FAQs

Bantry is a West Cork harbour town Located along the Wild Atlantic Way, approximately 90km west of Cork City. Full directions for cars, cycles, and public transport are available on our Travelling to Bantry page. Cork has its own airport, and Bantry is also accessible from Kerry, Shannon, and Dublin airports. If you’re still not sure, our local Tourist Information Office is happy to help – it is open March to October.

There’s a wide choice of accommodation in the area, from hotels and guesthouses to B&Bs and self-catering. Bantry House, one of our main festival venues, also offers beautiful accommodation. You can browse listings at Visit Bantry, on Pure Cork, our county tourism website, or on Discover Ireland, Ireland’s national tourism website. You’ll find more about the local area, places to eat, and things to do on our Tourist Information pages. Outside of the tourist season, our Box Office team will be happy to help point you in the right direction.

View our full Terms and Conditions here.

Yes – each festival has its own multi-event options:

For the Chamber Music Festival: Festival Pass (all concerts, excluding Morning Talks and Town Concerts), Main Evening Pass (all main evening events and Late Great Shows), and Day Ticket Savers (all concerts for one day, excluding Morning Talks and Town Concerts).

For the Literary Festival: book 5 separate events in one transaction and receive a 10% discount (excludes Workshops, Editor in Residence, and free events). Workshop participants can also get a reduced rate of €12 for events on the same days as their workshop — available at the door 15 minutes before the event, subject to availability.

For Masters of Tradition: Festival Pass (all events), Evening Pass (all Ceolchoirm and Níos Déanaí concerts), and Day Ticket Savers (all events for one day).

Multi-event bookings aren’t currently available online – please contact the Box Office directly.

Yes, in many cases. We offer packages for school groups, and other group discounts depending on the event and size of group. We also welcome registered tour groups across all our festivals — please contact Lia Choice, our Box Office manager, for more information and we’ll find the best option for your group.

Children’s and Young Adult events at the Literary Festival are mostly free, though booking is usually required. We offer a 50% concession for children aged 16 and under at most paid events. Full-time third-level students with valid ID can avail of student pricing at most events. All concessions are available through the Box Office only.

Just visit our Bantry office, give us a call, or drop us an email with your name, address, and which festival you’re interested in – we’ll post one out to you. For the Literary Festival brochure, there is a €3.50 charge. You can also request a brochure before the programme is published and we’ll send it as soon as it’s ready.

You’ll find all booking information on the individual festival pages – Chamber Music Festival, Literary Festival, and Masters of Tradition – and on our Concert Series page.

Booking opens at different times for each festival, and Concert Series booking runs throughout the year. Friends of each festival have priority booking before tickets go on general sale. Each programme is published online in advance of general booking so Friends can plan ahead – if you see a listing but can’t book yet, that’s is most likely to be the reason why. You can also post or email us a booking form and we’ll process it as soon as the booking window opens. Forms are available in our brochures.

We do keep waiting lists for sold-out events – get in touch and we’ll add you to the list. We’ll call you if a ticket becomes available, though returns can come at short notice so a quick response helps. And if you’re already at the festival and feeling lucky, it’s always worth checking at the door just before an event starts.

Thank you for thinking of us! There are several ways to support our non-profit festivals, and education programmes, and our concert series. Have a look at our Support page to find out more. And of course, you can support us by simply coming to our events. We truly appreciate your participation.

We use a wonderful range of characterful venues across our three festivals, from historic churches and a Georgian stately home to the local library, bookshop, and a garden centre in the hills.

Almost all our venues are within easy walking distance of each other. Bantry House is about a 15-minute walk from the square, and the Westlodge Hotel is around 20–25 minutes along a pavement the whole way. Maps of all venues are available online on each venue page, and paper copies are available at our office. You’ll also find tourist maps of Bantry at our West Cork Music office on Glengarriff Road and at the Tourist Information Office on Wolfe Tone Square. Distances and further details about locations and accessibility are included on each venue page on this website to help you plan your visit.

Bantry House, the Westlodge Hotel and the Maritime Hotel have their own parking for visitors. In town, street parking is free but limited to 2 hours Monday–Saturday between 9am and 6pm. Free car parks include the SuperValu car park (limited to 2 hours on Fridays) and the car park by Biggs Catering Supplies off Bridge Street. Fridays are significantly busier from 8am–4pm because of the market on Wolfe Tone Square.

The Whiddy Island ferry leaves from Bantry Harbour, close to the heart of the town – you’ll find it on our venue maps. The crossing takes around 10–15 minutes. Ferry times are linked on any event using Whiddy as a venue, and in full on the Whiddy Island website. Some event tickets include the ferry fare; others don’t – please check when booking and arrive in good time. For information on travel to West Cork’s other islands see the West Cork Islands website | westcorkisland.com

Yes. We have detailed plans to build our ow world-class arts venue and music education centre in Bantry town, shaped by the principles of Universal Design and built to be fully accessible to all. Find out more on our Venue Project page.

We have a dedicated Accessibility page with full details of how we support access across our festivals – covering mobility, sight, hearing, neurodiversity, and more. Every venue also has its own individual listing with a detailed FAQ covering parking, toilets, step-free access, and other specifics. Start with our Accessibility page, then check your venue listing for everything you need to plan your visit.

Please just get in touch with the Box Office. We’re here to help at every stage – before you book, on the day, or during the festival. As festival periods are busy for everyone, we advise planning ahead as far as possible, so we can provide the best possible support.
Phone: (+353) 27 52788 
Email: info@westcorkmusic.ie.

Everyone. West Cork Music is for anyone who loves music, literature, and the arts — regardless of age, background, identity, or ability. We are proud to be LGBTQIA+ inclusive in our welcome and in our programming, and we work to reflect the full diversity of our community and our audiences in everything we do.

Accessibility and inclusion are embedded in how we plan and govern our festivals, events, and educational programming. We gather feedback through our events and surveys, and review our provision as part of an ongoing process of improvement. To start planning your visit or learn more, our Accessibility page is the best place to start.

Only accredited photographers are permitted to take photos at our events. To enquire about accreditation, contact info@westcorkmusic.ie