheme, supporting nationally significant festivals with strong tourism impact.