Tullamore Show 2026: Your Complete Guide

The Tullamore Show is Ireland's largest one-day agricultural show, and the 2026 edition runs on Sunday 9 August at Butterfield Estate in Blueball, just outside Tullamore, Co. Offaly. It pulls in around 60,000 to 70,000 people across one big day in the Offaly countryside, so a bit of planning pays off.

When is it: Sunday 9 August 2026, gates open to the public from 8:30am. The show always lands on the second Sunday in August, so the date is easy to hold for future years too.

This is the show's 35th year, and it doubles as the FBD National Livestock Show. If you have only ever driven past the road signs, here is the honest run-down: what is actually on, how to get there without sitting in a field of traffic, where to park, what tickets cost, and whether it is worth bringing the kids. Spoiler on that last one: yes.

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What is on at the Tullamore Show

At its core this is a serious agricultural competition. The grounds carry more than 1,000 competitions with a total prize fund around €180,000, and roughly 700 trade stands spread across the site. The cattle, sheep and horse lines draw the best breeders in the country, which is the whole point of the National Livestock Show tag.

But you do not need to know a Hereford from a Charolais to enjoy the day. Around the livestock rings you will find:

• Show jumping and equine classes, which are some of the most watchable events on the grounds if you have never seen them up close.
• Agri-machinery and forestry displays, the big-toy section that tends to hold smaller kids (and a fair few adults) for far longer than expected.
• Home industries and farm produce, the baking, preserves, crafts and produce competitions that are quietly one of the best parts of any Irish show.
• A food village and trade stands, good for lunch, a wander, and the kind of impulse buys you go home wondering about.
• Family entertainment, including the outdoor music and dancing that, by the organisers' own admission after 2025, had outgrown its dance floor.

The 2026 launch leaned into a theme of generational renewal in Irish farming, with multi-generation family herds front and centre, so expect the heritage and succession side of the breeding world to get a bit more airtime than usual. The Gageboro Herefords, a four-generation herd founded in 1927, were singled out at the launch as the kind of family farming story the show wants to celebrate in its 35th year.

The full schedule of rings and timings is published closer to the day. Check the official Tullamore Show site before you travel so you can plan your day around the classes you actually want to see.

Getting to the Tullamore Show

The venue is Butterfield Estate at Blueball, on the N52 Birr road, about 5km from the centre of Tullamore. It sits roughly in the middle of the country, which is part of why the show pulls such big numbers: it is an easy enough run from most of Leinster and the Midlands.

By car, Tullamore is well served off the M6 and the wider motorway network, with the N52 and N80 feeding into the town. On show morning, follow the event traffic signage and the stewards rather than your sat-nav for the final approach, because routing changes to manage the volume of cars coming in.

The practical steer: leave earlier than you think. A 60,000-plus crowd arriving at one rural site over a few morning hours means the closer you get to opening, the slower the last few kilometres become. Aim to be parked before mid-morning and the day is far more relaxed.

Parking at the Tullamore Show

Parking is free, and that is not a small thing. The site has capacity for around 20,000 cars, with stewards directing traffic into the fields on arrival.

A few things worth knowing:

• Note your row. A 20,000-car field all looks the same at 5pm. A photo of the nearest marker on your phone saves a long walk back.
• Accessible parking is available closer to the entrance for blue-badge holders following the stewards' directions. Have your permit visible.
• Ground conditions depend on the weather. After a wet spell the parking fields can get soft, so sensible footwear earns its keep.

Tullamore Show tickets and prices

Tickets are sold in advance through the official show website, and buying ahead is the smart move: it is cheaper than the gate and it spares you a queue on the morning. For 2026, advance tickets have been listed at €20 and €15 tiers.

Pricing tiers, any concessions, and the policy on younger children can change year to year, so confirm the current rates and the child age cut-off on the official tickets page before you buy. If you would rather talk to a person, the show HQ number is on that same site.

The short version: book online, before the day, and screenshot your tickets in case the phone signal on the grounds is patchy with a big crowd in.

Is the Tullamore Show good for families?

Yes, and it is one of the better-value family days out in the Midlands in August. Between the animals, the machinery, the show jumping and the live entertainment, there is enough variety to carry a wide age range through a full day without anyone flagging too early.

A few things that make the family version of the day go smoothly:

• Bring layers and rain gear. This is an outdoor show in an Irish August. Sun cream and a raincoat in the same bag is the correct call.
• Comfortable, sturdy footwear. You will walk a lot, on grass, possibly damp.
• A small backpack with water, snacks and any small-kid essentials. There is plenty of food on site, but the queues build at lunchtime.
• A meeting point. Agree one with older kids the second you arrive, in case anyone gets separated in the crowd.
• Cash and card both. Most stands take card, but a few smaller ones may not.

When to go and how to time your day

Arrive early. It is the single best decision you can make: easier traffic, easier parking, and the livestock rings are at their busiest and best earlier in the day before the heat and the crowds peak.

If you are mainly there for a specific class, the show jumping, or a particular breed final, check the published ring times and build your day around it. If you are there for the general wander and the family entertainment, a mid-morning arrival and a late-afternoon finish covers the highlights comfortably.

A few quick answers people always ask before they go:

• Is it on rain or shine? Yes. It runs in all weather, so come dressed for an Irish August either way.
• Is there an ATM and food on site? Yes to food across the village and trade stands, and most stalls take card, though bringing some cash is sensible for the smaller ones.
• Can you bring a dog? Working and competition dogs aside, a busy livestock site with big crowds is not the day for the family pet. Leave them at home.
• How long should you allow? A half day covers the highlights; a full day from mid-morning lets you take in the rings, the food and the entertainment without rushing.

Make a day of it nearby

You are five minutes from Tullamore town, so it is easy to stretch the trip. If you are staying over or coming the day before, our guide to things to do in Tullamore covers the Grand Canal, the distillery experience and where to eat.

For the wider county, including the bog railway, Birr Castle and the Slieve Bloom mountains, see our roundup of things to do in Offaly. And if the show whets your appetite for the outdoors, the best hiking trails in Offaly are a short drive on, with the Slieve Blooms on Offaly's southern edge.

More Irish days out

The Tullamore Show is a once-a-year fixture, so if you are putting together a longer summer with visitors in tow, here are two booked-ahead Irish days out worth a look. Both run regularly through the season and pair well with a Midlands trip.

• Wicklow, Glendalough, Powerscourt Waterfall and a sheepdog demo (from €50): a full day in the Garden of Ireland with a live sheepdog demonstration, which carries a bit of the same rural, working-animal appeal as the show rings.
• Guinness Storehouse skip-the-line ticket (from €30): Ireland's most-visited attraction, easy to fold into a Dublin overnight on the way to or from Offaly, with a pint in the Gravity Bar at the top.

For the full picture of what is on across the province this summer, our guide to things to do in Leinster is a good place to start.

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Where to stay in Tullamore

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