Register for 2027
Registration is now open for the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival 2027!
Join us from 29 January to 7 February 2027 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Sligo, Ireland, for ten days of international chess, cultural activities, social events and experiences along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Whether you’re coming for a weekend, staying for a full week or bringing family and friends, we’ve designed a range of festival experiences to help you make the most of your visit.
Choose Your Festival Experience
The Sligo Chess & Culture Festival is about more than the games played over the board. We’ve designed four experiences to help you enjoy more chess, meet new people, discover Sligo and make your visit something special.
The Weekender Plus | 29 January–1 February
Come for the Weekender. Stay for the Plus!
Make a Bank Holiday weekend of it! Play five rounds of classical chess from Friday to Sunday, then stay for Monday’s 11-round Blitz Open.
Enjoy social gatherings, traditional Irish music and festival activities alongside the chess. It’s an opportunity to turn a weekend tournament into a longer festival experience without taking a full week away.
The 9-Round Open Experience | 1–7 February
Nine rounds of chess. One unforgettable week in Ireland.
Experience a full week of international tournament chess alongside a programme of cultural, social and community activities.
Our tournament schedule has been designed to leave opportunities to explore Sligo, enjoy the Wild Atlantic Way, meet players from around the world and participate in festival activities.
You can also enter the Blitz Open and Rapid Open without missing a round of classical chess.
Explore the 9-Round Open Experience
The Rapid Plus | 5–7 February
Come for the Rapid. Stay for everything else!
Turn a one-day rapid tournament into an entire weekend in Sligo.
Arrive on Friday, play seven rounds of rapid chess on Saturday, and enjoy the wider festival programme throughout the weekend.
With social events, cultural activities, board games and opportunities to explore Sligo, there’s plenty to enjoy beyond the tournament.
Festival for Everyone | 29 January–7 February
You don’t have to play tournament chess to be part of the festival!
The Sligo Chess & Culture Festival welcomes families, friends, beginners and visitors who simply want to enjoy the atmosphere.
Our programme includes traditional Irish music, storytelling, board games, social gatherings, outdoor experiences, workshops and community activities.
Whether you’re accompanying a chess player or simply looking for something interesting to do, there’s a place for you at the festival.
Choose Your Tournament
Ready to play?
Select a tournament below to explore its schedule, entry fees, prizes and regulations. Each tournament page includes a link to register.
Our four main tournaments are scheduled so that players can participate in all of them without any clashes.
Weekender | 29–31 January 2027
Five rounds of classical chess across five rating-based sections, offering competitive opportunities for players of different strengths.
FIDE and ICU rated. Entry fees start at €65.
View Weekender Details & Register
9-Round Open | 1–7 February 2027
Nine rounds of international classical chess featuring titled players and opportunities to achieve International Master norms.
FIDE and ICU rated. Entry fees start at €110.
View 9-Round Open Details & Register
Blitz Open | 1 February 2027
An exciting 11-round blitz tournament taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, played at a time control of 3 minutes + 2 seconds per move.
FIDE rated. Entry fees start at €30.
View Blitz Open Details & Register
Rapid Open | 6 February 2027
Seven rounds of rapid chess at a time control of 10 minutes + 5 seconds per move.
The tournament also serves as the finale of the 2026–27 Sligo Rapid Series, but is open to all players, including those who haven’t participated in the series.
FIDE rated. Entry fees start at €30.
View Rapid Open Details & Register
Rising Stars Under 12 | 6 February 2027
A welcoming seven-round rapid tournament designed for younger and developing chess players.
The tournament is non-rated, with no requirement to record moves, and also serves as the finale of the Rising Stars Series.
Entry fees start at €30.
View Rising Stars Details & Register
Multi-Tournament Discounts
Why stop at one tournament?
Our four main tournaments are scheduled so that you can participate in all of them without any clashes.
| Package | Tournaments | Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Both Weekends | Weekender + Blitz Open + Rapid Open | €10 |
| Full Festival | Weekender + 9-Round Open + Blitz Open + Rapid Open | €20 |
Discounts are applied automatically when you select the qualifying tournaments during registration. There’s no need to select a separate bundle.
Register early to take advantage of our lowest entry fees. Full pricing and registration deadlines are available on the individual tournament pages.
Plan Your Visit to Sligo
Make the most of your festival experience by planning your travel and accommodation in advance.
Accommodation
The Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, our festival venue, offers special accommodation rates for festival participants.
Staying at the venue means you’ll be right at the heart of the action, with convenient access to tournaments, social gatherings and festival activities.
Getting to Sligo
Sligo is accessible from Dublin and Ireland West Airport Knock, which offers direct flights from several UK airports.
Whether you’re travelling from elsewhere in Ireland or joining us internationally, our travel information will help you plan your journey.
Discover Sligo
Situated along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Sligo offers beautiful scenery, beaches, mountains, historic sites, traditional Irish music and a vibrant cultural scene.
Why not extend your stay and explore the region?
Registration Information
Ratings and Sections
The Weekender, 9-Round Open, Blitz Open and Rapid Open are FIDE-rated. The Weekender and 9-Round Open are also ICU-rated.
Rising Stars Under 12 is non-rated.
For the Weekender, players register for the tournament and organisers allocate them to the appropriate section using the January 2027 rating list.
If you have a FIDE rating, this will be used to determine your section. Otherwise, your national rating will be considered.
Players with national ratings from outside Ireland (such as ECF or USCF) should email info@sligochessfestival.com with details of where their rating can be verified online.
Cancellations and Refunds
The deadline for voluntary withdrawal refunds is Friday, 8 January 2027, at 7:00pm.
Eligible refunds are subject to a single €5 administration fee per cancellation request, regardless of how many tournament entries are cancelled together.
After this deadline, entry fees are normally non-refundable. Statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.
Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.
Questions?
If you have any questions about registration, tournament eligibility or planning your visit, please contact us at info@sligochessfestival.com.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sligo in 2027!