Celebrate the Culture
Music, dance, Irish language, literature, drama, food, craft and sport, shaped with cultural partners.
Planned for August 2027 · Portland, Oregon
Portland’s Next Great Cultural Festival
The Portland Celtic Festival is being built as a major celebration of Celtic music, culture, food, community, and storytelling—bringing together visitors, artists, organizations, businesses, and cultural partners from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
The Vision
More Than a Festival
The Portland Celtic Festival is being developed to celebrate Celtic heritage and strengthen community connections across the Pacific Northwest. Its long-term purpose includes building momentum toward a future Portland Irish Cultural Center: a year-round home for gathering, arts, Irish language, sport and cultural exchange. The festival and cultural center vision remain in development.
Build the Community
A gathering point for Celtic communities, cultural organizations and businesses across the region.
Create a Lasting Legacy
Build momentum toward a future Portland Irish Cultural Center: a year-round gathering place for arts, language, sport and community. This long-term vision is in development.
- 01Celebrate the Culture
- 02Build the Community
- 03Create a Lasting Legacy
Celebrate the Culture
Music, dance, Irish language, literature, drama, food, craft and sport, shaped with cultural partners.
Build the Community
A gathering point for Celtic communities, cultural organizations and businesses across the region.
Create a Lasting Legacy
Build momentum toward a future Portland Irish Cultural Center: a year-round gathering place for arts, language, sport and community. This long-term vision is in development.
Event Scale
Built for a Regional Audience
The festival is being designed at a scale that can carry major cultural programming, hospitality and partner activations across a full weekend.
Projection
Up to 0
Attendees envisioned
Planned
A full weekend
Of cultural programming
In development
Regional + international
Partnership opportunities
Planned
0 programme strands
Music, dance, food, athletics, vendors, heritage, storytelling, family
“Attendance, programming, venue, and event details remain subject to final planning and approval.”
Festival Experience
What the Weekend Could Hold
Programme strands currently in development. Imagery is representative — line-up, vendors and partners are not yet confirmed.
Live Music
Multiple stages programmed for traditional, contemporary and crossover Celtic music. Artist announcements are still in development.
Celtic Dance
Irish step, Scottish highland and contemporary Celtic dance across showcase and participation formats. Company invitations are planned.
Food and Drink
A curated food and beverage programme drawing on Irish, Scottish and Pacific Northwest kitchens. Vendor applications open at a later stage.
Heritage and Storytelling
Irish language, literature, drama, folklore, genealogy and oral history are proposed programme strands. Cultural partners and contributors are being identified.
Athletics and Demonstrations
Irish and Scottish sports, traditional Celtic athletics, craft demonstrations and workshops are being explored. Format, partners and scale remain in planning.
Family Experiences
A dedicated family area with music, movement, craft and story sessions for younger visitors. Designed to keep the festival multi-generational.
Artisan Vendors
A marketplace for makers working in textiles, metal, print and craft. Application details will be published as planning advances.
Community Organizations
Space for cultural, heritage and community groups to meet the public directly. Participation pathways are being developed with partners.
Discover
Find Your Place at the Festival
Three quick tools — one shareable result each. Take something with you while the full programme is still being built.
Why Portland
Why Portland. Why Now.
The ambition is a signature annual event for the region — one that belongs to Portland and reaches far outside it.
An established Celtic community with active cultural, music and dance organizations across Oregon and the wider Pacific Northwest.
A city with strong festival culture, hospitality infrastructure and a regional tourism draw well beyond its own population.
Growing cultural and business connections between the Pacific Northwest and Ireland, with room for a signature annual gathering.
No airline, government, venue, or corporate partnerships are confirmed at this stage.
Sponsorship
Build the Festival With Us
The Portland Celtic Festival is developing sponsorship opportunities for organizations that want meaningful visibility, cultural alignment, community engagement, branded content, hospitality experiences, and direct access to a large regional audience.
Not sure where you'd fit? Four questions gives you a recommended starting point and an indicative range.
Try the Sponsor Fit FinderPresenting Partnerships
Top-tier association with the festival identity, across brand, hospitality and campaign visibility.
Stage and Experience Sponsorships
Naming and presence on a stage, zone or signature experience within the festival footprint.
Branded Content and Video
Co-produced storytelling, artist features and campaign assets you can use well beyond the weekend.
Vendor and Activation Space
On-site space to demonstrate, sample, sell or activate directly with festival audiences.
Hospitality Opportunities
Client, staff and stakeholder hosting options built around the programme. Formats in development.
Community Partnerships
Mission-aligned support for access, youth participation and cultural programming.
Custom sponsorship packages are available.
Tiers and a full prospectus are in development — early conversations shape them.
Ways to take part
Find the Door That's Yours
Sponsor, partner, volunteer, trade, perform or simply come along — here is what each route looks like today, including the parts that are not open yet.
Businesses and organizations
Sponsors & partners
Support the festival with cash, goods or services and be recognized for it. Benefit areas are set out; tiers are in development, so early conversations shape them.
Find your starting pointCultural and community organizationsOptions in review
Community & cultural partners
Bring your own programming or fundraising into the festival — a workshop, a stall, an activity your members run. Formats are being reviewed with the board.
Start a conversationAnyone with a few hours
Volunteers
Roles from a single shift to the full weekend. Recruitment opens closer to the event; register interest now and you'll be first asked.
Register interestMakers, traders, musicians, dancers
Vendors & performers
Applications are not open yet. Tell us what you do and we'll come back to you when the programme and marketplace open.
Tell us about your workAttendees and supportersIn development
Merchandise & keepsakes
Wearables and a small collection of cultural keepsakes are concepts in development. Nothing is on sale and no designs are final.
Join the festival list for updatesAttendeesNot yet on sale
Tickets
Not on sale. Pricing and the ticketing platform are still being decided, and the festival list gets the announcement first.
Join the festival listIn development
A proposed Irish cultural center
Beyond the festival, the organizing group is exploring a year-round Irish cultural center for Portland — a permanent home for language, music, dance and community gathering. It is an early concept in development: no site, no design, no fundraising campaign, and nothing to donate to yet. If it matters to you, say so and we'll keep you posted.
Get Involved
There’s a Way In for Everyone
Explore the ways to take part. Online registration is being prepared; you can save an interest draft on this device.
Not sure which one is you? Take the 60-second quiz and we’ll point you at the right door.
What Celtic Are You?Festival Updates · Coming Soon
Be Part of the Story From the Beginning
Future festival updates will cover tickets, performers, volunteering, vendors and planning milestones. Choose your interests below to prepare a local draft; mailing list registration is not open yet.
Updates
Festival Updates
Progress notes from the planning team. Formal announcements will follow as details are confirmed.
Counting down
Planned for August 2027, Portland, Oregon
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Days
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Hours
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Minutes
Counting to the start of the planned festival weekend. The exact date, venue and programme remain subject to final planning and approval.
Confirmed milestones
Nothing to publish here yet. As vendors, performers and partners are genuinely confirmed, each one is added here with its date. We don't post illustrative or placeholder counts.
In DevelopmentPlanning update
Festival Planning Is Underway
Core planning, programming principles and site requirements are being developed with cultural and community advisors.
Coming SoonSponsorship
Sponsorship Conversations Opening Soon
Partnership tiers and a full prospectus are being finalised. Early conversations with interested organizations are welcome now.
PlannedCommunity
Join the Founding Festival Community
Planning will bring together early supporters, volunteers and cultural organizations. Registration details will be shared as the first edition develops.
