Leading magazines for upcoming events and happenings are regularly published and there is a free weekly event guide that is readily available.
They contain up-to-date listings of events throughout Ireland, with a focus on Dublin and are aimed specifically at tourists and visitors.
These magazines are a useful source for shopping, dining and entertainment - providing you with a huge choice of things to see and do in Dublin.
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- 17th March - St. Patrick's Day
- Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
- First Monday in May - May Day
- First Monday in June
- First Monday in August
- Last Monday in October - Autumn Bank Holiday
- 25th December - Christmas Day
- 26th December - Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day
(If Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a public holiday).
If you plan to visit at Easter, remember that theatres and cinemas are closed for the last three days of the preceding week.
January- New Year's Eve / Day - there are celebrations throughout the city to welcome in the New Year
- Salmon and Sea Trout Season - starts January 1st and runs until September
- Irish Championship Hurdle - late January, major horse race at Leopardstown
February- Five Nations Rugby Tournament - February to April, Ireland play against England, Wales, Scotland and France. Two of these games are played in Dublin
- Malahide Food and Drink Festival - late February, this festival also includes cultural activities
March- Celtic Flame - mid-March, a national festival of contemporary and traditional music, song and dance
- St. Patrick's Day Festival - March 17th, numerous celebrations and street theatres fill the city, culminating in a parade
- Temple Bar Fleadh - mid-March, three-day festival of traditional music in honour of St. Patrick, in the lively Temple Bar area
- Irish Kennel Club Show - mid-March, annual championship dog show in Cloghran, County Dublin
- Feis Ceoil - late March, this is one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious classical musical festivals
April- Colours Boat Race - first weekend, a rowing race along the River Liffey between Trinity College and University College Dublin
- Howth Music Festival - Easter weekend, this pretty fishing village on the outskirts of the city plays host to three days of popular music
- Dublin Film Festival - third week, festival of new and classic films held at various Dublin cinemas, including the Irish Film Centre
- Opera Ireland - a week in the April, Spring run at the Gaiety Theatre. Another short season is also put on in November
May- May Day Parade - May 1st, celebrations and colourful parades through the city streets on this national holiday
- Dublin Garden Festival - late May or early June, large four-day horticultural show at Ballsbridge
- Laytown Beach Races - late May or early June, horse races on the beach, north of Dublin
June- Bloom - a gardening event held each year in Phoenix Park between late-May / early-June. Attracting approximately 60,000 people each year the event features show gardens, a food market and drinks tents amongst other entertainment
- Music in the Park - June to August, various city parks hold free open-air concerts at lunchtime on weekdays and also on Sundays
- Photography Exhibitions - June to September, changing exhibitions on different themes in the Dublin Photographic Centre
- County Wicklow Gardens Festival - held at both private and public gardens south of Dublin all month, including Powerscourt
- Bloomsday - mid-June, walks, lectures and pub talks across the city to celebrate James Joyce's greatest novel, 'Ulysses'
- Maracycle - mid-June, thousands of cyclists race each other from Dublin to Belfast and back again
- Scurlogstown Olympiad Celtic Festival - mid-June, traditional Irish music and dance fair with a selection of festival queen, in Trim
- Music in Great Irish Houses - second and third weeks, classical music recitals in grand settings at various venues
- Guitar Festival of Ireland - four day event held in June / July, event featuring guitar masterclasses and concerts
July- Dun Laoghaire American Week - first week, US-themed jamboree with bluegrass music, a barn dance and 4th of July fireworks
- South Docks Festival - third week, a community festival that centres on Pearse Street and City Quay, with shows and activities for all ages
- Temple Bar Blues Festival - third weekend, three days of live blues music featuring international stars
August- Summer Music Festival - all month, St. Stephen's Green, free lunchtime concerts of both popular and traditional music, as well as sporadic Shakespeare performances in the open air
- Dublin Horse Show - second week, RDS Ballsbridge, premier sporting and social event including dressage, show jumping and a chance for ladies to show off their hats
- People's Photographic Exhibition - last weekend, St. Stephen's Green, displays of amateur photographers work on the railings around the green
September- The Liffey Swim - first Saturday, since 1920 Dubliners have turned out to watch swimmers brave the River Liffey's murky waters from Watling Street Bridge to the Custom House
- Motorcycle Union of Ireland Killalane Road Races - second weekend, Skerries, road-racing final on the streets of this resort, north of Dublin
- All-Ireland Hurling Final - second Sunday, Croke Park
- All-Ireland Football Final - second Sunday, Croke Park, popular Gaelic football final
- Irish Antique Dealer's Fair - last week, RDS Ballsbridge, the country's most important antiques fair
October- Dublin Theatre Festival - first two weeks, features new works by Irish playwrights and many foreign productions
- Dublin City Marathon - last Monday, starting and finishing on O'Connell Street, the route takes in many Dublin landmarks, including Phoenix Park and Trinity College. Every year thousands participate
- Hallowe'en (Samhain) - October 31st, on the night when spirits rise, children wear fancy dress and celebrations include a parade and fireworks
November- Opera Ireland - a week in the November, Autumn run at the Gaiety Theatre. Another short season is also put on in April
- Toy and Train Collector's Fair - last Sunday, Rochestown Lodge Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, with model cars, dolls, comics and teddy bears. There are also other similar fairs in April and September
December- Pantomime Season - December to January, traditional pantomimes performed at theatres in Dublin and throughout Ireland
- Christmas - December 24th to 25th, Christian celebrations include going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve
- St. Stephen's Day - December 26th, on the day after Christmas, catholic boys dress up as Wren boys (chimney boys with blackened faces) and sing hymns to raise money for charities
- Leopardstown Races - December 26th to 29th, this four-day meeting is the biggest in the country at this traditional time for horse racing
Concerts
Dublin is a great town for live music. On a given night, you can find almost anything, rock, pop, jazz, blues, traditional Irish, country, or folk. Music and dance concerts take place in a many of Dublin's venues, including theatres, churches, clubs, museums, sports stadiums, castles, parks, and universities, where international performers often play.
Smaller Concert Venues- Club Mono, 26 Wexford Street, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 475 8555
- Eamonn Doran's, 3A Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 679 9114
- Midnight at the Olympia, 74 Dame Street, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 677 7744
- Temple Bar Music Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 670 9202
- Vicar Street, 99 Vicar Street, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 609 7788
- Whelans, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin
Tel: +353 (01) 478 0766
Leading magazines for upcoming events and happenings are regularly published and there is a free weekly event guide that is readily available.
