Waterford Harvest Festival organisers speak on exciting lineup for this September's mega weekend
Pictured at Ballybeg Greens are Krisztina and Wayne from Olive cafe, Richard Povey of Taste Waterford, Niamh Kelly of Ballybeg Greens, Martin Nolan, Mark Dunne of Harvest, David Kearns and Fiona Byrne of the Railway Cottage and Maolíosa Ní Chléirigh and Frances Jacob of Autism Friendly Waterford and Meesha Dunne of Harvest. Photo: Patrick Browne
The annual Waterford Harvest Festival returns this September, following a hugely successful 2024 edition that welcomed over 50,000 attendees to the city.
A firm favourite on the South East’s festival calendar, Waterford Harvest Festival celebrates food and the people behind it, taking place across Waterford City from Friday, September 5, to Sunday, September 7.
Some of the programme highlights for 2025 include Faulty Towers - The Dining Experience, a hilarious, immersive dinner event where guests can enjoy a delicious meal served with a side of chaos and comedy, inspired by the classic TV show.
In keeping with the TV theme, the Bridgerton Symphonic will be an immersive string quartet performance of music from the hit Netflix TV series.
The closing event this year, Beats, Bubbles and Bites with Chef Keith Boyle, will be a vibrant street dining celebration.
Musical highlights come from Mick Flannery, John Spillane, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones, The 80s Generation and more.
Now in their second year as Festival Directors, Mark Dunne and Martin Nolan of MPI Artists bring over 50 years of combined experience to the table.
Waterford native Mark Dunne has been a key figure in Waterford Harvest Festival since its inception in 2010. With a wealth of production experience, Mark has worked on some of Ireland’s leading events, including Winterval, PÚCA Festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann and the Waterford City Tattoo Convention.
Dunne is excited to deliver a flavour-packed programme this September, saying: “I’ve been fortunate to build a career in the events industry, working on some of Ireland’s leading festivals, but Harvest is hands down my favourite. What makes it so special is its broad appeal; there truly is something for everyone.
"It’s always a pleasure to work in my home city."
Martin Nolan, meanwhile, serves as Co-Festival Director of Fáilte Ireland’s flagship Halloween celebration, PÚCA, which welcomed 40,000 visitors to Co Meath in 2024.
Through his company, MPI Artists, Martin also represents many of Ireland’s top musical talents, such as The High Kings, Paul Brady, Mary Black, Jack Lukeman, Sharon Shannon, King Kong Company, Hermitage Green, and more.
Martin says: “2024 was a huge success, with over 50,000 people coming into Waterford City, and we’re excited to build on that momentum for 2025. This year, we’ll feature even more food demos, showcasing talented chefs from some of the city’s top restaurants."
In addition, Waterford Harvest Festival is thrilled to announce that acclaimed chef Keith Boyle has joined the festival's management team for 2025.
Tickets and more information are available at waterfordharvestfestival.ie
