Taste of Kildare celebrates biggest festival this year
Crowds gather at Taste of Kildare 2026 at Naas Racecourse
THOUSANDS were seen at Naas at this year’s Taste of Kildare festival 2026, as it delivered its biggest and most successful festival to date, as visitors descended on Naas Racecourse this weekend for a two-day celebration of the very best of Kildare's food, hospitality, producers and entertainment.
Taking place across Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, this year's festival saw record-breaking crowds pass through the gates. The scale of the 2026 event marked a major step forward for Taste of Kildare, transforming Naas Racecourse into a bustling festival village packed with restaurants, food producers, chefs, live entertainment, family attractions and some of the county's best-known hospitality businesses.
The festival brought together an extensive line-up of Kildare restaurants, hotels, chefs, artisan producers and food and drink businesses.
Live cooking demonstrations hosted by Aishling Larkin were among the weekend's biggest draws with chefs such as Kevin Dundan and Eva Pau, while food stands and pop-ups served everything from restaurant dishes and local produce to BBQ favourites, sweet treats and afternoon tea.
Music and entertainment ran throughout both days, culminating in a Sunday performance from country music star Cliona Hagan, while the extensive children's programme and free admission for under-10s helped make 2026 one of the festival's biggest family events to date.
Taste of Kildare 2026 also provided a major showcase for the county's growing community of independent food and drink businesses, with the Flavours of Kildare network bringing together producers supported by Local Enterprise Office Kildare.
The festival was delivered by Into Kildare with the support of Kildare County Council and its partners and sponsors, bringing the tourism, hospitality and business community together for what has become one of the standout dates in Kildare's annual events calendar.
With the 2026 festival now setting a new benchmark for Taste of Kildare, attention is already turning towards an even bigger event in 2027.
