Come alive in the dark at this year’s Púca Festival. From October 28 to 31, Trim and Athboy in County Meath will be transformed into a hive of activity to celebrate Samhain and the Celtic New Year.
Catch live performances from Gavin James, Imelda May and The Academic, fly through the night with the Sorcas na Samhna or laugh along to the hillarious Jason Byrne. Markets, walking tours, boat trips and more will bring Celtic mythology to life, all festival long.
Dive into our full guide and start planning your fest.
Your guide to the Púca Festival 2022
If you’re planning to head to Meath for the festivities, here’s a guide to some of the most exciting events lined up for the Púca Festival 2022. Although not all the events require tickets, booking in advance for ticketed events on the Púca website is advised.
Catch a gig
Imelda May will bring her award-winning and unique blend of jazz and rockabilly to the Big Top Púca Stage at Trim Castle on October 28. Expect to hear hits across her six albums, from Love Tattoo and Mayhem to her latest release 11 Past The Hour. Indie rockers The Academic hit the same stage on October 29, fresh from a recent appearance on The Late Late Show, where they played a new track from their hotly-anticipated second album. Fans of Irish traditional music can catch versatile, cross-genre musician Sharon Shannon at the Boann Free Stage in Trim on October 30.
If you prefer a blow-out pop show to an indie or trad gig, you can see Gavin James perform his massive radio hits at the Big Top on October 30. Or snag a ticket to ABBAesque, one of Ireland’s most popular tribute shows ever, playing St James’ Hall Athboy on Halloween night. The group’s been performing for the past 21 years and selling out 150 dates annually – and will likely do the same in County Meath.
Have a laugh
On the back of a 60-night run in Dublin’s Vicar Street, Joanne McNally brings her Prosecco Express show to Trim’s Knightsbrook Hotel on Halloween night. The show, described by critics as “dark, hilarious and strangely reassuring,” charts Joanne’s side-splitting late-30s life and love realisations.
A comedic triangle of David O’Doherty, MC Shane Daniel Byrne and Martin Angolo take to the Boann Stage at the Trim Castle Marquee on October 29. David O’Doherty, or the DOD as he’s known to his fans, is a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and a frequent guest on panel shows like 8 Out of Ten Cats, QI and more.
Jason Byrne will also be performing his show on the Fear Dearg Stage on October 30. Alongside MC Emma Doran and supported by Stephen Mullan, this show is high-energy live comedy at its best.
Get into mischief
What’s a Halloween celebration without a little spectacle? Experience the unique Sorcas na Samhna – Celtic Circus. With special effects, dancing and more, it’s a circus experience you’re unlikely to have had before, and performances for the whole family are happening across the entire weekend at the Fair Green in Athboy.
For circus with a kick, the adults-only Samhain Circus sees magic meet mischief with creepy cabaret, high wire acts, burlesque, fire performances and more on October 30 and 31. Expect to laugh, gasp and maybe even blush inside the Samhain Circus tent in Athboy.
Bring the family
While many of Púca’s thrills are designed for adults, there are all-ages events on offer across the weekend. As night descends, The Arrival of The Spirits welcomes guests on October 29 with a procession of music, fire and magic, weaving through the streets of Trim as far as the castle. This is a free, all-ages event, and dressing up for this is encouraged for the whole family.
You can take off on a treasure hunt at any time that suits you across all four days of the festival. All you need to do is form a team to take part in a spooky, self-guided hunt around Trim and Athboy. You’ll follow the clues through the town, collecting bits of information while piecing together tales of reported hauntings. Teams that successfully complete their treasure hunts will be entered into a mystery prize lottery.
Bring young ones with an interest in folklore to play Away with the Faeries, an interactive social game where participants form part of a small Irish town, with each person assigned a secret role within it. The advice? Trust nobody and observe closely, because the faeries are known to hide among townspeople.
Sit back for a story
Broadcasting from the Morrigan Stage at Trim Castle Hotel on October 30, Ireland’s best-known podcaster Blindboy (of the comedy hip-hop ground The Rubberbandits) brings his eclectic podcast show blending chat, short fiction and comedy to Púca. On October 30 and 31, the Morrigan Stage will also showcase Candlelit Tales, expressive, modern retellings of Irish mythology from brother and sister storytelling duo Aron and Sorcha Hegarty.
Fans of ghost stories can take a haunted walking tour through the eerie streets of Trim. Guided by Cynthia Simonet, a local tour guide who knows everything there is to know about Púca, you’ll learn about all the mythology and folklore of the historic festival. Or you can step back in time with Déise Medieval Living History Village and get an interactive look at the history, crafts and skills of the early- to mid-medieval period, any day of the festival.
Prefer your history with a view? Float through time and learn about Samhain spirits on a Boann Tour of the River Boyne. Boann is the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Fertility, Inspiration, Knowledge and Creativity, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn her story while floating down the river.
