Festival for Everyone
You Don’t Have to Play in a Tournament to Be Part of the Festival
The Sligo Chess & Culture Festival is about much more than tournament chess.
Throughout the festival, players, families and members of the public can take part in a programme of casual chess, board games, workshops, talks, simultaneous exhibitions, music, film, Irish culture, wellbeing activities and social events.
Whether you already love chess, would like to learn, are looking for something to do with the family or simply want to experience the festival atmosphere, you’re welcome to join us.
29 January – 7 February 2027 · Radisson Blu Hotel & venues around 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 and Play
Chess Lounge · Open All Day
The Chess Lounge is the festival’s informal home for casual chess.
Drop in for a friendly game, meet other chess players or simply sit down at a board and play. You don’t need to be entered in one of the festival tournaments to use the Chess Lounge.
The lounge will also be one of the places where visitors can follow the tournament action through the festival’s live broadcast.
Festival Room: Board Games
Chess isn’t the only game at the festival.
The Festival Room will offer a selection of modern board games for players, families and visitors to discover and enjoy.
Whether you’re already a board-game enthusiast or have never played anything beyond the classics, come in, learn a game and join a table.
Beginner Chess Workshops
Never played chess? You’re still invited.
Our planned beginner activities will provide an opportunity to learn the basics of chess in a friendly environment before putting what you’ve learned into practice with a casual game.
Details and timings will be announced as the programme is confirmed.
Simultaneous Exhibitions
Experience a very different form of chess by taking part in a simultaneous exhibition.
One strong player takes on multiple opponents at the same time, moving from board to board as each game develops.
Simuls planned as part of the festival programme will be announced as they are confirmed.
Woohah Chess Night
Chess · Hip-Hop · Music · Games · Social
Woohah Chess brings chess together with music and social activity for one of the festival’s most distinctive events.
It’s chess in a very different setting from the traditional tournament hall and is open to players and the public.
Come and Experience
Irish Mythology Storytelling
Discover the stories, characters and landscapes of Irish mythology.
Sligo’s landscape is closely connected with some of Ireland’s great myths and legends, including the stories associated with Queen Maeve and Knocknarea.
Our planned Irish mythology storytelling event will bring some of those stories to the festival and provide a different way to experience the culture and landscape of Sligo.
Talks & Presentations
The festival programme will include talks and presentations covering chess and subjects connected with the wider festival.
Speakers and timings will be announced as the programme develops.
Chess at the Cinema
We’re planning special chess-film screenings at the local Omniplex cinema during the festival.
Leave the chessboard behind for a couple of hours and enjoy a festival trip to the cinema alongside players, families and members of the public.
Films, screening times and booking information will be announced once confirmed.
Traditional Irish Music
Enjoy traditional Irish music in the hotel bar on selected evenings during the festival.
You don’t need to be attending a tournament or another festival activity. Come along, enjoy the music and experience another part of Sligo’s cultural life.
Mindfulness by the Sea
Take some time away from screens, games and everyday life with a planned mindfulness experience on the Sligo coast.
The activity will provide an opportunity to enjoy the Atlantic landscape and another side of the festival experience.
Clean Coasts Beach Clean
The festival isn’t only about enjoying Sligo’s landscape. We also want to contribute something to it.
We’re planning a community beach clean as part of the festival programme, giving players, families and local residents an opportunity to spend some time together outdoors while helping care for the Sligo coastline.
Come and Connect
Women & Girls in Chess Meet-Up
An informal gathering for women and girls attending the festival, including tournament players, casual players, family members and visitors.
Coffee · Conversation · Community
Meet other women and girls interested in chess, make new connections and become part of the community developing around the game.
Women in Chess Foundation Coffee & Cake
Women and girls are invited to join us for an informal afternoon of coffee, cake and conversation during the festival’s final weekend.
You don’t need to be playing in one of the tournaments to attend.
Women & Girls Simul
We’re planning a simultaneous exhibition for women and girls as part of the festival programme.
Participants will have the opportunity to take on a strong female chess player alongside a group of other challengers.
Full details will be announced once confirmed.
Festival Farewell at Lough Gill Brewery
Sunday, 7 February · 5:00pm
Finish the festival with one last get-together at Lough Gill Brewery.
Players, families, organisers and visitors can come together for a relaxed evening of pizza, drinks, games and brewery tours before we say goodbye to the 2027 festival.
Follow the Tournament Chess
The tournament playing area in the hotel ballroom is reserved for tournament players, arbiters and authorised festival personnel.
Restricting access to the playing hall allows us to provide the quiet, professional playing conditions that are central to the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival.
But you don’t have to enter the ballroom to follow the chess.
Every Game Online
Every tournament board at the festival is a DGT Smart Board.
This means games from the Weekender, Blitz Open, 9-Round Open and Rapid Open can be broadcast online.
Links to the games will be available on the festival website, allowing you to follow the action move by move on your phone, tablet or computer.
Watch the Festival Broadcast
The festival will also have a Twitch broadcast with festival commentators following the tournament action and explaining what’s happening on the boards.
You don’t need to be an experienced chess player to follow along. Our commentators will help explain the games, introduce the players and make the key moments accessible to a wider audience.
The Twitch broadcast can be watched on your phone, tablet, computer or other connected device.
Watch from the Chess Lounge
Prefer to follow the tournament with other people?
The festival’s Twitch broadcast will also be shown on a TV in the Chess Lounge, allowing visitors to follow the tournament action while enjoying the atmosphere of the festival.
Play some casual chess, meet other visitors and keep an eye on what’s happening in the tournament hall at the same time.
Bring the Family
The festival has been designed to offer things to do beyond tournament chess.
Families can drop into the Festival Room for board games, play casual chess in the Chess Lounge, join beginner activities, experience Irish mythology storytelling, go to the cinema and take part in selected cultural and outdoor activities.
You don’t need to plan an entire day around chess. Choose the activities that interest you and create your own festival experience.
Visiting the Radisson Blu
Many of the festival’s public activities take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Sligo, including the Chess Lounge, Festival Room, talks, workshops and social activities.
Other events take place at venues around Sligo, including the cinema, coastline and Lough Gill Brewery.
The S2 Sligo Town Bus stops directly outside the Radisson Blu Hotel, providing public transport between the hotel and Sligo Town.
What’s On?
The programme runs across ten days, and you don’t need to attend everything.
Use the Festival Schedule to see what’s happening each day and find the activities that interest you.
View the Full Festival Schedule →
Discover Sligo
Make the festival part of a day — or a weekend — exploring Sligo.
Discover Sligo Town, the Garavogue, the Atlantic coastline, mountains, beaches and the landscapes that have inspired generations of artists, writers and visitors.
Come and Be Part of It
Play a game of chess. Learn how to play. Discover a new board game. Listen to a talk. Hear an Irish story. Enjoy traditional music. Go to the cinema. Spend some time by the sea. Follow the tournament commentary. Meet new people.
You don’t have to be playing in a tournament to be part of the Sligo Chess & Culture Festival.