Adventure awaits.
For the first time, all of our Irish and International Roses come together in Ireland for a journey of friendship, celebration and unforgettable experiences before arriving in Tralee.
Where the Roses stay
The hotels are a central part of the tour itself, hosting arrivals, gala evenings, downtime, celebrations and some of the most memorable moments of the week.
Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
The Rose Tour begins at Knightsbrook, where the first two days become a celebration in their own right. On Sunday the resort opens its doors for a free Family Fun Day, bringing the Roses together with families and Festival supporters for live music, Irish dancing, a craft fair with more than 50 exhibitors, face painting and children’s entertainment. Monday brings a complete change of mood as Knightsbrook hosts the Rose of Tralee Black Tie Summer Ball, with a sparkling drinks reception, four-course dinner, live entertainment and dancing. Between the excitement, the Roses also have time to enjoy the River Spa and championship golf course before the tour rolls on.
Castletroy Park Hotel & Suites
After a packed day travelling through Dublin, Kilkenny and Moneygall, the Roses arrive at this elegant four-star Limerick hotel for a well-earned change of pace. Set in leafy Castletroy beside the University of Limerick, the hotel combines 134 bedrooms and suites with generous leisure facilities, including a 20-metre pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. The evening centres on a luxurious gala dinner and relaxed social gathering before the tour heads for Kerry the following morning.
Listowel Arms Hotel
In the heart of one of Kerry’s great heritage towns, the boutique-style Listowel Arms gives the Roses a distinctly local welcome. The family-run hotel sits on Listowel’s old square, with the River Feale, Listowel Racecourse and rolling North Kerry countryside beyond. It becomes the Roses’ base as they discover Listowel and Ballybunion, meet local communities and enjoy a lively evening in the town celebrated for its neighbourliness, literary tradition and unmistakable Kerry character.
Meadowlands Hotel
The final destination is more than a hotel stop: Meadowlands becomes the home of the Roses for Festival week. Set in landscaped gardens just 1km from Tralee town centre, the award-winning four-star, family-run hotel welcomes the Roses, Rose team and Festival guests into the heart of the celebrations. Rose Buds and Buddies provide the first cheers on arrival, before Meadowlands’ rooms, restaurant, meeting spaces and much-loved Johnny Frank’s Bar become a hub for the days ahead.
Follow the Rose Tour
Six days of welcomes, local flavour and unforgettable stops, with every destination bringing its own character to the journey towards Tralee.
A magical first day in Trim
Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
The adventure begins in the Boyne Valley as all 32 Roses come together for the very first time at Knightsbrook. The four-star resort becomes the setting for new friendships, first introductions and that unmistakable sense that the Festival has truly begun, with a relaxed barbecue and live music rounding off the opening night.
Explore KnightsbrookKnightsbrook Family Fun Day
Festival excitement spills out across the resort for an afternoon made for families. Visitors can browse a craft fair with more than 50 exhibitors, enjoy live music and Irish dancing, and keep younger guests busy with a bouncy castle, face painting and family entertainment. Best of all, it is a chance to meet the 2026 Roses in person before their national tour gets under way.
Family Fun Day detailsFrom preparation to black-tie glamour
Spa, golf and Festival preparation
With Selection Night drawing closer, the Roses spend the day preparing for the television stage while also getting a chance to enjoy the resort around them. Knightsbrook’s River Spa and championship golf facilities offer some welcome breathing space before the evening’s celebrations begin.
Rose of Tralee Black Tie Summer Ball
Knightsbrook turns up the glamour for one of the first major social occasions of the 2026 Festival. Guests are welcomed with a sparkling drinks reception before a four-course dinner, live entertainment and dancing, with the 32 Roses at the heart of an elegant summer evening in one of Meath’s premier four-star resorts.
Ball information & ticketsFragrance, Kilkenny craic and a Limerick welcome
Valley of Roses
There could hardly be a more appropriately named stop. At this independent Kilkenny perfume house, founded in 2014 and inspired by Bulgaria’s famous rose-growing region, the Roses step into the world of fragrance. The experience is personal and playful, exploring scent, preferences and the craft behind perfume in the brand’s flagship Kilkenny setting.
Discover Valley of RosesMcSorley’s Kilkenny
Half of the group swaps perfume notes for Kilkenny hospitality at McSorley’s, a lively city-centre local known for its spacious beer garden, cocktails, live music and easy-going atmosphere. It is a chance to meet local faces and soak up some of the city’s famous social energy before the tour moves west.
Barack Obama Plaza
One of Ireland’s most unusual roadside landmarks brings a burst of American-Irish history to the tour. Moneygall is famously linked to Barack Obama through his Irish ancestry, and the Plaza has become a destination in its own right. The Roses can expect a lively welcome, refreshments and plenty of Festival atmosphere before the journey continues towards Limerick.
Castletroy Park Hotel & Suites
The pace softens in leafy Castletroy, where the Roses arrive to four-star comfort after a full day on the road. With a 20-metre pool, leisure club and stylish dining spaces, Castletroy Park offers time to reset before a drinks reception and dinner bring everyone together for a relaxed Limerick evening.
Explore Castletroy ParkInto Kerry: tradition, scenery and Listowel nights
Kate Kearney’s Cottage
At the entrance to the world-famous Gap of Dunloe, this seventh-generation family-run landmark gives the Roses a classic Kerry welcome. Lunch in the beer garden is followed by a wool-spinning demonstration and a traditional jaunting-car ride, bringing together food, craft, scenery and a tradition of hospitality that has welcomed visitors for generations.
Discover Kate Kearney’s CottageListowel Arms Hotel
The Roses arrive in the heart of Listowel to a hotel woven into the life of the town. Overlooking the River Feale and sitting on the historic square, the elegant boutique-style Listowel Arms becomes their North Kerry base, combining a warm local welcome with easy access to the town’s literary, musical and social life.
Explore Listowel ArmsMike the Pies
Listowel’s night begins at one of Ireland’s best-known small live-music venues. Mike the Pies has welcomed everyone from Fontaines D.C. and Damien Dempsey to leading comedy acts, collecting national venue awards along the way. For the Roses, it is a first taste of the town’s famously lively after-dark personality.
Discover Mike the PiesJohn B Keane’s Bar
Few pubs could be more closely tied to Listowel’s literary identity. The former home and bar of playwright John B Keane remains a vibrant meeting place run by his son Billy, where conversation, storytelling, sport, theatre and poetry are all part of the fabric. It gives the Roses a glimpse of the wit and warmth that made Listowel famous.
Christy’s The Well
The evening continues through Listowel’s pub circuit, giving the Roses time to meet locals and enjoy the atmosphere of a town renowned for community spirit. Christy’s The Well provides the final stop before the short walk back to the Listowel Arms and a well-earned night’s rest.
A full North Kerry day by the Atlantic
Ballybunion Golf Club
The day opens beside one of the great names in links golf. Ballybunion’s Old Course dates to 1893 and is shaped through towering Atlantic dunes, making it a place of sporting history and spectacular coastal views. Even for non-golfers, its setting on the Wild Atlantic Way makes it an unforgettable introduction to Ballybunion.
Ballybunion Beach & Castle
With broad sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, caves, dunes and the ruins of Ballybunion Castle overlooking the shore, this is North Kerry at its most photogenic. The Roses will have time to take in the sea air, the cliffside views and the character of one of Kerry’s best-loved seaside towns.
The Marine
Light bites come with a sea-side setting at The Marine, whose café and bakery look out across Ballybunion’s coast. It is a chance to slow the pace, refuel and enjoy one of the town’s contemporary hospitality spots before the tour turns back towards Listowel.
Discover The MarineLartigue Monorail
Back in Listowel, the Roses step into one of the strangest and most fascinating chapters in Irish railway history. The restored Lartigue Monorail experience includes the old goods shed museum, memorabilia, historic film footage and interactive displays telling the story of the remarkable single-rail system once used between Listowel and Ballybunion.
Explore the Lartigue MonorailMcCarthy’s Bar & Beer Gardens
One of the tour’s most anticipated nights unfolds at this traditional family-run Finuge pub. The Rose Escorts form a guard of honour for the Roses before everyone moves into the garden for a drinks reception, live music and a showcase of local music and dance. Food, an etiquette workshop and more live entertainment follow, making it a warm, energetic first evening together before the Rose-and-Escort pairings become part of Festival life.
The evening combines a drinks reception, local performers, food, an appearance by Patricia Maybury of The Etiquette Suite and live music in the beer garden — all in the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional family-run pub.
The road to Tralee
One last stop in Finuge
After two nights immersed in North Kerry, the Roses have one final morning in the Listowel and Finuge area before boarding the bus for the most anticipated journey of all: the road to Tralee and the official Festival welcome.
Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee
The National Rose Tour reaches its destination at Meadowlands, the four-star family-run hotel that becomes the Home of the Roses for Festival week. Set amid landscaped gardens just outside Tralee town centre, Meadowlands is where the Rose Buds and Buddies, Festival team and all the excitement of Tralee come together to welcome the Roses home. The tour may be ending, but the Festival is just beginning.
Discover Meadowlands