Dates for major Mayo festival announced

The dates for this year's Ballina Salmon Festival have been confirmed. The famous festival in the north Mayo capital will take place from July 8 to 15, with many of the regular favourites in the programme of events.

It will be the 59th Ballina Salmon Festival in what is a special year for the town as it celebrates the 300th anniversary of its formal formation.

Some of the highlights of Ballina Salmon Festival 2023 include the Moy Swim, the Teddy Bears' Picnic and National Heritage Day.

The Moy Swim – one of the oldest river swims in Ireland - will open the festival with a big splash! In conjunction with Swim Ireland, and an original event established by what was then referred to as the Moy Festival, the River Moy Swim returned to the banks of the river in 2019 after an absence of more than 20 years.

In collaboration with the Ballina 2023 celebration, this year the swim aims to host 300 swimmers in the River Moy on July 8. Enteries are now open, and you can avail of the early bird booking entry fee now at this link.

All in all the, Ballina Salmon Festival 2023 will run for seven action-packed days, with the Teddy Bears' Picnic kicking off the programme of children's events on Sunday, July 9, while the hugely popular National Heritage Day will be held on Wednesday, July 12.

Elsewhere, in collaboration with Ballina 2023, internationally acclaimed spectacle and street theatre company Macnas will deliver one of the highlight events of the year on Saturday, July 15, for the Ballina Salmon Festival finale night, to be followed by the traditional epic fireworks display along the banks of the River Moy, overlooking the iconic St. Muredach's Cathedral.

Find out more about this year's programme of events on the Ballina Salmon Festival website.