CelticMKE, the organizer of Milwaukee Irish Fest, the world's largest Irish festival, has announced that the August 2020 event has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CelticMKE, the host and organizer of Milwaukee Irish Fest, has canceled this year’s Irish Fest. This will be the first time in the event’s history that it has had to cancel.

The Milwaukee Irish Fest organizer said this decision was made now to mitigate the growing challenges of the significant planning and upfront logistics required to successfully execute the festival. Milwaukee Irish Fest was scheduled for August 13-16 at the Henry Maier Festival Grounds. 

“We don’t take this decision lightly, but our main priority is the safety and health of our community, patrons, and volunteers,” said Mike Mitchell, Executive Director of CelticMKE.

“To be fair to all of those involved in the planning process, including our partners, vendors, and entertainers, we needed to make this decision sooner rather than later.” 

Anyone who purchased their tickets in advance can either: 

- Transfer their ticket to the 2021 festival

- Donate their ticket money back to Irish Fest to help their non-profit

- Receive a refund for the cost of their ticket

Ticket purchasers can expect an email from Irish Fest in the coming days, outlining the three options. 

Milwaukee Irish Fest will miss seeing their patrons celebrating Irish culture but will return to the lakefront at the Henry Maier Festival Park in August 19 - 22, 2021.

For more visit IrishFest.com.