Dublin has a year long events calendar that will keep you coming back for more!
1. St. Patrick’s Festival 15th – 18th March 2013
St. Patrick’s Festival is hands down the most anticipated Festival of the year in Dublin and happens annually in March. The Irish national holiday, St. Patricks Day 17th March, is celebrated globally and a 4 day St. Patrick’s Festival transforms the streets of Dublin into an energetic, vibrant celebratory party! Fun fairs, live music, walking tours, street performances, ceilis and of course the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade takes centre stage on the 17th!
2. Culture Night 21st September 2012
For one night only the city’s museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artists’ studios, and cultural centres open their doors late for a free night of entertainment, discovery and adventure. There are talks, tours, performances and events for you, your family and friends to participate in and enjoy on the night. Culture Night occurs annually in September.
3. Bloomsday Festival 10th – 16th June 2012
Experience Dublin as it turns Bloom mad! Joyce fans dress in Edwardian costume to conjure up the atmosphere of the period in which Ulysses was set – 1904, Bloomsday readings and dramatisations take place and fans follow the route around Dublin taken by Bloom. Much of the Bloomsday celebrations are hosted by the James Joyce Centre in North Great Georges St Dublin. The Bloomsday Festival takes place annually on, 16th June. You can also explore Ulysses through Visit Dublin’s In the Steps of Ulysses iWalk.
4. Temple Bar TradFest 23rd – 27th January 2013
Dublin’s biggest and best festival of Irish Music and Culture, the Temple Bar TradFest takes place annually the last week of January. Each year, the TradFest brings Ireland’s top traditional musicians and overseas musicians to play at the festival weekend. There are over 200 free events including music trails, singers clubs, open sessions, Celtic Irish Dance show, gigs for kids, streets performers, a rural Irish village in the city and much more! See Visit Dublin’s Traditional Irish Music and Dance listings for year round Irish Dance and Music events.
5. Dublin Horse Show 15th – 19th August 2012
The Dublin Horse Show is one of Dublin’s best loved events, which has attracted generations of visitors over the years. Experience the excitement of this five-day show, from the thrills and tension of international show jumping, including the Aga Khan Nations Cup and Grand Prix competitions, to the daredevil Ukrainian Cossacks, one of this year’s visiting attractions. This year’s Dublin Horse Show is taking place from 15th – 19th August
6. Dublin Writers Festival 4th – 10th June 2012
Dublin Writers Festival, Ireland’s premier literary event, gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral. With readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performance and screenings, the festival creates a hotbed of ideas. Whether it’s the mix poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, lyricists, playwrights and screenwriters, Dublin Writers Festival brings new faces and house-hold names together in ways that surprise and inspire. Dublin Writer’s Festival is taking place this year on June 4th – June 10th. To discover Literary Dublin, see all of Dublin’s literary listings.
7. The Tall Ships Races 2012 23rd-26th August 2012
Witness the awesome International Tall Ships Races, which will make its final port in Dublin this August. Watch Dublin transform as 100 Tall ships from Chile, Mexico, Argentina, the US, Italy and Norway sail into the capital for a four day festival from the 23rd-26th of August 2012.
Experience sailing yourself in Dublin and hop on a DART along the coast out to Dun Laoghaire and sail a 54-foot ocean going yacht around the Bay with Go Sailing. Or if you miss out on The Tall Ship Races and visiting Dublin in July, check out The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, another unique sailing event in Dublin!
8. Dublin Theatre Festival 27th September – 14th October
The Dublin Theatre Festival, the oldest dedicated theatre festival in Europe, presents a world class programme showcasing both national and international renowned productions from 8 different countries. This year’s Festival will present 29 productions from awe-inspiring large scale productions to smaller, intimate events. Perfect for Theatre enthusiasts! This year’s festival will be taking place on 27th September – 14th October. If you’re not around for the Theatre Festival, see other theatre events taking place in Dublin.
9. Arthur’s Day 20th September 2012
Arthur’s Day is the celebration of the remarkable legacy of Arthur Guinness, the creator of GUINNESS. Arthur’s Day has an incredible line up of Irish and international music stars raising a glass to Arthur in a series of intimate gigs in select venues and pubs across Dublin on a day of music and celebration. Arthur’s day takes place on the 2nd last Thursday of September and happens on the 27th September this year. If you’re a fan of the black stuff, make sure to check out the Guinness Storehouse while in Dublin.
10. NYE Dublin 30th December 2012 – 1st January 2013
The outdoor concert New Year’s Eve features pyrotechnics, special effects and performances to celebrate New Year 2013 in style. The concert is part of a larger three day festival taking place from December 30th 2012 – 1st January 2013.
