Forest Fest 2026: Co Laois Music Festival Moves to Bigger Venue and Delivers Flawlessly for 16,000 Fans
The fifth edition of Forest Fest, the beloved Co Laois music and arts festival, has been hailed as its most successful yet after a seamless move to a larger venue at Bees Wing Farm in Emo accommodated 16,000 attendees per day across a three-day programme headlined by Echo and the Bunnymen, James, and Madness. The festival, which ran from Thursday 24 to Sunday 26 July, demonstrated that Irish outdoor events can scale up without losing the intimacy and community spirit that made them popular in the first place.
Background
Forest Fest was established five years ago as a deliberately counter-cultural proposition in the Irish festival landscape — a celebration of 1980s and 1990s indie music that offered an alternative to the stadium-scale events dominating the summer calendar. Its original home at the local GAA grounds in Emo gave it a charmingly grassroots character, and the festival quickly developed a loyal following among Irish music fans who valued its relaxed atmosphere, eclectic programming, and strong sense of community.
The decision to relocate to Bees Wing Farm for the 2026 edition was driven by demand. The festival had been selling out at its previous capacity, and organisers faced a choice between turning away thousands of would-be attendees or finding a site that could accommodate growth without sacrificing the event's essential character. Bees Wing Farm, situated near the M7 motorway at Exit 15, offered the space needed while remaining accessible by both car and public transport.
The move was not without risk. Festivals that relocate to larger venues often struggle to maintain the atmosphere that made them successful at smaller scale. Organisers were acutely aware of this danger and invested heavily in site design, stage placement, and crowd management to ensure that the expanded Forest Fest retained the feel of a community gathering rather than a corporate entertainment product.
Key Developments
The 2026 programme spanned six stages, including the main Forest Stage and the Kickin' Up Dust arena, and featured a lineup that leaned heavily into the festival's 1980s and 1990s indie identity. Friday's headliners Echo and the Bunnymen delivered a set that drew heavily from their classic catalogue, with Ian McCulloch in commanding form. Saturday saw James headline with a performance that included their anthemic back catalogue alongside newer material, while Sunday's closing set from Madness brought the weekend to a euphoric conclusion.
Supporting acts across the weekend included The Charlatans, Deacon Blue, The Coronas, Paul Brady, The Boomtown Rats, and Feeder, ensuring that the programme offered something for every vintage of indie fan. The Kickin' Up Dust arena provided a more intimate setting for acts including The Wedding Present and The Chameleons, while the Dublin Gospel Choir's appearance with Qween on Sunday afternoon was widely cited as one of the weekend's unexpected highlights.
Transport arrangements were praised by attendees. Hourly train services to Portlaoise and Portarlington connected with dedicated shuttle buses to the site, and free car parking was available for those who drove. The festival's accessibility provisions — including a dedicated viewing platform, priority parking, and early access for those with documented needs — were also commended.
Why It Matters
Forest Fest's successful expansion is significant for the Irish festival industry at a moment when many events are struggling with rising costs, insurance challenges, and the logistical complexities of post-pandemic recovery. The festival's ability to double its capacity while maintaining its reputation for smooth organisation and good atmosphere offers a template that other Irish events would do well to study.
The economic impact on Co Laois is also considerable. A festival of this scale brings thousands of visitors to a county that does not always feature prominently on the national tourism map, generating revenue for local accommodation providers, restaurants, and businesses. Laois County Council has been supportive of the event, and the relationship between the festival and local authorities appears to be a genuinely collaborative one — a contrast to the adversarial dynamic that has sometimes characterised relations between festival organisers and planning bodies elsewhere in Ireland.
For the artists who perform at Forest Fest, the event offers something increasingly rare in the contemporary music industry: an audience that is genuinely there for the music, that knows the songs, and that brings an enthusiasm rooted in genuine affection rather than social media performance.
Local Impact
The festival's new home at Bees Wing Farm sits within easy reach of Portlaoise, Portarlington, and Mountmellick, and the economic benefits were felt across all three towns during the festival weekend. Local pubs, restaurants, and bed-and-breakfast establishments reported strong trade, and the shuttle bus services from Portlaoise and Portarlington stations provided a welcome boost to local transport operators. For a county that has sometimes struggled to attract large-scale cultural events, Forest Fest's continued growth represents a genuine asset.
What's Next
Organisers have confirmed that Forest Fest will return in 2027, with planning for the sixth edition already under way. The success of the 2026 event is expected to make the festival an even more attractive proposition for artists and sponsors, and there is speculation that the lineup for next year could include some of the biggest names in the 1980s and 1990s indie canon. Ticket sales for 2027 are expected to open in the autumn.
