The Weekender Plus
Make a Bank Holiday Weekend of It
29 January – 1 February 2027 · Radisson Blu Hotel, Sligo
Programme in development: The activities and timings shown on this page are part of our planned 2027 festival programme and are subject to change. Some activities are still to be confirmed. Full details will be published as the programme is finalised.
Come for the Weekender and stay for more. The Chess Weekender Plus combines five rounds of 90+30 classical chess with social events, traditional Irish music, casual chess, board games and other festival activities — followed by 11 rounds of 3+2 blitz and more to enjoy on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Chess Weekender Plus is our suggested way to experience the opening four days of the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival.
Your Bank Holiday Weekend in Sligo
Friday, 29 January — Arrive & Start Playing
Settle into the Radisson Blu Hotel and get ready for Round 1 of the Weekender. Friday evening is deliberately uncomplicated, allowing travelling players to arrive, check in and focus on their first game.
Chess Lounge · Open All Day
The Chess Lounge is open throughout the day, providing a dedicated space away from the tournament hall where players can analyse their games, discuss positions with friends or sit down for a casual game.
Drop in whenever you like. Whether you’re analysing a game you’ve just played or simply looking for some relaxed chess, the Chess Lounge is the festival’s informal chess hub.
Traditional Irish Music — Friday Evening
For accompanying family and friends — or players who finish their games early — traditional Irish music in the hotel bar offers an opportunity to relax and enjoy another side of the festival.
There’s no need to leave the hotel: enjoy some Irish culture, meet other festival visitors and settle into the weekend in Sligo.
Saturday, 30 January — Chess & Festival
Saturday combines Rounds 2 and 3 of the Weekender with a full day of festival activities.
Between games, players and their families can visit the Festival Room for board games, head to the Chess Lounge for analysis and casual chess, or take some time to relax at the hotel’s pool and spa. In the evening, choose between the festival’s organised social events and traditional Irish music in the hotel bar.
Chess Lounge · Open All Day
The Chess Lounge remains open throughout the day for game analysis and casual chess. Drop in between rounds, revisit your games with friends or simply enjoy some chess without a tournament result at stake.
Festival Room: Board Games · 11:00am–5:00pm
Drop into the Festival Room throughout the day to discover and play a selection of modern board games.
It’s a relaxed and welcoming space for players, families and visitors, whether you’re an experienced board gamer, want to learn something new or simply need something enjoyable to do between chess rounds.
Women & Girls in Chess Meet-Up · 7:30pm–9:00pm
An informal gathering for women and girls attending the festival, including tournament players, casual players, family members and visitors.
The event provides an opportunity to meet other women and girls in chess, make new connections and strengthen a community that can continue long after the festival ends.
Black & White Night: Festival Social · 9:00pm–11:00pm
Saturday night brings players, families, organisers and visitors together for the festival’s main social gathering of the weekend.
The Black & White theme gives the evening its own festival identity while keeping things informal and welcoming. It’s a chance to put the chessboards aside, meet people from across the tournament and enjoy the social side of the festival.
Traditional Irish Music — Saturday Evening
Not everyone will want to attend the organised social events — and they don’t have to.
Traditional Irish music in the hotel bar provides an alternative for accompanying family and friends, as well as players who prefer a more relaxed Saturday evening. Whether you join the festival socials, listen to the music or move between the two, there will be plenty happening around the hotel.
Sunday, 31 January — The Weekender Finale
Sunday brings Round 4 in the morning and Round 5 in the afternoon, followed by the Weekender Awards Ceremony.
The awards provide a fitting conclusion to three days of competitive chess — but they don’t have to mark the end of your festival.
Chess Lounge · Open All Day
The Chess Lounge remains available throughout Sunday for post-game analysis and casual play.
Revisit your games from the weekend, compare ideas with other players or simply enjoy some relaxed chess after the competition is over.
9-Round Open Welcome · 9:00pm
Sunday evening marks the transition from the opening weekend into the festival’s international week.
Players and visitors staying in Sligo are welcome to join the 9-Round Open Welcome, as competitors and guests arriving for the week-long tournament join those already at the festival. It’s an informal opportunity to meet people, enjoy the festival atmosphere and welcome a new group of players to Sligo.
Stay for Sunday Night
The Weekender may be finished, but the festival isn’t.
With Monday being a Bank Holiday, stay for the 9-Round Open Welcome on Sunday evening and wake up ready for a very different day of chess and festival activities on Monday.
Bank Holiday Monday, 1 February — The Plus
This is where The Chess Weekender Plus earns its name.
After three days of classical chess, stay in Sligo for another day of competitive chess, casual chess and festival activities before heading home.
Chess Lounge · Open All Day
The Chess Lounge continues throughout Bank Holiday Monday, providing a place for casual games, analysis and conversation as the festival moves from the Weekender into the 9-Round Open.
Whether you’re playing in the Blitz Open, staying to watch the 9-Round Open or simply enjoying your final few hours at the festival, you can drop in throughout the day.
Blitz Open · 11 Rounds · 3+2
Change the pace after five rounds of classical chess with 11 rounds of 3+2 blitz in the festival’s Blitz Open.
The Blitz Open is a separate tournament, so you can play the Weekender, the Blitz Open or both.
For Weekender players staying through Monday, it provides a completely different style of competitive chess and another reason to make a full Bank Holiday weekend of your trip to Sligo.
Chess Simul · Provisional
We’re planning a simultaneous chess exhibition as part of Monday’s festival programme.
A simul gives players the opportunity to take on a strong player simultaneously alongside a group of other challengers. Whether you’re taking a seat at one of the boards or watching the action, it provides a very different chess experience from the formal tournament hall.
Further details will be announced once confirmed.
Chess at the Cinema · Provisional
We’re also planning a special screening of a chess film at the local Omniplex cinema.
Swap the tournament hall for the big screen and enjoy a relaxed festival outing with fellow players, families and visitors. Details of the film, screening time and access arrangements will be announced once confirmed.
9-Round Open — Round 1
Bank Holiday Monday also marks the beginning of the 9-Round Open.
Weekender Plus visitors can experience the transition into the festival’s international week and watch some of the festival’s strongest players begin their nine-round tournament before their own Bank Holiday weekend comes to an end.
Two Tournaments. One Bank Holiday Weekend.
The Chess Weekender Plus gives you the opportunity to combine two very different forms of tournament chess.
| Weekender | Blitz Open | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Friday–Sunday | Bank Holiday Monday |
| Rounds | 5 | 11 |
| Time Control | 90+30 | 3+2 |
| Format | Classical | Blitz |
| Entry | Separate tournament entry | Separate tournament entry |
Play either tournament or play both. The Chess Weekender Plus is the experience you can build around them — three days of classical chess followed by another day of chess and festival activities on Bank Holiday Monday.
Weekender Details →
Blitz Open Details →
Beyond the Tournament Hall
The Chess Weekender Plus has been designed around more than tournament chess.
For players, there are five rounds of classical chess, the 11-round Blitz Open and an all-day Chess Lounge for post-game analysis and casual play.
Around the chess, the programme includes board games in the Festival Room, traditional Irish music, the Women & Girls in Chess Meet-Up, Black & White Night and the 9-Round Open Welcome, with further activities planned for Bank Holiday Monday.
For family members, friends and other visitors, these activities provide plenty of ways to enjoy the festival without having to play tournament chess.
There’s no expectation that everyone follows the same itinerary. Analyse a game in the Chess Lounge, discover a new board game, join a social event, listen to traditional Irish music or simply relax with friends. The idea is to have enough happening around the chess for everyone to create the Bank Holiday weekend that suits them.
Relax at the Hotel
The Radisson Blu offers more than somewhere to play and sleep. Take some time away from the chessboard with a swim in the hotel pool or unwind at the spa.
The leisure facilities provide another option for players between rounds and are particularly useful for partners and family members while tournament games are underway.
We’re also exploring the possibility of pool day passes for festival visitors who aren’t staying at the hotel. If confirmed, this would allow accompanying family members and other visitors to enjoy the hotel’s leisure facilities during their time at the festival.
Full details will be published once arrangements with the hotel are confirmed.
Plan Your Stay
Stay at the Festival
Stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel and enjoy the tournament and festival without having to travel between your accommodation and the venue.
Staying through Sunday night means you can join the 9-Round Open Welcome at 9:00pm, then enjoy Bank Holiday Monday’s Blitz Open and wider festival programme before heading home.
Getting to Sligo
Whether you’re travelling from elsewhere in Ireland or coming from overseas, find information on getting to Sligo and planning your journey.
Make a Bank Holiday Weekend of It
Play five rounds of classical chess. Analyse your games or play casually in the Chess Lounge. Discover new games in the Festival Room. Meet other players at the Saturday socials, relax at the pool and spa or enjoy traditional Irish music.
After Sunday’s final round, stay for the 9-Round Open Welcome and another night in Sligo.
Then wake up on Bank Holiday Monday for 11 rounds of blitz, more festival activities and the opening of the 9-Round Open.
Come to Sligo for the Weekender. Stay for the Plus.
Weekender Details →
Blitz Open Details →
View the Full Festival Schedule →