Pictured at Kinisla in Listowel ahead of this year’s 2026 Listowel Fod Fair on Wednesday were…
L/R: Megan Bambury Committee Member, Ger Mulvihill Social Media Content Creator, Pat Murphy C.E.O./ Executive Director of Kinisla,
Jimmy Deenihan Programme Curator, Mary Buckley Communications Director at Kinisla. Photo by John Kelliher
Pictured on right is Rory O’Connell
One of Ireland’s longest running food festivals, the Listowel Food Fair celebrates its 31st fair this year from Thursday 5th – Monday 9th November 2026.The historic North Kerry town of Listowel long famed for its literary geniuses and culinary delights will once again come alive for a host of exciting gourmet events for all ages and appetites. Below is a little taste of what you can expect.
Celebrity Chef, Food Writer and International Irish Food Ambassador Rory O’Connell of Ballymaloe Cookery School will visit the 2026 Listowel Food Fair on Saturday 7th November 2026. A twice recipient of ‘Ireland’s Chef of the Year’, Rory O’Connell will visit Garvey’s Supervalu Listowel at 11am on Saturday 7th November 2026 to meet local Kerry Artisan food producers and customers.
Rory O’Connell will then host a live cooking demonstration at 2pm at the Listowel Arms Hotel. After the cooking demonstration, food lovers can meet Rory O’Connell at a Book Signing at the Listowel Arms Hotel and get a signed copy of his book ‘The Joy of Food’, which was short-listed for an An Post Irish Book Award.
Festival highlights this year include a glamorous evening of ‘Gourmet Food & Fashion’ – Celebrating 150 Years of John J. Galvin & Son 1876 -2026 at the Listowel Arms Hotel on Saturday 7th November 2026. A very special occasion showcasing five Listowel Fashion Boutiques will be hosted by national and international Fashionista Marietta Doran. Professional models are being provided by Irish fashion legend Celia Holman Lee Agency. Kerry GAA Star and Fashion Designer Paul Galvin will be showcasing his range of menswear for Dunnes Stores on the night. A ‘Welcome Drinks Reception’ followed by a delicious gourmet menu is included with the tickets.
The much anticipated 2026 Listowel Food Fair Awards will be presented at this special occasion to include the following categories – 2026 Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year, 2026 Listowel Food Fair Local Food Hero Award, 2026 Listowel Food Fair Best Emerging Artisan Food Producer Award – Supported by Kerry Local Enterprise Office, 2026 Listowel Food Influencer and Digital Storyteller of the Year Award and the prestigious, 2026 Listowel Food Fair Lifetime Achievement Award.
The opening night at the 2026 Listowel Food Fair features ‘Bumbled’ live stage performance at St. John’s Theatre, Listowel. ‘Bumbled’ is a poignant one person comedic show which blends razor-sharp wit with a powerful environmental message, making it the perfect festival fit to remind audiences how much our farm-to-fork world depends on its tiniest creatures. Performed by Colin Hamell, Bumbled is a fast, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt one-person comedy that follows an Irish honeybee’s hilarious odyssey to find true love and voice the vital importance of pollinators to our global food chain.
‘Bumbled’ – Supported by honeybee health pioneers NOD Apiary Ireland, opens at St. John’s Theatre, Listowel on Thursday 5th November 2026 for one night only.
Health is a big focus for the festival this year with a ‘Positive Ageing Seminar’ at the Listowel Community Centre on Friday 6th November 2026 at 8pm, to be attended by the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell TD. Dr. Niall Moyna, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the DCU – Dublin City University will address positive ageing and the importance of exercise. Other featured speakers are Brendan Garvey, Personal Trainer & Neuromuscular Therapist and Julian Cascante – Certified Nutritional Coach.
Food and Education are always an important annual theme at the Listowel Food Fair, with a specific focus on nutrition and healthy eating. This year a nationwide webinar hosted in conjunction with MTU and Tralee Education Support Centre, will go live on Thursday 5th November 2026 from 10am-10.30am with Presenter Maurice O’Brien. The audience is 4th – 6th class primary schools students. Registration is available via Tralee Education Support Centre.
An ‘Autism Seminar’ by Dr Susan Crawford is to take place at the Listowel Community Centre on Saturday 7th November 2026 at 11am.Dr Susan Crawford (PhD) is a university-based academic researcher, Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Alumni award recipient, and founder of GetAutismActive. She is also the mother of an autistic son, with whom she has run marathons and half marathons and hiked all over the world. That shared journey is at the heart of her belief in the power of movement.
Dr Susan Crawford is the author of ‘Fundamental Movement Skill Acquisition for Children and Adults with Autism’ (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2018). For more than twenty years her work has focused on the motor delay that affects up to 87% of autistic people. Through GetAutismActive she has run workshops in every county along the Wild Atlantic Way, and her free movement assessment tool and resource kit are used by families and schools across Ireland.
Dr Susan Crawford was recently awarded a place on the Atlantic Fellows programme at the Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, for her Neurodiversity and Neuroinclusion Sanctuary. She is now developing it into “Sanctuary in a Box.”
Virgin Media One and Ireland AM’s TV presenter Lizzy Lyons will host a special lunch of culinary delights at ‘Lizzy’s Little Kitchen, Listowel’ on Sunday 8th November 2026.
The award winning, Allo’s Restaurant, Bistro & Townhouse will offer a €25 two course supper menu on Friday at 5pm. Pre booking is essential for this event.
This year’s Listowel Food Fair ‘Farming Seminar’ will take place on Monday 9th November 2026 and will be attended by Niall Collins TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture.
Presentation of the 2026 Listowel Food Fair ‘Best Factory Heifer Award’ – In Association with Listowel Livestock Mart, Kinisla, FBD Insurance plc and Buckley Agri will take place on the night. The ‘Farming Seminar’ addresses current important and topical current issues within the Irish farming and agricultural sectors.
The very popular “Listowel Food Fair Food & Craft Hall” on Sunday 8th November 2026 at the Listowel Arms Hotel will feature a broad selection of local craft, design and artisan food producers, cakes, craft beers, mulled wine, gifts, gourmet food, jewellery, art, chocolate, jams, chutneys and breads.
With something for all ages and tastes, weekend events this year include the ever popular Listowel Food Trail, a ‘Harvest Afternoon Tea’ at the Listowel Writers Museum and a Live Jazz Sunday Lunch to finish at the Listowel Arms Hotel which all add to a fun filled and jam packed festival schedule.
Speaking about this year’s festival programme Jimmy Deenihan said:
“On behalf of the Listowel Food Fair Committee, we would like to welcome you to the 2026 Listowel Food Fair. The Listowel Food Fair was first established in 1995 and is one of Ireland’s longest running food festivals, now celebrating its 31st year.
The Listowel Food Fair has developed over the years to be established as a national platform to promote the literary and culinary town of Listowel as a quality gourmet destination. The Listowel Food Fair is a celebration of all elements of the Irish food chain from farm to fork and tide to table.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our valued sponsors this year. We would also like to acknowledge the participation of the business community of Listowel including our local tourism and hospitality providers, visitor centres and retail outlets that support this festival each year.”
The 2026 Listowel Food Fair is supported by Kinisla, Fáilte Ireland, Kerry County Council, Kerry Local Enterprise Office, FBD Insurance plc, Garvey’s Supervalu, John J Galvin & Son Ltd, Listowel Credit Union, Media365, Buckley Agri and Tipperary Crystal.
FBD Insurance plc is the ‘Preferred Insurance Partner’ of the 2026 Listowel Food Fair.
Information on the 2026 Listowel Food Fair is available at www.listowelfoodfair.ie.
Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ie
