Start making your travel plans home to Mayo in 2023
as Ballina Salmon Festival dates are now confirmed for Saturday 8th July running all week to the finale night Saturday 15th July 2023.
Plans are already underway as Ballina gets set to welcome the 59th Ballina Salmon Festival to Mayo this year, and party alongside the 300th Anniversary celebartions of the formal formation of Ballina during 2023 !
Become One of Ballina’s Swimming Greats this July 8th by swimming the Moy Swim.
One of the oldest river swims in Ireland, the Moy Swim is taking place again in 2023 and opening the Ballina Salmon Festival with a big Splash! In conjunction with Swim Ireland, and an original event established by what was then referred to as the ‘Moy Festival’ the River Moy Swim returned to the banks of the Moy in 2019 after an absence of more than 20 years.
The event was a great success in 2019, and the organisers of the event are delighted to announce the return of the Moy Swim for the 5thyear. The two years of the global pandemic did not dampen the appetite for the swim, in fact it was only one of a few events that continued both locally and nationwide, with many using the swim as their lock down challenge. The swim organisers recorded a record 260 swimmers taking place in 2021, with numbers been capped!
With two distances on offer again this year, both the 600m and 2.5km and 600m youth distance swim this promises to be a fantastic opportunity to experience a competitive race in the scenic surrounds of the wild Atlantic way in the west of Ireland.
Enteries are now Open, and you can avail of the Early Bird Booking Entry fee now at this link – Click on Link River Moy Swim
And in collaboration with the town’s big celebration of Ballina 2023, Ballina celebrating its 300th anniversary since its formal formation in 1723, this year the swim aims to host 300 swimmers in the river Moy on the 8th July.
The Rest of Festival Week
And that’s only the start of the festival, as the rest of the week includes a seven-day action packed children’s programme kickstarting with the Teddy Bears picnic on Sunday 9th July, followed by the unforgettable National Heritage day planned for Wednesday 12th July, featuring a feast for your senses on the sights, sounds and smells of a market day 100 years ago.
The rest of the festival programme details are yet to be announced!
But one festival event Ballina Salmon festival are delighted to announce is its collaboration with Ballina 2023. Working alongside the internationally acclaimed spectacle and street theatre company Macnas, who will deliver one of the highlight events taking place as part of Ballina 2023. Macnas’ work is unique for the hybrid of professional artists and volunteers collaborating on an event and throughout the year, the company will work with community participants to develop and deliver one of its renowned parades on the streets of Ballina. The event will take place on July 15th 2023 as part of the Ballina Salmon Festival finale night followed by the traditional epic fireworks display along the banks of the River Moy, overlooking the iconic St Muredachs Cathedral.
Macnas Community Parade followed by the epic Salmon Festival Fireworks display are planned for Saturday 15th July. Start planning your visit to Ballina, Co Mayo NOW!
