Dublin’s festival scene will be buzzing this autumn as more than 220 venues around Dublin host events throughout September and October as part of Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Festival Season which began on September 7 with the Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival.
Dublin Festival Season is a culmination of nine Dublin festivals which have come together to re-inforce Dublin’s diverse and exciting festival scene, offering potential visitors yet another reason to come to Dublin. Fáilte Ireland has invested approximately $102K (€90k) into Dublin Festival Season through promotion of the initiative and through direct investment in the festivals involved.
The festivals included are – Tiger Dublin Fringe, Dublin Fashion Festival, Culture Night, Dublin Theatre Festival, Hard Working Class Heroes, Open House and the Bram Stoker Festival. Two new additions have also been added to the line-up – the ‘Lingo Spoken Word Festival’ which is now in its second year and the brand new ‘Dublin Gallery Weekend’ which commenced yesterday Friday, September 11.
Dublin Fashion Festival
September 7 - 13
Dublin has long been a trendy place but it becomes even more fashionable in September with the Dublin Fashion Festival. Celebrating the eclectic mix of vintage, modern and bespoke design that make up the city’s style, this festival brings live fashion events, retail extravaganzas and special offers together for your pleasure. Forget London, Paris and New York – Dublin is where it is at and with over 250 retailers, restaurants, bars and hotels taking part, Ireland's biggest fashion event is a must for fashionistas and shoppers alike.
Tiger Dublin Fringe
September 7 - 20
Now in its 21st year, the Tiger Dublin Fringe festival is one of the highlights of the Irish arts scene. Bringing together fresh theatre events, live music, art, comedy and dance from Irish and international artists, there is no better opportunity to sample the true essence of Dublin arts. With over 400 events in 30 venues over two weeks, the Tiger Dublin Fringe will satisfy your hunger for an unforgettable cultural experience.
Dublin Gallery Weekend
September 11 - 13
Spend your weekend break in Dublin appreciating art for free! Enjoy artist and curator talks, walking tours, workshops and exciting new exhibitions in over 30 art galleries. Most events are free throughout the weekend, offering you special events and the chance to really understand the art of the city without busting the budget.
Culture Night
September 18
If you can’t make a whole weekend of art appreciation, make sure you don’t miss Culture Night. More than 230 different venues swing open their doors late into the evening for a free glimpse at a myriad of art and culture. Churches, historic houses, museums and art galleries welcome people to explore, learn and immerse themselves in the best Dublin has to offer on one magical Friday.
Culture Night boasts an unmistakable atmosphere, with talks, tours, drama, dance and music, providing adventure and entertainment for all the family.
Dublin Theatre Festival 2015
September 24 - October 11
In a city of scribes, it's no shock that Dublin has the longest running theatre festival in Europe. Since 1957, a jam-packed program of shows, readings, talks and works-in-development have been taking over the city. In 2015 there are 200 performances and events in 22 venues around the city and suburbs, allowing theatre lovers and culture vultures to lap up some of the finest plays in the world. There are premieres galore including the Irish premiere of The Night Alive, an award-winning play written and directed by Conor McPherson (The Weir) at Dublin’s landmark Gaiety Theatre.
Hard Working Class Heroes
October 1 - 3
Long admired as a breeding ground for musical talent, Dublin is always in the mood to rock out. In early October the city turns itself over to up-and-coming bands and musicians allowing you to sample the city’s newest offerings. With six of Dublin’s premier venues, The Button Factory, Meeting House Square, The Workman’s Club, The Mercantile, Twisted Pepper and The Grand Social hosting 100 bands/artists you are bound to find your new favorite.
Open House Dublin
October 16 - 18
Have you ever walked past a beautiful building and wondered what’s behind its closed door? Now is your chance to explore some of the stunning and often off-limits buildings of Dublin with the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Open House Dublin weekend. Join a free tour of some of Dublin’s finest buildings, sit-in on a talk or join a debate as Dublin discusses the 2015 theme of “This place we call home”.
Lingo Festival
October 16 - 18
You don’t need to speak Dublinese to understand the city’s love of telling a story or 10. Lingo Festival lights up mid-October with a spoken-word festival showcasing some of Ireland’s best poets, writers and songwriters. Be delighted and inspired by workshops, poetry slams, hip-hop performances and much more from the cream of the Irish crop and international acts such as Saul Williams and Hollie McNish.
Bram Stoker Festival
October 23 - 26
Go gothic for the weekend by embracing Dublin’s dark side at the Bram Stoker Festival. For four days the city will honor Dracula’s creator and one of the city’s most famous sons with a festival of stories, film events, vampire themed parties and a city-wide vampire hunt. Family fun and late night antics will thrill and spook all ages in the lead up to Halloween.
“Dublin Festival Season is an opportunity to build awareness of Dublin’s diverse exciting festival scene and drive tourism growth as we head out of the high season. Animating the city and showcasing Dublin as a vibrant must-see destination full of energy, excitement and lots of things to see and do, we believe this initiative will enhance Dublin’s reputation as a happening place to have a break during the autumn,” Fáilte Ireland's Dublin Manager, Helen McDaid, said.
“Dublin is a vibrant capital city bursting with a variety of surprising experiences and the Dublin Festival Season has something for everyone, from traditional to funky, unusual and at times unexpected.”
“Not only do festivals and events provide invaluable opportunities for Ireland to showcase all that it has to offer both the domestic and international market, but the direct spending by festival goers (locals and visitors) on hospitality, accommodation and other services also provides a valuable boost to local economies, supporting employment and creating jobs. The coming together of so many Dublin festivals to create the Dublin Festival Season capitalizes on the most entertaining and culturally diverse offerings within our capital city,” Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe said.
”This presents a unified vision of all that is great about Dublin and encourages tourists to pay us a visit and local people to explore what’s on their doorstep. The promotion of the Dublin Festival Season by Fáilte Ireland helps us to compete with other cities and to ensure that the positive tourist numbers that we have been seeing so far this year continue beyond the summer season."
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