Staff WriterCulture Night Dublin 2023 programmes a huge amount of events that run all day, late into the night, as key shows champion the city’s rich history of electronic music, a new perspective on using public spaces, and a forward thinking approach to inclusivity. This is Culture Night Dublin, get to know.
The programme for Culture Night Dublin 2023 has just been unveiled. The annual nocturnal celebration of culture and creativity will be held on Friday, 22 September, and boasts an impressive lineup of over 250 participating venues and more than 300 captivating events. Marking 18 years of Culture Night in the capital, this year’s event shines a light on inclusivity and late night culture, with a programme highlighting accessibility and reimagining possibilities for the city after dark. In celebration of the city’s public spaces, a number of iconic outdoor venues will also be brought to life with roller discos, vogue balls and live music, supported by Dublin City Council. All events are free to attend.
The programme was officially announced today at a ceremony at St. Michan’s Park, where the former Handball Alley will be repurposed into an outdoor performance space during this year’s event. Speaking at the programme launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste encouraged the public to be part of something truly special:
“Culture Night Dublin, now in its 18th year, will bring together over 100,000 people from across the capital. This annual celebration challenges us to think differently about our city and to reimagine how we can transform our public spaces. Dublin, with its vibrant arts and culture scene, owes much of its allure to the incredible talent of local artists, creatives and arts workers. They are the driving force behind the magic that makes our city such a fantastic place to live, work, and visit. Culture Night is a chance to celebrate their brilliance and honour their contribution to our community. So, mark your calendars for September 22nd and get ready to be a part of something truly special”.
Late Night Events
Culture Night Dublin is proud to present two flagship late night events in partnership with some of Dublin’s most talented electronic artists. As part of Culture Night Late, an event stream supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Strawberries invites audiences to immerse themselves in the enchanting beats and euphoric melodies that are synonymous with their legendary queer parties and club nights. From 10pm-12am at Meeting House Square, experience a live set from Strawberries Resident, Soria Reilly, specifically prepared for Culture Night Dublin. Bull Horris (Strawberries, Tender) and Tadhg K (Dublin Modular) will be digging through their vinyl collection featuring Trance, Progressive and Euro House favourites for an epic B2B set. Closing out the night, Efa O’Neill will create unforgettable dancefloor moments mixing house rollers, techno rumblers, electro wobblers and everything in between. From 9pm-3am, Dubliners have the chance to experience a slice of Irish electronic music history with an event celebrating the early Irish electro movement at Racket. Emerging from the ashes of Ireland’s early rave era was an oft forgotten, but exceptionally fertile period for electronic music in Ireland. Supported by Culture Night Dublin to coincide with the double-vinyl release on Sunil Sharpe’s Earwiggle, the line up for Dreams of Electric Bleep features Phil Kieran, Decal, Magnetize, John Braine, and Eliza. Get ready to dance, connect, and create lasting memories at this event honouring Irish electronic music and club culture.
Reimagining Public Spaces
This year, with the support of Dublin City Council, a series of specially curated events will see some of the capital’s most iconic public spaces transformed into vibrant venues for dazzling open-air performances. Leading the lineup is the much-anticipated roller disco at Dublin’s Central Plaza, supported by Hines and hosted by the talented Culture Night Dublin Ambassador, designer, influencer and skater, Gráinne Binns, with groovy disco tunes provided by Bang Bike Belfast. At St. Michan’s Park, the historic Handball Alley will come alive with an incredible one-hour performance by contemporary artist Francis Fay. Meeting House Square will be buzzing with a diverse range of events for all ages to enjoy, including acrobatics, afro-dance troupes, twerk workshops and live music from style-bending band Grooveline and Mo Cultivation – a community-focused hub that celebrates the very best of urban culture from Ireland and around the world.
The Wood Quay Amphitheatre will play host Culture Night Dublin’s first Vogue Ball, presented by Dublin’s LGBTQ+ night QueerMania, as well as soul-stirring performances from the renowned Discovery Gospel Choir, Afro-Brazilian dance artist Alessandra Azevedo, sensational burlesque performer, Bonnie Boux, and many more. At Spencer Dock, an aerial show by international champion, Lisette Krol, and students from Tribe Fitness & Dance Studio will take your breath away. This performance will be accompanied by live music, family entertainment, and an interactive sculpture by Jane Groves called Bó Abhainn, which will pay tribute to the rich history of Dublin’s dairy industry. Elsewhere, Barnardo Square will transform into an outdoor dance studio with social dance classes in both Swing and Forró provided by Mind The Step, while Capel Street and Drury Street will be electrified by a series of pop-up music performances.
Inclusivity
Culture Night Dublin 2023 is gearing up to be more inclusive than ever before, with numerous venues taking significant steps to enhance accessibility for individuals from the disabled and neurodivergent communities. Among them, the Douglas Hyde Gallery and the National Gallery will be providing tours of their current exhibitions through Irish Sign Language (ISL). Meeting House Square will play host to a special performance by Dublin Theatre of the Deaf, who will showcase their rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Chime, Ireland’s national charity for deafness and hearing loss will present an evening for writers who are Hard of Hearing, D/deaf, or have Tinnitus. Rua Red in Tallaght introduces The Soft Space and Garden, an immersive installation designed and developed with neurodivergent adults and children in mind, while next door at the Civic Theatre, Vanishing Point presents an immersive sleep experience with DJs in which audiences are encouraged to embrace the ambient space. Join the National Botanic Gardens for an after-hours sensory stroll, and explore the natural world through sight, sound, scent and touch. Swing by the Liberties Weavers, where neurodivergent artist, Claire Byrne, guides you through the materials and sounds of Dublin’s textile history or drop into Photo Museum Ireland and discover the deeply moving photographic exhibition by Lorraine Tuck which tells the story of a family living with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. For wheelchair users, the Culture Night Dublin website can be filtered to provide information on venue accessibility.
Culture Night Dublin is brought to you by Dublin City Council, with support from the Arts Council. To explore the full programme, see culturenightdublin.ie.