13th - 24th August 2026
The countdown to
Marymass 2026 is on...
Just 2 weeks to go!
Marymass is a traditional horse festival held every August in Irvine. Mixing traditional with modern, our 12 days of festivities means there is something for everyone! From horse racing to fireworks, parades, a funfair, pram race, our iconic greasy pole, live jousting stunt show , dog show, live music and so much more. Come and join us this August!
Marymass 2026 Key Events
Marymass 2026 may still feel a long way off, but now is the perfect time to plan your visit. We have so many great events packed in to 12 days of festivities. Our event runs from our Opening Ceremony on Thursday 13th August at 8pm Live from Irvine Townhouse, through to Monday 24th August with our annual Flower Show. The parades, horse racing, Greasy Pole competition and vast number of free activities on Irvine Moor (Sat 22nd) are of course of main features.
Check out some of our key 2026 events below:
Fourth Port Parade
Saturday 15th August 2026
Starts 11am Second Ave.
Passes Harbourside 12:15pm
Marymass Parade
Sat 22nd August 2026
Starts 10am from Golffields Rd
Crowning 12pm at Townhouse
Marymass Derby
Fri 21st August 2026
Meadow Park, 7pm
Winners take the Marymass Cup
Festival of Light Parade
Saturday 15th August 2026
Departs Irvine Cross at 9pm
Fast becoming a festival favourite
Greasy Pole Competition
Saturday 22nd August 2026
Irvine Moor
Competition starts 2pm
The 'Shows'
19th - 22nd August 2026
One of Scotland's largest funfairs arrives at Irvine Moor
Annual Fireworks Display
Saturday 15th August 2026
Irvine Moor, 9:45pm
Food, fireworks & funfair
Live Action Jousting
Saturday 22nd August 2026
Irvine Moor Arena
Shows at 2pm & 4pm
Live Horse Racing
Saturday 22nd August 2026
Irvine Moor Racecourse
Free to view, races every 20 mins
Marymass Saturday
22nd Aug 2026
The main Marymass celebrations take place from 9am on Saturday 22nd August. The day kicks off with one of the largest community parades in Scotland, mostly horse-drawn. The parade winds its way through Irvine Old Town before pausing at Irvine Townhouse for the official crowning of the Marymass Queen 2026. The most significant parade then departs Irvine Townhouse and heads for Irvine Moor, passing High Street, Eglinton Street and Kilwinning Road. Thousands of spectators turn out to watch the magic of the heavy horses, pipe bands, ponies, dance schools and more!
On arrival at Irvine Moor, there is an afternoon packed with unique activities. We have live horse racing every 20 minutes, a live jousting stunt show in our main arena, our famous Greasy Pole competition returns, a giant funfair, beer tent, free kid's zone, food village, market and so so much more.
Some useful info for Marymass Saturday, 22nd Aug
Where can I see the parade?
This parade is one of the largest community parades in Scotland, featuring horses, carts, pipers, bands, floats and a huge array community and dance groups.
The parade starts at Broomlands Drive at 10am and halts at Townhead to collect the Captain of Irvine Carters’ Society from the Porthead Tavern, before continuing around the Auld Burgh of Irvine.
The parade continues until 11:45am, where a pause in proceeding allows the crowning of the Marymass Queen to take place. Our main parade then departs from Irvine Townhouse at 12:30pm, arriving on Irvine Moor at 1pm.
Key spots to catch the parade include Irvine Cross at 10:15, Thornhouse Ave at 10:25, Stewart Dr at 10:40 & Turf Corner at 11:25. Thousands line the streets from Irvine Cross through High St & Kilwinning Rd to watch our main parade pass between 12:30 & 1pm.
What else is on?
There are so many other things going on. We have the judging of the horses at Golffields Rd at 9am, pre-crowning stage entertainment at Irvine Cross at 11am and our main crowning ceremony at 12:30pm.
Then, all eyes turn to Irvine Moor (Carrick Dr) for an afternoon packed with events and activities. We have live horse racing every 20 minutes, a live jousting stunt show, Ayrshires biggest funfair, beer tent, live music, our greasy pole competition returns, a huge free kids’ zone, food vendors, an on site market and more! There really is something for everyone!
FREE event parking & park and ride bus
We are working hard on making Marymass more accessible to all. This year, we are pleased to announce the launch of a brand new, free to use event car park car park and event shuttle bus on Marymass Saturday, 22nd August 2026. This has been made possible thanks to funding from Visit Scotland and our fantastic partnership with Stagecoach.
Our car park will be open to everyone and allow blue badge holders to make use of ample dedicated disabled parking spots too. The car park will be clearly marked off Sandy Road, with a bus, operated free of charge by Stagecoach, operating every 10 mins from 11:30am until 6pm, connecting the car park with the event site at Carrick Drive, Irvine Moor.
Staff and signage will be in place on the day to make clear where the parking is located and where to catch the bus at both the car park and Moor. Parking is available 8am - 8pm. Please note this bus will pause between 12:30 & 1:10pm due to closure of Kilwinning Road with the arrival of the Marymass Parade. Please plan your day around this and make use of our free service.
Fiona Doherty, Managing Director for Stagecoach South Scotland, said: "Marymass is one of Ayrshire's most treasured community celebrations, and we're delighted to support the introduction of this new free Park & Ride shuttle service.
“By making it easier for people to travel to and from the festival, we're helping more visitors enjoy everything the event has to offer while reducing congestion around the site. We're proud to be working alongside the organisers to help make Marymass 2026 as welcoming, accessible and enjoyable as possible for everyone."
Rebecca Edser, Head of Events at VisitScotland, said: “Marymass Festival is a fantastic event that truly has the community at its heart. We’re excited to support it through our National Events Programme, helping to build on its creative programming and make it even more accessible. The 12-day festival is a real cultural highlight for locals and visitors and a great example of Scotland’s diverse portfolio of events and festivals that strengthen and support communities and boost the visitor economy.”
What else do I need to know?
We would encourage you to bring cash. Whilst most things are free to view, some bars, funfair rides and stall holders only accept cash. There is a £2.50 cash fee to enter the paddock area on Irvine Moor, the only area where alcohol can be consumed. Cash machines are not available on site. We would encourage you to pop some money in our donations buckets dotted round with our team, or use the donate button at the top of the page to help support our festival and keep it free to all. Every penny helps.
There are a large number of free events including the horse racing, greasy pole, jousting event, kids zone across the race track and more.
Parking is not available on site, however we have provided car parking at Irvine Royal Academy, with the gates open 8am – 8pm. Parking is located on the school grass with accessible spaces also available here. A free to use shuttle bus, operated by Stagecoach, will run from the car park to the event site every 10 mins from 11:30am - 6pm. The rear gate will be open to allow easy and fast walking access to Irvine Moor.
Road closures and restrictions will be in place around Irvine Town from 10am until 1pm during the course of our parade. Local buses will be diverted and you may have to use an alternative route. Please plan in advance.
We would encourage the use of public transport to our event. Buses operate from most areas of Ayrshire to Irvine, including from key areas such as Ayr, Kilwinning, Troon, Ardrossan, Kilwinning and Largs. Bus stops are located in Irvine Town Centre and oppostie our event site on Kilwinning Road at Carrick Drive. Irvine is served by Shuttle Buses & Stagecoach. Train services connect Irvine to Ayr, Paisley and Glasgow. Our events on Irvine Moor can be accessed from Irvine Station directly to Irvine Moor on Shuttle Buses service 38. Please plan your journey in advance and expect some disruption when travelling.
About Marymass
Marymass Festival is a community festival run in partnership by two voluntary organisations, Irvine Carters' Society and the Marymass Festival Committee.
Each group oversees different elements of the festival. The Carters' take care of the parades, racing, old folks concert and paddock on Irvine Moor. The Festival Committee organise the rest, including the fireworks display, festival of light parade, opening ceremony and activities on the Moor such as live jousting.
The Festival of Marymass dates back to the Middle Ages, with Irvine Carters' Society helping to lead the celebrations since their inception back in 1753.
Changes have been made to the festival over its many hundreds of years in existence, with the biggest change seeing the introduction of an annually selected Marymass Queen and four Marys in 1928.
Other traditions have very much remained, such as the Captain of the Carters leading the parade. With the main parade retaining the core principle of allowing no motorised vehicles, it has become one of the largest horse drawn processions in Scotland.
The biggest draw about Marymass is undoubtedly the parade, racing and events on Irvine Moor on our main day, which falls on the third Saturday after the first Monday in August.
Being a community festival over 12 days, Marymass is so much more than just one main day. There are so many fantastic events throughout, including the local football derby, 10K road race, dog show, flower show, fireworks display, duck race, bowls competition, live music, comedy gigs, markets and so much more.
Our 2026 Sponsors include
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