Barretstown Big Picnic 2026 with Fossett's Circus

What to Expect

Barretstown opens its grounds at Ballymore Eustace for its annual Big Picnic on Sunday 16 August 2026, running from 10am to 4.30pm. The charity runs therapeutic camps for children with serious illnesses and their families, and the Big Picnic is the one day of the year the wider public gets onto the campus. The 2026 edition is built around Fossett’s Circus, with three separate performances at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm. The event is sponsored by the Brady Family.

Circus tickets are booked in advance and priced separately: €17 for an adult, €13 for a child, or €55 for a family ticket covering two adults and two children, with booking fees on top. Tickets must be printed or downloaded before you arrive. Parking on site is free. Animals are not permitted anywhere on the campus with the exception of registered service animals. Tickets are non refundable, so pick your performance time carefully when booking rather than planning to swap on the day.

Good to Know

• Sunday 16 August 2026, gates 10am to 4.30pm
• Barretstown, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare
• Fossett’s Circus performances at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm
• Adult €17, child €13, family of four €55, plus booking fees
• Free parking on site; no refunds on circus tickets
• No animals except registered service animals
• Book ahead and bring your printed or downloaded ticket

Getting There

Barretstown sits just outside Ballymore Eustace in east Kildare, close to the Wicklow border and the Poulaphouca reservoir. By car it is roughly 20 minutes from Naas and Kilcullen, and around 45 minutes from south Dublin via the N81 through Blessington and then west to Ballymore Eustace. Parking is on site and free, with stewards directing traffic on a busy family day, so leave extra time for the approach roads which are narrow in places. There is no useful public transport to the campus, so drive or arrange a lift.