The Schedule

Kick off Nollaig in style at our Nollaig Winter Ball, taking place in the Kenlis Suite at the Headfort Arms Hotel on Sunday, 22nd November 2026.

Join us for a brilliant festive night with a champagne reception, four course meal, live music from Night Train, DJ Multy Afterwards, auction/raffle and plenty of Christmas atmosphere as we officially begin a full week of Nollaig celebrations in Kells.

Whether you’re coming with friends, family, colleagues or making it your staff Christmas night out, this is a chance to dress up, enjoy a great night and support the work of the Kells Christmas Lights Committee at the same time.

Doors open at 6pm

Online Tickets: €80

Physical Tickets: €75

Prefer to buy your ticket in person? Physical tickets are also available to purchase with cash from:

JR Studio / Nic Nax, Farrell Street, Kells

Hairitage Salon, Kells Shopping Centre, Cavan Road, beside SuperValu

Booking a full table?
If you would like to reserve a full table for your group, business or staff Christmas night out, please email kellschristmaslightscommittee@gmail.com and we’ll arrange it with you directly.

Tables and individual tickets are available, so gather your crew and come celebrate the start of Christmas in Kells with us.

Join us at The Bookmarket Café, Market Street, Kells on Tuesday, 24th November for a cosy festive evening of mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas crafts.

Set in the warm surroundings of The Bookmarket Café, it’s a lovely chance to slow down, get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy a relaxed evening as part of this year’s Nollaig Festival.

Tickets are €5 and can be purchased directly from The Bookmarket Café.

Cash only.

Join us on Wednesday, 25th November for what promises to be one of the highlights of this year’s Nollaig Festival, as St. Columba’s Church, Kells comes alive for a very special evening of music.

We are delighted to welcome an incredible line up of talent, including acclaimed Irish baritone Owen Gilhooly Miles, pianist and musical director Gavin Murray, renowned soprano Deirdre Shannon with One Voice, and Nessa Olohan with the newly formed Inspire Chamber Choir.

This very special evening will mark the DEBUT PUBLIC PERFORMANCE of Inspire Chamber Choir, giving audiences the first chance to hear this new smaller ensemble as they take to the stage with their own repertoire and sound.

Together, they bring a wonderful mix of classical, choral and festive music to what will be a really special night in one of Kells’ most atmospheric venues.

Set within the beautiful surroundings of St. Columba’s, expect an evening filled with exceptional voices, festive favourites, beautiful harmonies and plenty of Christmas atmosphere.

Wednesday, 25th November
St. Columba’s Church, Kells
Doors open at 7pm

Online Tickets (Including Booking Fee): €26

Physical Tickets: €25
Available with cash from:

JR Studio / Nic Nax, Farrell Street, Kells

Hairitage Salon, Kells Shopping Centre, Cavan Road, beside SuperValu

Online Tickets: €26

With a line up like this, and the debut public performance of Inspire Chamber Choir, this is shaping up to be a very special night and one of the standout events of Nollaig 2026.

Get ready for a bit of festive fun at Farrelly’s Festive Bingo Night on Thursday, 26th November.

Join us from 8pm for a brilliant night of bingo, Christmas atmosphere and cash prizes as part of this year’s Nollaig Festival.

The event takes place at Farrelly's Townhouse, 2 John Street, Kells, Co. Meath.

Thursday, 26th November
Starts at 8pm
Cash prizes on the night

A simple one really: grab a few friends, get the bingo dabber ready and see if Christmas comes early!

As part of Nollaig, we wanted to make sure there was something in the week for everyone.

Christmas can be a brilliant time of year, but we also know that for some people it can feel lonely, overwhelming or simply a little harder than usual. Whether you’ve lost someone, live alone, are new to the area, or would just enjoy a bit of company and a warm cup of tea, you are very welcome to join us.

On Friday, 27th November from 10am to 12pm, Nollaig will join forces with the Kells Family Resource Centre Connect Café for a special festive morning of tea, coffee, conversation and community.

The regular Connect Café is a relaxed and welcoming space where people can meet new faces, have a chat and connect with what is happening locally, and for Nollaig we’ll be adding a little extra Christmas warmth to the morning.

We’re also delighted to welcome special guest and author Tom Laramie, who will be joining us to talk about his book Joybombing: Laugh and Be Kind Your Way to Be Happier, Healthier, More Resilient and the simple idea behind it: that small acts of kindness, humour and connection can have a bigger impact than we sometimes realise. Recent coverage of Tom’s work has described his aim as bringing some much needed joy into the world.

Friday, 27th November
10am to 12pm
Kells Family Resource Centre
Free to attend
No booking required

Come for a cuppa, come for the chat, come to hear Tom, or just come because you’d rather not spend the morning on your own.

That’s exactly what Connect Café is for.

For the festival Weekend, Kiernan’s on Market Street will be transformed into a cosy Wine & Cheese Bar as part of Nollaig.

Hosted by McEntee’s Off Licence Kells and Platter By Lu, Trim, the evening brings together two businesses who know their way around very good wine and very good cheese.

McEntee’s has been part of Kells since 1899 and has built a reputation for its carefully selected wines, premium spirits and quality produce, while Platter By Lu is known for its artisan grazing platters, French fromagerie and relaxed tasting events.

Expect a relaxed evening of wine, artisan cheese and carefully paired flavours, all in the warm surroundings of Kiernan’s on Market Street.

Friday 27th to Sunday 29th November
5pm to 10pm
Kiernan’s, Market Street, Kells

Drop in, settle in and enjoy a little taste of Christmas.

Festive Fittest Families

Get ready for a morning of Christmas chaos, family competition and plenty of laughs at Festive Fittest Families, supported by Gaeil Colmcille.

Taking place on Saturday, 28th November from 10am to 1pm at The Old Town Pitch, Rockfield Road, this is a festive family sports day with a Christmas twist.

Expect a mix of fun family races, team challenges and silly seasonal competitions for all ages, including the all important bauble and spoon race. There’ll be plenty more on the day too, so come prepared to run, laugh, cheer each other on and possibly discover who in the family is far more competitive than they’ve been letting on.

Christmas jumpers, festive fancy dress and a good sense of humour are very much encouraged.

Saturday, 28th November
10am to 1pm
The Old Town Pitch, Rockfield Road

€10 per person
€20 family ticket

Bring the family, get involved and see if you have what it takes to be crowned one of Kells’ Festive Fittest Families.

Nollaig Christmas Market

The Nollaig Christmas Market will bring a full weekend of festive atmosphere to Kells, with local traders, food, gifts, crafts and plenty to browse as we build towards the Christmas Lights Switch-On.

On Saturday, 28th November and Sunday, 29th November, the main Christmas Market will take place in Kelly’s Vets Yard, Farrell Street with a carefully selected mix of local businesses, craftspeople, food producers and independent traders.

Then on Sunday, 29th November, the market will spill out onto the closed town street, with additional street vendors joining the celebrations as Kells gets ready for the big Christmas Lights Switch-On.

We’re working to create a good variety of stalls throughout the weekend, so we will generally be accepting one vendor per product type where possible. Priority will also be given to traders who have supported the Christmas market over previous years.

We also have an exclusive light-up toy vendor, so additional stalls selling light-up toys will not be accepted.

Expect festive food, handmade gifts, crafts, treats and plenty more, with Sunday set to be the biggest day of the weekend as the market, street activity and Christmas Lights Switch-On all come together in the heart of Kells.

Come down, support local and enjoy a proper festive weekend in town.

The Nollaig Christmas Market will bring a full weekend of festive atmosphere to Kells, with local traders, food, gifts, crafts and plenty to browse as we build towards the Christmas Lights Switch-On.

On Saturday, 28th November and Sunday, 29th November, the main Christmas Market will take place in Kelly’s Vets Yard, with a carefully selected mix of local businesses, craftspeople, food producers and independent traders.

Then on Sunday, 29th November, the market will spill out onto the closed town street, with additional street vendors joining the celebrations as Kells gets ready for the big Christmas Lights Switch-On.

We’re working to create a good variety of stalls throughout the weekend, so we will generally be accepting one vendor per product type where possible. Priority will also be given to traders who have supported the Christmas market over previous years.

We also have an exclusive light-up toy vendor, so additional stalls selling light-up toys will not be accepted.

Expect festive food, handmade gifts, crafts, treats and plenty more, with Sunday set to be the biggest day of the weekend as the market, street activity and Christmas Lights Switch-On all come together in the heart of Kells.

Come down, support local and enjoy a proper festive weekend in town.

It all leads to this.

Join us on Sunday, 29th November on Farrell Street, Kells for the official Nollaig Christmas Lights Switch-On, bringing our first full Nollaig Festival week to a close with one big Christmas celebration in the heart of the town.

From the afternoon onwards, Farrell Street will be closed to traffic and filled with festive activity, with street vendors, music, entertainment, family fun and plenty of Christmas atmosphere leading up to the moment the town lights up for Christmas.

And of course, Santa will be making a very special appearance before the big switch-on.

We’ll also have a dedicated sensory space available for children and families who may find the main event a little overwhelming, so more families can enjoy the day in a way that suits them.

Sunday, 29th November
Farrell Street, Kells
Festivities from 3pm
Santa expected around 4:30pm
Christmas Lights Switch-On to follow

Come into town early, visit the Christmas Market, support the local shops and traders, grab something warm and find your spot for one of the biggest moments of Nollaig.

After a full week of events, this is the one where we all come together and officially say:

Christmas has arrived in Kells.