Forest Fest 2026: Growing Without Losing Its Identity

Expanding is sometimes as easy as becoming more prominent and more famous. It is possible for an event to attract many artists, many sponsors, and many spectators who will only detract from its individuality. There is, however, a different approach that Forest Fest managed to adopt: to expand and still maintain individuality.

A move to the bigger venue in Emo was a big step for the festival and a place which could host up to 16,000 people. But despite extra roominess and extra places to go around, the event never became anonymous. Larger areas and more stages enabled visitors to wander around the festival not loosing any of its particular atmosphere.

There is one very good feature of Forest Fest, and it is that it is an event open to different generations and types of music fans. During the weekend one could enjoy performances by such legendary bands as Madness, James, Deacon Blue, The Boomtown Rats, The Coronas, King Kong Company, and Camille O'Sullivan.

The arrival of Ned's Atomic Dustbin was special for alternative music enthusiasts, as decades passed without getting an opportunity to see them perform live. Their show together with The Wedding Present and The Wonder Stuff proved once again that music from the past can remain absolutely relevant.

In addition, the bands which covered other groups' material turned out to be popular as well. Such acts as The Charming Men, The Complete Stone Roses, Thin as Lizzy and Rattle and Hum performed famous songs and it is obvious that everyone in the audience already knows all of them by heart. Moreover, such sets of artists were not just something to wait until the headlining bands will start performing but real shows to look forward to.

But the Fleadh Stage held even more unique features of Forest Fest for me personally. It was an amazing show performed by Kíla featuring their own interpretation of traditional Irish music combined with rock and world genres, and dancers were moving around the whole crowd.

Another unforgettable act was Camille O'Sullivan, who made her stage absolutely theatrical and impressive especially in her covers of Shane MacGowan and Nick Cave. It was unpredictable and exciting to watch.

Apart from the music, the other positive aspect that was notable at Forest Fest was the sense of community in the air. The All-Ireland Football Final, which was not part of the official program, became a reason for people to come to the festival and watch Mayo win in the much-anticipated Sam Maguire.

The sense of generational mingling together could be noticed especially well on the Sunday evening. The Boomtown Rats, being fifty years old, demonstrated that their repertoire includes more than just "I Don't Like Mondays," and then gave way to Madness.

In the midst of their music, the crowd was a perfect mixture of Ireland, with baby boomers, gen x, millennials, gen z, and kids witnessing their first-ever fest. In a matter of minutes, it didn't seem like any distinction existed among generations or music preferences. They were all just dancing.

Forest Fest somehow raised the bar even further with Qween and the Dublin Gospel Choir. The crowd became part of the show, as everyone sang along to the best of Queen’s songs, inevitably ending up with We Are the Champions. The fact that the colours of Mayo were visible on the crowd made the ending very fitting.

What makes the development of the festival even more surprising is the fact that it all started off quite differently. Founded by the local solicitor, Philip Meagher, the Forest Fest developed astonishingly fast, gathering visitors from all over Ireland and even Europe but keeping its unique spirit.

The new Emo venue has proved that an event can grow and still retain its original spirit. The Forest Fest has grown up, but it is still Forest Fest – a festival where many generations can gather on one field and enjoy each other's company and some new music discovery.

This might be its most important feat: it grew, yet stayed who it was.