Beyond The Pale might just be Ireland’s most exciting food festival this summer

If your ideal festival weekend involves incredible food as well as incredible music, Beyond The Pale needs to be on your radar.

Returning to Glendalough Estate this June 12–14, Beyond The Pale has built a reputation as one of Ireland’s most creatively minded festivals; the kind where music, arts, wellness and food all get equal billing. And honestly? This year’s food lineup sounds particularly special.

At the heart of it all is Beyond The Plate, the festival’s much-loved food and drink programme, which returns this year with a bold new theme: The Spice Bag Edition. Curated by the brilliant Ali Dunworth, the programme explores the global influences that have shaped modern Irish food; from spice routes and migration to the multicultural kitchens and flavours redefining how we eat today.

In other words: this is far more than a few food stalls in a field.

Across the weekend, festival-goers can expect live tastings, demos, panels, drinks sessions, snack deep-dives, dessert chats, fiery debates and plenty of laughs along the way. The lineup reads like a dream guest list for anyone who loves food and the stories behind it.

There’s Cassie Stokes talking pretty pubs and Bloody Marys, Joe Macken bringing his trademark energy to discussions on Dublin dining, and Louise McSharry unpacking the chaos and champagne-fuelled drama of Below Deck. Elsewhere, Shane Smith will chat all things dessert, Arun Kapil and Graham Herterich go head-to-head in a “Spice Boys” showdown, and there’s even a live Asia Market snack haul we absolutely need to witness in person.

And then there’s the restaurant lineup.

Three of Dublin’s most exciting spots, Host, Reggie’s and Ibíle, will all host exclusive sit-down dining experiences across the weekend. Think fire-led shared plates from Host, cult-status pizza from Reggie’s and bold, spice-driven West African dishes from Ibíle. These special dining experiences must be booked in advance ,and spaces are limited, so if you’re planning to go, we’d recommend reserving your table sooner rather than later at Beyond The Plate Restaurant Bookings.

What we especially love about Beyond The Plate is that it feels genuinely welcoming. Whether you’re someone who loves trying new flavours, someone obsessed with restaurant culture, or simply someone who enjoys sitting in the sunshine with a great drink and an even better conversation, there’s something here for you.

More than anything, though, the programme feels like a celebration of how exciting Irish food is right now. The conversations go beyond trends or Instagram moments, they’re about creativity, culture, storytelling and the people continuing to shape how we cook, eat and gather together in Ireland today.

Of course, this is all happening alongside a huge music and arts lineup featuring names like Caribou, Primal Scream, Soulwax, Father John Misty, Honey Dijon and many more. Plus wellness experiences, comedy, cabaret, talks and late-night fun tucked throughout the valley.

Basically: come hungry! For the food, the flavour debates, the music and the craic.

Weekend camping tickets and limited Saturday day tickets are available now and with the festival just weeks away, we wouldn’t wait too long to grab yours.

And yes, we’re already thinking about the pizza!