The countdown is on! The city’s annual cultural nocturnal extravaganza is set to take place on Friday, September 19th, with over 300 events taking place across the capital. From theatre, music, and dance to podcasting, painting, and poetry, countless surprises await at iconic heritage sites, museums, and quirky arts spaces throughout the city.
Founded in 2006, with just a handful of participating venues in the Temple Bar area, this year marks the 20th edition of Culture Night Dublin 2025, which has grown over the years to become Ireland’s largest national celebration of creativity, culture, and heritage. This year sees Bolands Mills in Dublin, make its Culture Night debut with an electrifying programme of live music, spoken word, and performance across Dublin’s Docklands. The lineup includes a genre-blending DJ set from Nialler9, and a spoken word stage curated by acclaimed poet Jan Brierton, plus a family-friendly daytime programme with a dedicated sensory hour for neurodivergent children. As always, all Culture Night events are free to attend, and this year’s programme certainly offers something for everyone. Here’s a quick gallop through what’s going on this Friday…
Commissioned Events
Meeting House Square, will be stacked with live events from early afternoon until late, including the pop-alt sister duo Zeztra as well as performances from Calum Agnew, Lisa Murray and Earthmover. Musicians who are all part of the growth of the Irish language in popular music. Come join Louise O’Connor as she hosts a Family Fun Set Dancing event with live musicians. A highlight evening event in the square will feature dancer Favour Odusola, in what promises to be an extraordinary spectacle fusing Nigerian and Irish culture.
The iconic Wood Quay Amphitheatre will be a hive of activity, opening with a celebration of multilingualism from Culture Night Dublin ambassador Farah Elle, comedian Sharon Mannion, musical theatre artists Jessica Hayes, Zach O’Brien and the Ballinteer Male Voice Choir. A highlight concert at the Amphitheatre, will feature the Dublin-based Mongolian Ethnic group, Khuur Band, featuring traditional dance and song.
A number of new sites across the city will be activated with events for the first time; Wolf Tone Square will host family entertainment early in the evening, and Diamond Park will host several film screenings. On Dublin’s O’Connell Street, there is a “tea dance” planned for beneath Clery’s Clock, accompanied by a full swing band and an early evening time event, ‘talking statues’, will see iconic statues brought to life by period actors. Later in the night, the City Sounds event will transform Central Plaza into an open-air disco dancefloor, while Echo Exchange will curate Capel Street with an eclectic mix of up and coming techno DJs.
The Lab on Foldey Street offers craic, music, poetry and stories with The Poetry’s Dead Live Podcast show presented by Ryan Duggins and Leon Dunne. Be warned: Audience participation is probable! Shifting Stages theatre collective presents Mother Storm, an evening of theatre that shines a light on the perfect storm that is motherhood.
A unique project to be launched this Culture Night is “After Light: These Dark Citizens” (ALTDC) by artist Peter Power. The project is described as “a geo-located immersive artwork” that unfolds along a walk across Dublin City, featuring moments of music, storytelling, audio, installation, and poetry.
Audience members can choose their own route and encounter the story of the nocturnal city, with the narrative adapting and changing to follow each individual’s choices.
Exhibitions
Galleries, museums and artist studios across the city will open their doors this Culture Night. The Lab Gallery will present an exhibition featuring works by socially engaged mixed media artist Aaron Sunderland and Richmond Road Studios will welcome visitors to an exhibition showcasing the work of its studio members. Photo Museum Ireland is presenting a group show and GalleryX will offer a night of wearable creativity with its “Alternative Fashion” showcase, spotlighting emerging Irish clothing and accessory designers. Meanwhile, at The National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, visitors can experience Hands on History: Gloves, Games and Gallons of Fun, a unique opportunity to interact with a collection of historical objects related to historic fashion, grooming, and leisure.
Dance and Theatre
Culture Night offers a great opportunity for those who may never have been to a theatre or dance show to experience some free live performance. Broadreach, The outreach programme of leading theatre dance company, CoisCéim, will take over the bandstand in Fairview Park with “Performing Memory,” a new outdoor dance performance choreographed by Simone O’Toole.
The Dublin Tango School is hosting a special evening at 36 Parnell Square as part of their “XX Tango Festival,” featuring renowned Tango dancers. Visitors to Tailors Hall will enjoy a candlelit theatre experience featuring August Strindberg’s most famous play, ‘Miss Julie’, and The Abbey Theatre will provide free tickets for a special performance of “The Boy,” written by the legendary Irish playwright Marina Carr.
Literature and Books
The Irish Writers Centre will host live readings featuring various writers, including short story author Mary O’Donnell and the super talented spoken word artist Vagabond Queen. Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde will bring the finest Irish children’s literature to life with a live reading at the Dubray bookshop window. Ranelagh Arts will host Rosita Sweetman and guests for a special evening of readings from her memoir, “Girl with a Fork, in a World of Soup.” Additionally, the Kerlin Gallery will transform into a pop-up bookshop, showcasing monographs, catalogues, and books from their collection of gallery artists.
Music
From 17th century classical arrangements to underground electronic beats the music highlights of this year’s Culture Night Dublin programme offers something for everyone. The Italian Institute of Culture will showcase “How Italo Disco Made Us Dance!”, a nostalgic exploration of the celebrated Italo Disco scene. Alliance Française Dublin is set to present an evening filled with French music at their new Madeleine Café, featuring a performance by the French duo La Sérénade du Pavé and DJ Chach Des Wé. The Irish Traditional Music Archive will host a series of recitals by some of the country’s top traditional musicians, while the Dublin Unitarian Church will welcome the Classical Musicians Network.
The Chester Beatty will feature an evening with emerging singer-songwriter Theo Fitzgibbon and “Block.” at Liberty Lane is promising a fresh approach to Dublin’s club scene, offering electronic music well into the early hours. Elsewhere, Culture Night Dublin’s late-night music trail Nocturnal Beats returns following its debut last year. The multi-venue music event is supported by Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Advisor, Ray O’Donoghue, and will see numerous Dublin clubs open their dance floors for free on the night.
Workshops
Culture Night is a perfect opportunity to discover a hidden talent with a vast collection of talks and workshops taking place across the city. The Instituto Cervantes will be hosting a Spanish theatre workshop led by the director of the Cervantes Dublin Theatre Club. Emerging theatre-makers are invited to participate in workshops at The Lir Academy or visit The Gaiety School of Acting, for an Introduction to Acting for Camera. Additionally, the Black Church Print Studio will offer live print demonstrations by professional artists, while Flux Studios will provide craft workshop demonstrations throughout the evening. For those interested in jewellery making, there will be a workshop on how to forge a ring at Silver Works on Georges Street.
LGBTQIA+
Waving the flag for Dublin’s queer community, the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, will offer a historical tour exploring LGBTQIA+ history as represented in the Museum’s collections. The tour will highlight objects and figures from the 17th to the 21st century, highlighting the diverse identities, genders, and sexualities. Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre will present a series of exhibitions during Culture Night under the theme ‘Breaking Frames,’ featuring works by celebrated artist and musician Martin McCann. Additionally, Pakistan-born, Dublin-based artist Samir Mahmood will unveil a public artwork, in association with Temple Bar Gallery and Studios titled ‘Guardians over the city,’ which consists of a series of flags displayed on Wellington Quay and explores themes of spirituality and queer identity.
Walking Tours
Culture Night is an opportunity to become a tourist in your own town with various free walking tours taking place on the night. Secrets of Dublin: Hidden History Walking Tour invites visitors away from the beaten track, providing a fresh and unexpected view of the city, perfect for both history enthusiasts and novices alike. Swift’s Dublin: A Walking Tour discovers the streets and tales of 18th-century Dublin through the life and achievements of Jonathan Swift, of Gulliver’s Travels fame. One of the more unique walking experiences, A Feminist Economics Walking Tour Of The IFSC, is described as “a journey through Irish history, from the War of Independence to transnational capital.”
These Walls Project
Finally the Guinness Storehouse will play host to These Walls – an immersive exhibition specially commissioned for Culture Night, celebrating the people and place of Dublin 8, featuring artists Deirdre Breen and Owen de Forge. The exhibition explores memory and place through light and sound with Breen’s abstract compositions “responding to the area’s evolving architecture and layered histories”, while de Forge’s figurative works capture the neighbourhood’s social life through playful characters. The exhibition is complemented by a guided street art tour of some of the outdoor art pieces.
Words: Melissa Nolan
The 20th edition of Culture Night Dublin takes place Friday September 19th from 4pm until late. Culture Night Dublin is brought to you by Dublin City Council with support from The Arts Council of Ireland. For full details of the Dublin events see culturenight.ie/Dublin
