All set for Blue Jean Country Queen Festival
Live music from The Rurals and The Blarneys, MC Maura Fay (formerly of the 2 Johnnies Podcast) and the crowning of the 2026 Blue Jean Country Queen – the festival is back!
Organised by Meath Macra na Feirme in collaboration with the community of Athboy, the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival will take place over the June bank holiday weekend, from May 29 to June 1. The weekend will feature live music, family-friendly entertainment, and the coronation of the 2026 Blue Jean Country Queen.
The centrepiece of the festival – the competition to crown the Blue Jean Country Queen – will see 22 young women descend upon Athboy for a chaotic and fun-filled weekend. The majority of contestants are selected from Macra na Feirme counties and regions across Ireland. This year, the festival will also welcome a contestant representing France, as part of Athboy’s longstanding twinning agreement with Autonne-Villages in Picardy, France, as well as a contestant from the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, representing Northern Ireland.
The queens will be welcomed into the heart of the local community, staying with local families, taking part in a karaoke competition, playing fancy dress football, and much more. However, only one winner will walk away with €1,000 sponsored by Le Chéile Credit Union, a perpetual trophy, and a golden sash.
The festival kicks off on Friday, May 29, with the official opening at the Darnley Lodge Hotel, followed by the Nana Moons’ Pub Crawl and a music session back at the hotel.
On Saturday, May 30, the Larry Kelly Plumbing and Heating Street Market will take place on Athboy’s Main Street, alongside Le Chéile Credit Union’s annual barbecue and fun day from 2pm, and karaoke in Floods Bar from 3pm. That evening in St James’ Hall, the 2025 queens will be interviewed on stage by RTÉ Radio’s Maura Fay, followed by a performance from midlands duo The Rurals and then DJ Smiley K at the Darnley Lodge Hotel.
On Sunday, the queens will march in fancy dress to Athboy’s Fair Green for a game of fancy dress football at 12.30pm, kicking off the Fone Geek Sunday Lark in the Park. The afternoon includes live music from The Sandmen, children’s entertainment, food stalls, a pet farm, and the Meath Farm Machinery Ltd-sponsored Mini-Tractor Run. Children can enter to win a battery-operated John Deere Gator.
That evening, the queens, committee, sponsors, and dignitaries will gather at the Darnley Lodge Hotel for the JMCK Building Solutions Gala Banquet. At midnight, the 2026 Blue Jean Country Queen will be announced. The winner receives €1,000 from Le Chéile Credit Union, a perpetual cup, a sash, and a tiara. Second prize (€500) is sponsored by Farrelly Tree Care Services, and third prize (€300) by Meath Farm Machinery Ltd. Celebrations conclude with a performance by The Blarneys, followed by DJ Smiley K.
The judging panel for the 2026 competition will include Thomas Duffy (Macra na Feirme National President, 2019–21), Eva Bannon (Meath Rose of Tralee 2025), and Aine Mullen, a former Meath Blue Jean Country Queen from Rathcairn.
Reflecting on her year as queen, 2025 Blue Jean Country Queen Amy Coffey, a secondary school teacher from Wexford, said: "It's hard to express in just a few words what it meant to me being crowned the 2025 Blue Jean Country Queen. The Blue Jean Country Queen has truly given me friends and memories for life that I'm so exceptionally grateful for.”
FURTHER DETAILS
Further information on the 2026 Blue Jean Country Queen Festival will be announced in the coming weeks. For more, visit www.bluejeancountryqueen.com or follow @BlueJeanFest on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.