First Events Announced for Cork on a Fork Fest 2025

The first exciting events have been announced for Cork on a Fork Fest 2025, which returns from August 13th to 17th 2025 with a five-day celebration of Cork’s rich and unique food culture.

Now in its fourth year, the festival is a much-anticipated highlight of the summer calendar, showcasing the people, produce, and passion behind Cork’s dynamic food scene. The city-wide programme features over 100 events, including pop-up feasts, chef collaborations, free cooking demos, street events, food trails, foraging walks, bite-sized talks, and a wide range of family-friendly activities.

Among the first events revealed for this year’s programme are:

• The VQ Shared Table sponsored by Birra Moretti returns by popular demand. This is a spectacular long-table dinner for 450 guests on MacCurtain Street which will see twenty chefs from the city’s VQ area curate shared plates in what promises to be one of the hottest tickets of the festival.  Tickets will go on sale for this event on Friday 9th May.

• An exclusive Producers Bus Tour celebrating some of Cork’s best food producers with behind-the-scenes tastings and insights into their craft.   Featuring the English Market, Hannas Bees, Frank Hederman’s Tasting Room in Cobh, Ardsallagh Cheese and Killahora Orchard. 

• A Young Chef Collaboration Dinner at Farmgate will showcase the rising stars of Cork’s culinary future, through a menu that celebrates the iconic English Market.

• Plates & Pairings at Jacques Restaurant will offer a carefully curated Cork food and drink celebration.

• An Artisan Market at St. Peter’s, curated by On the Pig’s Back, will feature top cheesemakers, charcuterie, biscuits, crisps and more—plus food talks and demonstrations throughout the day.

• Afternoon Tea on the Train sees FoodCloud chefs transform surplus ingredients into a sustainable, gourmet afternoon tea served aboard a train.

• Breaking Bread: A Cultural Connection, curated by Chef Orla McAndrew, invites visitors to taste dishes created by Cork’s migrant community, paired with live entertainment.

• North x South Wine Tasting, a collaboration between MacCurtain Wine Cellar and L’Atitude 51, celebrates wine culture with a Cork twist.

• Murder Mystery Night at The Grand Dame offers dinner and drama at The Imperial Hotel, featuring a three-course meal and live interactive theatre.

• From Barrel to Board pairs local whiskey and cheeses at The Shelbourne with On the Pig’s Back.

• A free International Tea Ceremony and cooking demos at Nano Nagle Place, hosted with Cork Migrant Centre.

• Rooftop Food Culture Bus Tour, led by food historian Regina Sexton and Cork City Tours, includes sightseeing and storytelling, finished with pizza and a pint at Rising Sons Microbrewery.

• Free chef demos at Emmet Place Festival Stage all weekend, featuring Aishling Moore (Goldie), Sally Barnes (Woodcock Smokery), Clodagh McKenna, Takashi Miyazaki (Ichigo Ichie), David Devereux (51 Cornmarket), Rob Fitzpatrick (Market Lane), Rebeca Recary Sanchez (St Francis Provisions), Darren O’Connell (Kay’s Kitchen), Jerome Williamson (EcoFish), My Goodness, Paradiso, Saoirse Ethnic Hands and FoodCloud.

• More free and ticketed demos will also pop up around the city, including at the English Market and a special demo on traditional soda bread, butter, and corned beef at the Butter Museum.

• Family-friendly highlights include food trails, hands-on workshops, a Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Marina Market, and the ‘Play with Your Food’ producer tasting experience at St. Peter’s.

• Balance, Beats & Bites offers a wellness-focused evening with The Yoga Tree and Spice Genie at the Old Savings Bank, combining yoga, food, and feel-good beats.

• Sailing, Shucking & Shanties features harbour views, oyster tasting with Pat O’Connell, sea shanties from the Cobh Molgoggers, and a guided maritime tour.

• Food trails and farm tours explore Cork’s farm-to-fork journey with access to the people and stories behind the produce.

• Cork’s drinks scene will shine through tasting events, workshops, and tours with local breweries and distilleries including the Franciscan Well Beerfest and Rebel City Distillery.

• Pop-up events and tastings will pop up across community gardens, libraries, and businesses throughout the suburbs.

• Foraging walks include a free session with Epi Rohan in the Lee Fields and another in Fitzgerald Park with Chloe Dempsey, followed by a water kefir demo and tasting at Proby’s Kitchen.

• Street events will also feature along Union Quay with L’Atitude 51 and other partners bringing the buzz outdoors.

There are many more free and ticketed events ready to explore on www.corkonaforkfest.ie. And further events will be added to the listings in the coming weeks, building towards a full programme of over 100 unique culinary experiences.

Cork on a Fork Fest is a Cork City Council Festival.  The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle said “Cork on a Fork has quickly become one of our city’s most loved festivals, and it’s a true celebration of everything that makes Cork’s food culture so unique — from our passionate producers and creative chefs to our vibrant hospitality scene. This year’s programme is bursting with flavour, innovation and community spirit, and I encourage everyone to get involved, support local, and enjoy the incredible experiences on offer across the city.”

Cork on a Fork Fest celebrates Cork’s distinctive food identity - from its world-class produce, to top-rated restaurants, talented chefs, and deep-rooted food traditions. As a farm-to-fork destination since its origins as a trading port in the 10th century, Cork has led the way in Ireland’s modern speciality food movement and has more artisan producers than anywhere else in the country.  From Atlantic seafood and artisan cheeses to spiced beef and tripe and drisheen, this is a city where food tells a story.

Most local produce is available at the iconic English Market in the heart of the city centre. Restaurants and cafés can order fresh ingredients and receive them within minutes, a treasured aspect of Cork’s food scene. As a key provisioning centre for centuries and now a destination that attracts chefs from all over the world, Cork blends local traditions with global flavours, creating a dynamic multicultural culinary landscape.

Organised and supported by Cork City Council in partnership with local businesses, the event is supported by key partners including Fáilte Ireland, Pure Cork, Cork Airport, Cork Business Association, IHF Cork, the Irish Examiner, and Cork’s RedFM, along with a host of private sponsors.

Don’t miss one of Ireland’s most exciting food festivals as some events will sell very quickly.  For more information and to book tickets, visit corkonaforkfest.ie, Sign up for the newsletter, or follow @corkonaforkfest on social media for updates