Overview
The 14th free Fastnet Maritime and Folk Festival will be held in Ballydehob from the 19th to the 21st– June 2026.
In addition, there is a fundraising concert on the 20th, which attracts an admission charge of 20 Euros.
The Fastnet Maritime and Folk Festival is an international festival based in the picturesque village of Ballydehob, West Cork, featuring Maritime and other Folk music. Song Writing Competition [Maritime] which is sponsored by IMRO.
Sea songs, shanties, song writing competition, workshops, craft stalls, music in the pubs and a fundraising concert in Ballydehob Community Hall Side Room.
This year we are pleased to welcome to the festival for the first time, Graham O Callaghan and we welcome back, Damien Barber, Brian Peters along with favourites such as Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly.,
Merfolk returns by popular demand: they’re a folk ensemble who sing magical songs of waterways and the sea.
One of the festival’s highlights is the Maritime Song Competition, a contest celebrating the storytelling tradition in maritime music. This year, the competition boasts €250 in cash prizes, sponsored by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO).