Wicklow Pride 2026 Festival Lineup

Wicklow Pride 2025.Pics: Ron Murray

atest press release from Wicklow Pride, issued on Tuesday, June 9th 2026…

Wicklow Pride CLG is proud to announce the 2026 festival schedule, running from June 28th to the 4th of July, with events in Arklow, Blessington, Bray, Delgany and Wicklow Town.

The Wicklow Pride Parade takes place in Wicklow Town at 2.30pm from the Abbey Street carpark. The parade will be followed by Pride at the Castle, an afternoon of entertainment, food, drink and fun at the Black Castle.

Wicklow Pride CLG was founded in 2024 and has created safe, welcoming spaces for thousands of people across Wicklow.

With events right across the county, there is something from everyone, from book events to bowling to the Wicklow Pride Parade. The festival would not be possible without the support of our wonderful sponsors: Wicklow Municipal District, Neoen, Community Foundation for Ireland, Pride At Work Ireland, Codling Wind Park, Mic’s Chilli, PA Consulting, Sustainable Tourism Network, The Little Baker, and Woodenbridge Hotel & Lodge.

Sunday, 28th June
● Coffee Morning 10am-12pm
○ Location: Pigeon House, Delgany
○ What: Coffee, chats, and kicking off the festival.

● Pizza and GAYmes 6pm-8pm (ticketed event)
○ Location: Grizzly X Napkin, Arklow
○ What: Whether you’re a strategic mastermind, a casual roller of the dice, or just in it for the chat, join us for a brilliant night out of board games and great food!

Monday, 29th June
● LGBTQ+ Voices in Literature 7.30pm-9pm (ticketed event)
○ Location: Bridge Street Books, Wicklow Town
○ What: This year we are delighted to include readings and a Q&A with special guest authors Claire Lynch and Jarlath Gregory. The event will also include an open mic opportunity for aspiring writers to share their original stories or poetry.

Tuesday, 30th June
● Paint & Sip 7.30pm-9.30pm (ticketed event)
○ Location: Art Lab, Bray
○ What: We’re so excited for our first Paint & Sip event! Join Wicklow Pride for a relaxed evening of painting, snacks, a little music, and great craic. Absolutely no artistic talent required!

Wednesday, 1st July
● Queer Art Expo 6pm-8pm
○ Location: Blessington Tourist Office, West Wicklow
○ What: We are proud to be returning to West Wicklow to celebrate LGTBQ+ and ally artists. Join us for some fabulous works of art, nibbles, drinks and music.
○ Note for Artists: Contact [email protected] by June 19th to exhibit.

Thursday, 2nd July
● Gay Bowl 7pm-9pm (ticketed event)
○ Location: Bray Bowl, Bray
○ What: Back by popular demand—two hours of free-play arcade games, pool, and bowling.

Friday, 3rd July
● Lunch & Learn 12pm-2pm (ticketed event)
○ Location: The Palm, Bray
○ What: Community conversation regarding youth resources in County Wicklow with guest speakers from Seomra / Bray LGBT Youth & Friends, Mammies for Trans Rights, and Belong To.

Saturday, 4th July
● Wicklow Pride Parade 2.30pm (sharp)
○ Route: Starts at Abbey Street car park, moving along Main Street and Castle Street to Black Castle. Wicklow Pride is proud to have Mammies for Trans Rights as our Grand Marshal this year.
○ Action: Register to march or be a volunteer at www.wicklowpride.com.

● Pride at the Castle 3pm-7pm
○ Location: Black Castle, Wicklow Town
○ What: An afternoon of fun, food, local arts & crafts vendors, and a live entertainment line-up.

History & Mission
Wicklow Pride CLG registered as a charity in 2024 to create safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to gather and connect. Our 2026 Committee Chair, Ricque Porter is quoted as saying, “We created the week-long Wicklow Pride festival in 2024 and hold other events throughout the year around County Wicklow so the LGBTQ+ community and allies in our area can gather in a safe space and just be. I have witnessed the sense of community and joy at every event I have attended and am excited about the variety of events we have planned for 2026.”

● 2024: First festival featured a parade, a Black Castle celebration, and four other events.
● 2025: Festival expanded to 10 events across Blessington, Bray, Greystones, and Wicklow Town, attracting thousands of people.
● 2026: Continuing the tradition of community joy across County Wicklow our festival will consist of 9 events across Arklow, Blessington, Bray, Delgany, and Wicklow Town. As of the end of May, we have held 9 events in 6 different communities this year including coffee mornings, quiz nights, gay bowl and an on-line book club. We will hold our next popular monthly Dip & Sip sea swim on the 21st of June at 8pm in Arklow and will be visiting the beaches of Greystones, Bray and Brittas Bay before the end of September.

You can find out more about Wicklow Pride by visiting their official website here, follow on Instagram here and Facebook here, or you can email [email protected]. Tickets here.