MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's Irish Fest is returning to Henry Maier Festival Park from Aug. 15-18, 2024.
According to a news release, the self-described “world's largest Irish music festival” brings music, culture, history, sport, cuisine, and more to Milwaukee's lakefront.
There will be more than 100 entertainment acts on 16 stages. This year’s lineup includes The Byrne Brothers, Tumbling Paddies and The Screaming Orphan
In addition to the music, there will also be cultural events at the festival. There will be sports, educational classes, great food and drink and kids activities.
Caitlin Ward, Executive Director with the Milwaukee Irish Festival said things wouldn’t be possible without the thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to the festival. Ward said you can look forward to many of the familiar favorites with a side of some new surprises too.
“We have a very exciting new food vendor,” said Ward. “They will have haggis down here for the first time ever. So that is something that will be an interesting treat. We have got some great entertainers. We have a band coming over from Ireland called the Tumbling Patties and they’re going to be a great show to watch and then we also have some festival favorites that are coming back year after year. So a lot of fun down here.”
Watch: Milwaukee Irish Fest returns to the lakefront.
Milwaukee Irish Fest kicks off on Thursday
Ward said she’s excited to share the family atmosphere with the city of Milwaukee.
“I love brining my kid down to the festival. It’s like a holiday for them. They look forward to it every year because they know they get to see people they haven’t seen all year round. They love to dance to the music and watch the dancers. It’s so great to be able to share our Irish culture with our kids.”
Learn more about Milwaukee's Irish Festival on their website.
Read the organizer's statement below:
We will have more than 100 entertainment acts on 16 stages featuring everything from traditional Irish to Celtic rock and more. In addition to the music, we also offer an array of cultural activities at the festival. We have sports, educational classes, great food and drink, and kids activities too!At this year's festival, we put the "world" in "world's largest Irish music festival" with artists coming to Milwaukee from a wide variety of countries, including Italy, Canada, and even Japan. All these extraordinary entertainment acts provide their unique take on Celtic music, showing that the Celtic culture spans the entire globe.
The festival will feature The Tumbling Paddies, one of the most sought after acts in Ireland, who had a #1 hit in Ireland earlier this year.
On Saturday night, there will be a Sinead O’Connor tribute concert featuring The Screaming Orphans, playing songs from the Irish music icon.
Artists making their first trip to Milwaukee Irish Fest include:
O’ji*zo, a trio of multi-instrumentalists from Tokyo, Japan who play traditional Irish music.
Gadan, hailing from Italy, with their unique blend of traditional Irish, bluegrass, and folk.
It’s an excellent event for the whole family (kids 12 and under get in free) and an opportunity to experience Irish culture, including a children’s area, a children’s red hair and freckles contest, parades, Leprechaun Village, Celtic Canines and more!
There are several ways to save at the gate this year, from a promotion honoring veterans to donating nonperishable food items. Visit our website to learn more about the various ways you can save on admission at the gates.
It also features one of America’s largest Catholic masses. The Milwaukee Irish Fest Liturgy for Peace and Justice will be held on Sunday at the American Family Amphitheater on the south end of the Henry Maier Festival Park at 9:30am.
Irish Fest takes place August 15-18, 2024 and you can buy tickets online at IrishFest.com, with discounted advance tickets available through June 30th.
Milwaukee Irish Fest
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FAQs
Milwaukee Irish Fest, the world's largest celebration of Irish/Celtic music and culture, is held annually on the third weekend in August on the shore of Lake Michigan at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What is the largest Celtic festival in the world? ›
Cowal Highland Gathering, 125 years old this year, is the largest and most spectacular Highland gathering in the world and attracts more than 3500 competitors. The Braemar Gathering is equally celebrated and is the only one that guarantees the presence of a member of the royal family.
How much are Irish Fest tickets at Milwaukee? ›
General admission to Irish Fest ranges from $23 to $27 per person. Active Military receive free admission to the festival, plus one guest. On Aug. 15, if you donate school supplies at the gate, you'll receive free admission.
How many people attend the Milwaukee Irish Fest? ›
Milwaukee Irish Fest (locally known as Irish Fest) is a yearly Irish-American festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park, on Lake Michigan, United States, every third weekend in August. Over 130,000 people attend the Fest each year to watch nearly 250 acts on 17 stages.
What is the largest Irish parade in the United States? ›
Patrick's Day Parade, March 16, 2024, in New York. Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which dates to 1762, is one of the world's largest Irish heritage festivities. So many people march the 2.4-kilometer route up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue that the parade is expected to last more than five hours.
Which Irish celebration is famous? ›
St. Patrick's Day, observed annually on March 17th, is a globally recognized celebration of Irish culture, heritage, and the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick himself.
What are the 4 major Celtic festivals? ›
The Key Festivals of the Celtic Year
In ancient Ireland, the Celtic Year was dominated by the four key festivals of Samhain, Beltane, Imbolg and Lughnasadh.
What is the most Celtic country? ›
There are likely more than 120 million people of Celtic descent in North and South America, Australasia, Africa and Europe. The largest single group is from Ireland, followed by Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.
What are the four Gaelic holidays? ›
The four Celtic festivals were known to the Gaels as Beltane (1 May), Lughnasadh (1 August), Samhain (1 November), and Imbolc (1 February). Influential works such as The Golden Bough (1890) by James George Frazer explored various European seasonal festivals and their possible pagan roots.
How to get in free at Irish Fest Milwaukee? ›
Milwaukee Irish Fest Welcomes All with Special Gate Promotions
- All children 12 and under receive free admission throughout the entire run of the festival.
- Active military receive free admission to the festival, plus one guest. ...
- Senior citizens (Ages 60+) can get tickets for $20 at any of the gate ticket windows.
The service begins at 9:30 a.m. Donate nonperishable food items outside of South Gate (only!) BEFORE 11:00 a.m. and receive FREE admission to Irish Fest on Sunday. Donations go to Hunger Task Force. The festival opens at 11 am.
How much is German Fest in Milwaukee? ›
Fest Admission
| At The Gate | $20.00 |
|---|
| Students with valid school I.D. | $7.00 |
| Friday Tickets | $5.00 |
| 3 Day Pass (Online Only) | $30.00 |
| Advanced Tickets Adults | $18.00 |
1 more rowMilwaukee Irish Fest proclaims itself to be the largest Irish festival in the world. After a weekend spent walking back and forth across the 75 acre Henry Maier Festival Park where Irish Fest is held annually, I can attest to that fact.
What is the largest music festival in Milwaukee? ›
Every year, Summerfest delivers one of the biggest celebrations of music, food and fun you can find in the Midwest.
Why is Milwaukee called the city of festivals? ›
Milwaukee is known as the City of Festivals thanks to a packed calendar of vibrant festivals at the city's lakefront permanent festival grounds, as well as street festivals, fairs, and parties all year round.
What is the most famous festival in Ireland? ›
Patrick's Day. This festival is, by far, Ireland's most famous. Originally a celebration of the Catholic St. Patrick, who expelled all the snakes from Ireland, St.
How big is the Dublin, Ohio Irish Festival? ›
Coming home to Coffman Park, the 37th anniversary of the Dublin Irish Festival will showcase the best in Irish dance, music, art and culture. History, tradition and dynamic performances will once again be integrated throughout the Festival's 38 acres.
Where are the largest highland games in the USA? ›
Nowhere in the New World is there a place more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands than the home of America's grandest Highland Games—Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.
What rank is the Dublin Irish Festival? ›
The results are in: USA Today readers ranked the Dublin, Ohio, Irish Festival fourth among the nation's 10 Best Cultural Festivals of 2024. Other festivals in larger cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco fell behind the Dublin Irish Festival, described by the travel awards as a "love letter to all things Irish."
