June Festivals and Events

Thousands of people are set to take to the streets of Cork city this bank holiday Sunday for the Cork City Council-organised 2026 Analog Devices Cork City Marathon.

About 12,300 runners will take part – with about 3,000 signed up for the Full Marathon, 5,000 for the Half Marathon and 4,300 for the 10K race.

We wish them all well, especially our City Council colleagues taking part, and our colleagues who are involved in the organisation and staging of the event.

Participants will consume between them more than 12,000 bananas and 100,000 water bottles during the event.
The marathon starts on Grand Parade at 8.15am on Sunday.

Temporary road closures, diversions and traffic restrictions will be in place during race morning and early afternoon.

Motorists are advised to plan in advance their journeys through and around the city on Sunday.

The event, a proud AIMS member and certified by World Athletics, is expected to attract approximately 25,000 spectators, and will be organised by up to 1,000 staff and volunteers.

This year’s event includes a new city centre start and finish line on Grand Parade, which is designed to support the continued growth of the event, and an updated route to enhance safety, increase capacity and create a stronger race-day experience for participants and spectators alike.

Organisers are encouraging everyone, whether taking part, supporting on the race route or moving through the city on Sunday, to plan ahead and make the most of the atmosphere across race weekend.

From music, dance, theatre and visual art to storytelling, circus, digital creativity and more, Saturday 6^th June will be packed with hands‑on experiences designed especially for young people. Everyone aged 0–18 to explore their creativity, try something new, and express themselves in ways that feel exciting, playful and empowering.

Events take place across Cork City in libraries, parks, cultural spaces and community venues — and everything is completely free! Young people take centre stage as designers, makers, performers and collaborators, guided by professional artists and creative organisations. Come along, get involved, and make it a day to remember!

Some events require booking, so be sure to check the full Cork City programme online at www.corkcity.ie/en/cruinniu-na-nog/

Scan the QR code for more information.

Cork Carnival of Science returns to Fitzgerald Park from Saturday 6th to Sunday 7th June 2026, bringing two packed days of live experiments, interactive exhibits, colourful performances and hands-on discovery to the heart of Cork City.

This year’s programme features more than 50 exhibitors and 22 live science shows across the weekend, with a strong focus on participation, imagination and science-based wonder. Visitors can expect everything from theatrical science performances and sports experiments to immersive exhibits, roaming characters and giant outdoor activities designed to make science accessible, exciting and fun for all ages.

For the latest updates and full programme details, visit corkcity.ie/corkcarnivalofscience or follow @corkcitycouncil on social media.

Cork Carnival of Science is a Cork City Council festival, proudly supported by Research Ireland and media partners Irish Examiner and Cork's 96FM.

The Lord Mayor’s Civic, Culture, Community & Voluntary Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 10th in in the Concert Hall, City Hall and will be streamed live on Cork City Council’s YouTube channel.

The Lord Mayor will present Civic Awards and a Culture Award in recognition of the contribution of individuals and organisations to the life of the city.

Members of the public were invited to nominate community and voluntary groups across Cork City in recognition for the vital contribution they make to local communities. The categories and shortlisted organisations for the Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards are as follows:

Arts, Culture and Heritage

Cork LGBT Archive

Everyman Theatre Volunteer Team

Graffiti Theatre Company

Climate Action and Sustainable Development

Blackpool Tidy Village

Future Orchard

Togher Tidy Towns

Community Development and Lifelong Learning

Foroige Mahon Rockies Youth Club Café

The Dillons Cross Project

The Lantern, Nano Nagle Place

Recreation, Sport, Health and Wellbeing

Bádóireacht, Meitheal Mara's Youth Programme

Cork City Athletic Club

Glen Resource Centre

Cycling For All Cork

Social Inclusion, Advocacy & Integration

Boxing Clever Cork

Down Syndrome Centre Cork

Ballyphehane Community Association

Social Enterprise Innovation

Churchfield Community Trust Clg

Saoirse Ethnic Hands on Deck

Cork Deaf Enterprises

1st to 4th of June - Fair Seas Conference

11th to 13th of June - Cork Concert Orchestra

15th to 22nd of June - Midsummer Festival

Recalling Calling Card - Cork City Library

11 June – 4 July 2026

Marking the 50th anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s 1976 album Calling Card, this special exhibition showcases rare and never-before-seen images by renowned music photographer Michael Putland.

Putland, who worked with artists including ABBA, George Michael, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, John Lennon, and The Cure, captured the moments of Rory and his Band around Calling Card’s production. Cork Rocks for Rory gratefully acknowledges the Michael Putland Estate for permission to display these remarkable portraits.

The exhibition also features handwritten lyrics and production notes from Calling Card, faithfully reproduced from Rory’s notebooks during the album’s creation in the summer of 1976. Visitors will gain a unique insight into the development of beloved tracks such as Moonchild, Edged in Blue, and Secret Agent.

Additional material—including concert footage, press coverage, album reviews, and promotional content—will provide further context to this milestone in Gallagher’s career.

On the Boards of Cork City Hall:  Rory Gallagher & His Band in concert 1974 - Cork City Hall Atrium

11 June – 3 July 2026

Cork City Hall is synonymous with the making of Rory Gallagher's name as a live performer. This is evident in being the location in part to  his most memorable recorded live performance, the album and also film, Irish Tour 74.

Including photograph selections being shown for the first time, Cork based photographer, Pat Galvin had access on stage and behind the scenes, to witness the legendary Rory Gallagher concerts on the 3rd and 5th of January 1974 at Cork City Hall.

Complimented by the display of Rory’s First Guitar and a rendition of his 1961 Fender Stratocaster, memorabilia and information into the background of Rory Gallagher’s performances at Cork City Hall will enlighten newcomers to the Rory Gallagher story and the many that were there for one of Rory Gallagher’s most celebrated performances on record.

Concerts of the Continental Op- Cork Public Museum

14 June – 4 July 2026

Opening on 14 June, the anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s passing in 1995, Cork Public Museum will unveil new additions to its Continental Op exhibition, part of its permanent collection.

Enhancements include new memorabilia and instruments from the Rory Gallagher Estate, alongside an audiovisual installation showcasing some of Gallagher’s renowned live performances. Visitors will also be able to explore his global influence through recorded testimonials and archival material.

Cork Rocks for Rory 2026 Open - Air Concert - Fitzgerald Park

1:00pm – 6:00pm, Sunday 14 June 2026

Free Admission

Building on the success of last year’s event, a line-up of Cork musicians will once again take to the stage in Fitzgerald Park to celebrate Rory Gallagher’s music.

The concert is curated by Sheena Crowley of Crowley’s Music Centre—where Rory famously purchased his Fender Stratocaster—Tres Hombres, The Crew, Hot Guitars and Dying Breed will provide a strong line-up performing some of Rory Gallagher’s most iconic songs.  

This free public event invites audiences to come together and celebrate one of Cork’s most beloved cultural figures. Refreshments will be available on-site.

Cork Rocks for Rory 2026 promises an engaging and fitting tribute, as the city honours the Leeside legend through music, memory, and shared appreciation.

Reserve a space to attend the upcoming I.D.E.A. Exchange at Cork Midsummer Festival/ with Midsummer Youth Assembly, Crucial Moves/ MTU Creativity and Change, and the Young Print Collective/Cork Printmakers at 10am on 18th June.

Full details and reservations via https://www.corkmidsummer.com/whats-on/crucial-moves or directly at Cork City Council Arts Office Eventbrite here.

This exchange will focus on access practices that support diversity and inclusion in the arts sector across art forms. brings the voices of emerging artists and arts workers into this regular forum initiated by Cork City Council Arts Office, taking place at Studio 4, MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, 46 Grand Parade, Cork City, T12 VN56.

This exchange will be 2 hours long with a slow wind down until 12.30pm, hot drinks and light bites.

June 2026  /  Open to all Sectors

The content, methodology and learning outcomes of this four-part programme have been designed to Create a POSITIVE Circle to support the female entrepreneur with knowledge, support and tools to grow her business. 

This knowledge will be delivered in a very practical way for each individual – it will include Finance … Funding … Marketing … PR … Strategy … Goal Setting … Pitching … Personal Leadership … Business Planning – a unique combination of ‘soft and hard’ supports via group peer-to-peer learning.

 For further information on this highly subsidised programme and/or to book your place, click on the following link:

https://www.localenterprise.ie/corkcity/training-events/online-bookings/strategic-growth-for-women-in-business.html

 Any queries on the above, please contact LEO Cork City on 021 4961828 / info@leo.corkcity.ie