Record-Breaking Taste of Kildare 2026 Welcomes 10,000 Visitors to Naas Racecourse

Taste of Kildare 2026 welcomed 10,000 visitors to Naas Racecourse for its biggest festival to date, bringing together the very best of Kildare food, hospitality, local producers, live music and family entertainment across two action-packed days.

Taking place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, Taste of Kildare 2026 marked an exciting new chapter for one of County Kildare’s flagship annual events.

Thousands of visitors travelled to Naas for the weekend, transforming Naas Racecourse into a bustling festival village filled with restaurants, hotels, artisan producers, chefs, food and drink businesses, live entertainment and family attractions.

The record attendance made 2026 the biggest Taste of Kildare festival to date, highlighting both the continued growth of the event and Kildare’s reputation as an exciting food and tourism destination in Ireland.

Celebrating the Best of Kildare Food and Hospitality

At the heart of Taste of Kildare is a simple idea: bringing the county’s food and hospitality community together and giving visitors the opportunity to experience the incredible variety Kildare has to offer in one place.

Throughout the weekend, visitors sampled dishes from local restaurants and hotels, discovered artisan producers and independent food businesses, and enjoyed everything from BBQ favourites and restaurant dishes to sweet treats and afternoon tea.

For participating businesses, Taste of Kildare also provides an important platform to connect directly with thousands of potential customers while encouraging visitors to discover more of Kildare’s restaurants, hotels, attractions and experiences after the festival.

Top Irish Chefs Take to the Taste of Kildare Stage

Live cooking demonstrations were among the most popular attractions across the weekend.

Hosted by Aisling Larkin, the chef demonstration stage featured a fantastic line-up of culinary talent, including Kevin Dundon and Eva Pau, who entertained audiences while sharing recipes, cooking tips and plenty of inspiration.

The demonstrations added another dimension to the festival, combining entertainment with an opportunity to celebrate the people and talent behind Ireland’s food scene.

Live Music and Family Entertainment at Naas Racecourse

Taste of Kildare 2026 was about much more than food.

Live music and entertainment ran throughout Saturday and Sunday, creating a festival atmosphere across Naas Racecourse and culminating in a performance from country music star Cliona Hagan on Sunday afternoon.

Families were also a major part of this year’s festival, with an extensive programme of children’s entertainment and free admission for children under 10 helping make Taste of Kildare one of the county’s biggest family events of the summer.

Supporting Kildare’s Local Food and Drink Producers

Taste of Kildare 2026 also provided a major showcase for the county’s growing community of independent food and drink businesses.

The Flavours of Kildare network brought together local producers supported by Local Enterprise Office Kildare, giving visitors an opportunity to discover products created right here in County Kildare.

Supporting local businesses remains central to the festival, with Taste of Kildare providing restaurants, hotels, producers and emerging brands with an opportunity to reach a large audience over one weekend.

Showcasing Kildare as a Food and Tourism Destination

While Taste of Kildare takes place over one weekend, its ambition extends far beyond the festival gates.

By showcasing the county’s food, hospitality, producers and visitor experiences to 10,000 people, the event provides an opportunity to encourage visitors to return to Kildare, stay longer and explore more of what the county has to offer.

Chloe McGrory of Into Kildare said:

“The response to Taste of Kildare this year has been phenomenal. To welcome 10,000 people through the gates and see Naas Racecourse filled with visitors enjoying everything Kildare has to offer was 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.”

A Growing Festival for County Kildare

The continued growth of Taste of Kildare demonstrates the appetite for major food, tourism and entertainment events in the county.

The festival was delivered by Into Kildare, with the support of Kildare County Council, Local Enterprise Office Kildare and festival partners and sponsors, bringing Kildare’s tourism, hospitality, food and wider business community together for one of the standout weekends in the county’s annual events calendar.

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.”

Taste of Kildare 2027

With 10,000 visitors attending Taste of Kildare 2026, this year’s festival has set a new benchmark for the event – and attention is already turning to 2027.

Plans will build on the success of this year’s event as Taste of Kildare continues its ambition to become one of Ireland’s leading food and entertainment festivals while providing an important showcase for County Kildare.

Restaurants, hotels, food producers and businesses interested in exhibiting, becoming a vendor or getting involved with Taste of Kildare 2027 can find further information on the Taste of Kildare website.