The next Ballymaloe Festival of Food and Farming runs from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May 2027 on the grounds of Ballymaloe House Hotel in Shanagarry, East Cork, according to the official festival website. Until the organisers announced the new name in June 2026, it was the Ballymaloe Festival of Food, so whichever name you see, it's the same event.

If you're a producer, drinks brand or food truck planning to trade there, the order is simple. First get your place confirmed by the organisers. Then confirm the practical details in writing. Only then order print, sized to the pitch you've actually been given.

Dates, venue and opening hours for 2027

The 2027 festival takes place from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May. The address is Ballymaloe Grainstore, at Ballymaloe House Hotel, Shanagarry, Co. Cork, P25 FH67. The festival is spread across the farm, gardens and grounds of Ballymaloe rather than a single hall. The organisers bill it as Ireland's premier food festival, and the programme is a big one. The tickets page lists cookery demos and panels on the Kerrygold Main Stage, the Cook the Books theatre, the Drinks Theatre, the Change We Must stage and a Cookery School stage. There's also the Big Shed Food Producers area and a Food Truck area with a bar, live music and DJs. Pop-up dining, workshops and tastings are booked separately, as the festival food page explains.

Check the official site for the 2027 opening hours before you plan your days. According to the Good to Know page, in 2026 the gates opened at 4.30pm on Friday until late, 9.30am on Saturday until late, and 9.30am to 6pm on Sunday. Two of those three days run well into the evening, so your stand needs to be readable in fading light, not just at noon. The programme matters too. Crowds tend to move together between demos and talks, so expect busy waves rather than a steady stream, and have enough staff on for the peaks.

How to apply for a stand at the Ballymaloe Festival of Food and Farming

There's no public exhibitor application form. The way in is the official contact page, which invites volunteers, exhibitors, food trucks and sponsors to get in touch through its enquiry form. Visitor tickets are a separate thing entirely, so don't confuse the two. If you're a brand thinking about a bigger presence, the partners and sponsors page shows who has partnered before.

To judge whether you're a good fit, look at the official stalls page. It lists the 2026 traders, from street food to artisan produce, drinks and coffee. Artisan producers trade in the Big Shed, and food trucks have their own area. The organisers decide who gets in. Fees, stall sizes, deadlines and selection criteria aren't published, so enquire early.

When you hear back, ask for the exhibitor information pack. Get written confirmation of your pitch type, its exact size, what's included (cover, tables, power) and your trading category. Our advice is not to order a single printed item until you have that in writing. A gazebo canopy or banner sized for a 3m pitch is no use on a 2m one, and we'd much rather print your kit once, at the right size.

Paperwork and logistics to confirm before you arrive

Ask the organisers exactly which documents they want to see. Keep printed and digital copies in one folder that travels with the stand. For a food or drink business, we'd expect that folder to hold:

Your booking confirmation and written pitch details
Your public liability insurance certificate
Food business registration and your HACCP or food safety records
Allergen information for every product you sell or sample
Any licence for selling alcohol, with the arrangement agreed in advance with the organisers and the relevant authorities
Organiser contact details and your risk assessment

Then get the practical answers in writing. You need to know:

Where vehicles get in and where you unload
Your set-up and pack-down times
Whether power and water are available
What refrigeration and storage there is
How waste is handled
What security there is for anything left overnight

Take your set-up times from the exhibitor pack. Plan your journey around them, whether you're coming from Dublin, Cork or anywhere else. Turning up to a locked gate with a van full of stock makes for a long morning.

Packing list for an outdoor food stand

Mid-May on a working farm in East Cork can bring sunshine, a squall and a cold evening all in one day. The official site also notes that some areas are on gravel or grass. Pack for all of it:

A gazebo with side walls and proper weights, because pegs alone won't hold on gravel
Tables, a fitted tablecloth, and pallets or crates to keep stock off wet ground
Battery lighting for the Friday and Saturday evenings
A card reader with mobile data backup, charged power banks and a cash float (most stalls accept both cash and card)
Food service kit: cool boxes or refrigeration, a probe thermometer, hand-washing supplies, utensils, sample cups, napkins and food-safe packaging
Bins, cleaning supplies, cable ties, tape and spare weights
Waterproofs, warm layers and sun cream for the team

For stock, start from what you sold at a similar event. Then adjust for three days of trading, how long your products keep and how much storage you actually have. Budget for samples separately, because tastings at a food festival go faster than you'd think. Keep a simple tally of what sells each day so you can restock overnight rather than run out on Sunday afternoon.

Signs and displays that get noticed at Ballymaloe

Think in layers:

Something tall that people can spot from across a field
A clear brand message at eye level
Prices and allergen information at the table, where people decide

Keep the branding the same on every piece: same logo, same colours, same few words. Use large type with strong contrast, and keep messages short enough to read from several metres away. A QR code linking to your online shop or mailing list is worth adding. Keep the key information printed as well, for anyone who won't scan.

Product	Job on your stand	Why it suits Ballymaloe
Branded Gazebos	Shelter with your brand on every side	Covers you from rain and sun, and people recognise it from a distance
Feather Flags	Height and movement	Rises above the crowd between stages, so people can find you again
Printed Tablecloths	Dresses the tasting table	A full-length cloth hides cool boxes and stock under the table
Outdoor Pull Up Banner	Eye-level message inside the gazebo	Made for outdoor use and quick to put up on a busy set-up morning
A-Frame Pavement Signs	Prices or today's tasting, out on the path	Catches people walking between stages and points them your way
Foamex PVC Board	Price list and allergen board	Rigid and easy to read, and replaces handwritten signs
1m x 1m Lightbox Counter	A lit serving counter	Stands out on the late evenings, if your pitch is covered and has power

For tasting tables, we'd add custom printed table runners over the cloth. They split the table into product zones, and you can swap the runner when it gets splashed. Ballymaloe is held on a working farm, so where food comes from is part of the setting. If sustainability is part of your story, our eco friendly printed tablecloths and the wider eco friendly range let your display say the same thing your product does.

Timing is the one thing we wouldn't leave late. Order six to eight weeks before the event, once your pitch size is confirmed. For 14 May 2027, that means between mid-March and early April. It leaves time to check artwork, print and deliver without a rush. The same kit works for the rest of your season too, whether that's the Dingle Food Festival, Bord Bia Bloom or the Big Grill Festival.

Promoting your stand before and during the festival

Announce your stand as soon as your place is confirmed. Post again when 2027 tickets go on sale on 1 December 2026, because that's when visitors start planning their weekend. In the weeks before May, show what you'll be tasting or launching. During the festival, post each morning with what's on your table that day. Afterwards, follow up with a thank you and a link to order.

Use the festival's official name. Only tag sessions, stages or speakers you're genuinely connected to. Ask before photographing visitors, and only collect email addresses with clear consent. Keep a note of the questions people ask most, because they tell you what your next signs should say. Every conversation should end with one clear next step, such as ordering online or finding your nearest stockist.

FAQs

Is the Ballymaloe food festival the same as the Ballymaloe Festival of Food and Farming?

Yes. People search for it as the Ballymaloe food festival or simply the Ballymaloe festival, but it's one event. It's held at Ballymaloe House Hotel and the Ballymaloe Grainstore in Shanagarry each May.

What are the opening hours for exhibitors?

In 2026 the public came in from 4.30pm on Friday and 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday, so expect to be set up well before then. Ask the organisers what time you need to arrive each day.

How much does an exhibitor stand cost?

Send an enquiry through the official contact page for a current quote, and ask what's included in the price.

How many visitors can exhibitors expect?

How busy you are depends on your product, the programme, the weather and where your stand is. Getting there is easy for visitors, though. There's free parking on site, free shuttle buses from Midleton train station and Ballycotton, and children under 14 go free. Plan for families as well as food lovers.

Are electricity, water, Wi-Fi and card payments available?

Confirm power and water with the organisers in writing before you plan anything that needs them. Bring your own card terminal with mobile data backup rather than relying on site Wi-Fi.

Get your Ballymaloe stand ready

Once your pitch is confirmed, send us the size and we'll help you put together a gazebo, flags, banners and table dressing that work as one. Contact Printroom for a quote.

Ballymaloe Festival of Food and Farming Stand Checklist