Cork Harbour Festival puts the spotlight on Cork Harbour with the 2023 festival programme

Cork Harbour Festival starts this week to celebrate Cork’s greatest natural amenities, Cork Harbour and the River Lee, through a packed festival programme across 10 days from 2 – 11 June.

The festival highlights the incredible choice of attractions and activities, heritage sites, cultural experiences and stories there are to discover in Cork City and Harbour. With over 80 events from 50 event providers to explore in this year’s festival programme, and with many offered for free or discounted, there is plenty to choose from. 

Cork Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world and Cork Harbour Festival offers countless ways to explore it. Take an exciting 2 hour Evening Rib Tour of Cork Harbour with Cork Harbour Boat Hire (2 & 9 June); Explore the Wildlife & Coastline of Cork Harbour withCork Sea Safari (4 & 5 June). Get behind the wheel of a powerboat with SailCork (3, 6, 7 June). Or do a Stand Up Paddle Tour on the River Lee with Cork City SUP (9 June). If you prefer to stay on land, take a Cork Greenway Cycle Tour with Beyond the Glass Adventure Tours and cycle along the harbour shoreline (2,3,7-10 June).

Running throughout the festival are loads of family activities and entertainment.  Join Ireland’s Funnest Family at Marina Park with Let’s Play Cork for free family entertainment. This is a playful twist on ‘fittest families’ presenting a mixture of made-up games for all the family to enjoy (11 June). Families can also enjoy a Floating Classroom with the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group, aboard their Celtic Mist Research Vessel (3-5 June). The ever popular Cork Ghost Tour is back this year for more hilarious frights and hysterical delights for all the family (7, 8, 9 June). Or enjoy a high-octane comedic dinner theatre experience unlike anything else in Ireland with Hysterical Histories Cork (6-10 June).

Ocean to City – An Rás Mór, Saturday 3 June:

Excitement is building ahead of the return of Ocean to City – An Rás Mór this Saturday June 3rd.  The race is one of the most ambitious rowing and paddling spectacles in Ireland. Cork Harbour comes alive with colour and activity as 550 Irish and international participants compete in a gruelling race across the harbour. Participants are travelling from across Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States and will bring some 200 boats to the event.

On the day, there will be family friendly entertainment at various vantage points along Cork Harbour, including Cobh, Monkstown, Blackrock and Cork City. At 12pm, at The Promenade in Cobh, in association with Cobh Tourism and Cobh Animation Team, spectators can cheer on race participants as they power by while enjoying music and live commentary. At 12.30pm, soak up the action in Monkstown and cheer on all the participants starting their Ocean to City ‘half marathon’. In Blackrock, spectators can encourage the Youth Race crews from 12.45pm as they row their colourful currachs over the 4km course to the finish line. The Youth Race is organised by Meitheal Mara as part of their Bádóireacht programme. At the finish line at Lapp’s Quay in Cork City, enjoy the big spectacle with entertainment, music, live commentary, and food from 1.30pm onwards.

Ocean to City – An Rás Mór, Cork Harbour Festival’s flagship event, attracts hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators to the Cork region each year. Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals & Events in Fáilte Ireland said: “Festivals and events are a key element of the tourism offering in Ireland, and Fáilte Ireland is pleased to support this year’s Ocean to City, An Rás Mór, which will showcase Ireland’s fantastic outdoor activity offering to domestic and international visitors. Developing unique visitor events like Ocean to City, An Rás Mór, plays an important role in the recovery of the tourism sector for Cork City and the wider Ireland’s Ancient East region. Participative festivals like Ocean to City, An Rás Mór, create new and compelling reasons for visitors to explore Ireland and experience first-hand our world-class outdoor activity offering. Events like this have the ability to drive footfall for local businesses, which in turn generates revenue and supports jobs in communities and revenue generation.” 

For a full programme of festival events see corkharbourfestival.com.

Cork Harbour Festival is organised by Meitheal Mara, the community boatyard, training centre and charity located in the heart of Cork City. The festival is funded by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Failte Ireland, and made possible with the help of 50 Event Partners and many volunteers. Meitheal Mara would like to thank our Media Sponsors Cork’s 96FM and C103FM as well as our Gold Sponsor Ardmore Shipping and Silver Sponsor Simply Blue Group.