If you make jewellery in a spare room in Stoneybatter or turn bowls in a shed in Leitrim, Gifted is probably the biggest five days in your trading year. This guide is for makers weighing up whether to apply, and for first-time exhibitors who have a stand confirmed and need to plan the display. It covers dates and hours, how booking works, what to prepare, how to make a small stand pull people in from a busy aisle, and what results are realistic.

When and where is Gifted taking place in 2026?

Summary: Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, runs from Wednesday 2 December to Sunday 6 December 2026 at the RDS, Hall 1 in the Main Hall complex, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The dates and venue are confirmed on both the Gifted visitor information page and the RDS event listing.

Day	Date	Visitor opening hours
Wednesday	2 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Thursday	3 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Friday	4 December 2026	10am to 9pm
Saturday	5 December 2026	10am to 6pm
Sunday	6 December 2026	10am to 6pm

Those are public hours. Exhibitor hours are different: build-up, daily access before the doors open and breakdown times are issued by the organisers in the exhibitor pack, not published on the website, so work from the pack rather than the visitor timetable. Visitor admission is €15 for adults and €12 for OAPs, with under-16s free when accompanied, per the official ticket page. It matters to you because paying visitors tend to arrive intending to buy.

Three of the five days trade until 9pm. That is a long stretch compared with a Saturday market or a one-day local fair, and it changes your planning: you need more stock, at least one other person to cover breaks, and a display that still looks tidy on day four.

How do I apply for and book a stand at Gifted?

Summary: Gifted does not run an open online booking system. The official exhibit at Gifted page asks prospective exhibitors to get in touch directly, by email at [email protected] or by phone on 01 6702186, for application and booking information.

Make that contact early. Selection criteria, application deadlines, stand sizes and stand fees are not published publicly, which means there is no way to know from the website alone whether space is still available in any given year. The organisers will tell you what they need from you, which usually means photographs of your work, a description of your range, your price points and details of your business.

Have clear product photography and a short line on what you make and how, ready to send with your first email.
Ask for the current rate card and the exhibitor manual in the same conversation, because the manual governs what you can build.
Ask exactly what the stand fee includes. Walling, fascia name board, lighting, power supply and exhibitor passes are commonly charged separately or in tiers, so confirm rather than assume.
Ask about the extras before you sign: VAT, electricity connection, furniture hire, flooring, on-site storage, Wi-Fi, insurance requirements and additional staff passes.
Confirm the exact stand dimensions and the permitted build height before you order any graphics.

On size, the honest answer for a sole trader with one tight collection is the smallest stand that holds your range properly. A small, well-lit, well-branded stand reads as confident. A larger stand with gaps in it reads as a business that ran out of stock. If you have several collections, wholesale ambitions or a product that needs demonstrating, a bigger footprint or a corner position earns its keep, because corners give you two open sides and twice the aisle frontage.

What should I prepare before travelling to the RDS?

Summary: the work that decides how Gifted goes for you happens in October and November, not in the car park on build-up day. Use a simple countdown.

When	What to sort
8 to 10 weeks out	Stand confirmed and paid, dimensions in writing, public liability insurance arranged, accommodation booked if you are travelling
6 weeks out	Stock production plan locked, staffing rota for five days agreed, van or transport booked
4 weeks out	Display graphics, signage and print ordered so there is time to proof and reprint
2 weeks out	Full layout tested at home, card terminal tested, pricing and packaging finalised
Week of the fair	Boxes labelled, passes printed, load plan and unloading times confirmed with the organisers

Pack in categories: products and reserve stock, price cards and signage, packaging and bags, a small tools and repairs kit, chargers and a power bank, your card reader, any extension equipment the organisers have approved, water and food, and warm layers for build-up when the doors are open. Plan stock by price point, with plenty of gift-priced pieces alongside your higher-value work, and keep the backup boxes labelled and within reach instead of piling everything onto the table. Our companion Gifted craft and design fair stand checklist has the full packing and set-up list, so use it rather than rewriting one from scratch.

How can I make a small Gifted stand attract more visitors?

Summary: with over 400 designers, makers and artisan food producers exhibiting and in excess of 30,000 Christmas shoppers coming through, according to the Gifted exhibitor page, your stand has a few seconds to say who you are and what you sell. One focal point, readable branding and space to browse will beat a stand crammed with everything you have made.

Build upwards, not outwards. Floor space is for visitors; walls and vertical fixtures are for display. Group products by collection so the eye lands on a story instead of a jumble, vary the heights with risers or plinths, and leave real gaps between groupings. Price everything, clearly, in your own typeface. Shoppers who have to ask a price often just walk on.

A branded roller banner from our pull up banner range gives you a name and a look visible from down the aisle, and packs into a single case.
A reusable fabric display wall covers the back of a shell scheme stand and travels to every fair afterwards.
A fitted printed tablecloth turns a hired trestle into a branded counter and hides your stock boxes underneath.
Rigid printed boards work for collection signs, care instructions and your maker story.

Test the whole layout at home first. Mark out your booked dimensions on the floor with tape, set up exactly what you plan to bring, then stand back three metres, which is roughly the width of the aisle. If your business name is not readable from there, the type is too small. Keep your messaging to a name, a product line and a price range, and keep colours and typefaces consistent across banner, signs and cards. Check your banner height and footprint against the organiser's rules before ordering, since nothing on your stand may overhang the boundary.

Run a quick accessibility check too: type in a size and contrast that reads easily, key products reachable from a seated position, and an entrance kept clear of boxes, bags and trailing leads.

How do loading, parking and stand access work at the RDS?

Summary: build-up slots, vehicle access routes and unloading arrangements come from the organiser's exhibitor manual. Exhibitor parking is not published on the Gifted website, so confirm it directly with the organisers before you travel.

Unloading access and all-day parking are two separate things. A loading slot is for getting stock out of the vehicle, after which you move the van.
Label every box with your stand number and business name, bring a trolley, and bring a second pair of hands if you possibly can.
Keep your exhibitor passes to hand throughout build-up, because access is checked.
Visitor car parking for Gifted is at the Simmonscourt Arena car park on Simmonscourt Road, with a free shuttle bus to the fair entrance, as set out on the Gifted visitor page. RDS event parking is €10 a day and limited at busy times, per RDS getting here.
The venue is well served by bus and the DART at Sandymount and Lansdowne Road. Nearby public car parks exist but cannot be guaranteed, so check charges, opening times and maximum stays before you rely on one.

Breakdown cannot start while visitors are still in the hall, no matter how tempting it looks at five to six on Sunday. Stock, packaging, waste and display materials all have to be removed in line with the organiser's rules and timings.

What results can I realistically expect from exhibiting at Gifted?

Summary: 30,000 shoppers does not mean 30,000 customers. Your take depends on your product, price points, stand position, presentation, whether you hold stock for five full days, and how you talk to people.

Set targets beyond the till total: revenue, average order value, email sign-ups with consent, wholesale enquiries, commission requests and honest feedback on what people picked up but did not buy. Then work out the number you actually need to clear.

Cost to include	What to count
Stand	Fee, electricity, furniture, flooring, extra passes, VAT
Getting there	Van hire, fuel, parking, accommodation for five days
People	Staffing or help for long trading days
Selling	Card transaction charges, packaging, bags
Making and showing	Materials, stock production time, display and print

Add those up, divide by your average sale value, and you have the number of sales that gets you level. Everything above it is profit. On the days themselves, greet people without hovering, explain how a piece is made when they show interest, keep payment fast so a queue never forms, note what is selling so you can restock overnight, and collect email addresses with permission rather than pressing a form on everyone.

Afterwards, reconcile sales against costs within a week, reply to every enquiry while they still remember you, fulfil orders promptly, note which products moved and at what price, and write down what you would change. That record is what makes your next application, and your next stand, stronger.

Frequently asked questions

Are the RDS Craft Fair, Gifted RDS and Craft Fair RDS the same event?

In almost all cases, yes. Searches for the RDS craft fair, Gifted RDS or craft fair RDS point to Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, held at the RDS in Ballsbridge each December. The RDS does host other fairs and shows across the year, so check the RDS event listing if you are unsure which event you have found.

Is Gifted suitable for first-time exhibitors and emerging makers?

It can be, provided your range is finished and consistent, you can produce and hold enough stock for five days, and you can staff long trading hours. Over 95% of exhibitors are Irish businesses, so the audience is there for new Irish makers. Price the whole thing first, including stand, travel, accommodation and print, and start with the smallest stand that shows your work properly.

Do Gifted exhibitors need public liability insurance?

Assume you will be asked for it, and check the required level of cover, the policy wording and the submission deadline with the organisers when you book. Do not assume a general business or home policy covers trading at a public exhibition, because many do not.

Do I need card payment facilities at the fair?

Yes. Accept contactless and card, test the terminal before you travel, and have a plan for patchy connectivity and a flat battery, including a power bank and a backup device. A small cash float is still worth carrying for the few who prefer it.

Does electrical equipment need approval before it can be used on the stand?

Lighting, extension leads and any powered equipment must meet the organiser and venue rules, which typically cover safe testing, load limits and how power is supplied to your stand. Some items must be ordered in advance through the organisers. Ask when you book rather than turning up with a lamp you cannot plug in.

What should I do next to get ready for Gifted?

Contact the organisers through the official Gifted exhibitor page to confirm availability, current stand rates, sizes and technical requirements before you commit to anything.
Once your stand is confirmed, get the dimensions and height limits in writing, then work the checklist through in order.
Order banners, signs and tablecloths early enough to proof them properly and test the full layout at home.

We have spent more than 20 years printing display stands and graphics for exhibitors in Dublin and around the country, and a common mistake is a banner ordered in the last week at the wrong size for the stand. Send us your stand dimensions and we will help you choose correctly sized, reusable display and print for Gifted. Contact our team for a quote.

First-Time Exhibitor’s Guide to Gifted: The Contemporary Craft & Design Fair