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.
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’Jizo, 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.
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