Hey all,
This week we’re doing things a little differently because Culture Night is back!
On Friday 18th September, venues across Dublin will throw open their doors for one of my favourite nights of the year.
Museums after hours, historic buildings you might never normally get inside, live music, films, workshops, exhibitions and some wonderfully random experiences dotted across the city.
There are hundreds of events happening, so I’ve gone through the programme and picked out 10 that caught my eye.
My advice this week is slightly different too. Don’t just pick one. Find two or three near each other, build yourself a little Culture Night trail and see where the evening takes you.
What’s On This Culture Night
Hands-on History: A Changing Ireland
Silver Works: Forge a Ring Taster Workshop
Opening Frames: 10 Years of IADT Animation
Central Plaza: Super Average DJs
Our People – Our Places – Our Past
The Banking Hall: A Dublin Landmark
Two Short Films about Love and Friendship
1926 Census Exhibition
Culture Night Tours of Marsh’s Library
Tony Floyd Kenna & Friends at The Hendrick
Right, let’s get into it.
Hands-on History: A Changing Ireland
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks
Friday 18th September | 5:30pm – 7pm
History that you can actually get your hands on.
The National Museum is running a drop-in handling session looking at the social movements that have shaped Ireland over the past 100 years, from women’s suffrage through to trans solidarity movements.
Each session takes around 5–15 minutes, so this is a very easy one to add to your Culture Night wander.
Silver Works: Forge a Ring Taster Workshop
Silver Works, 24 Drury Street
Friday 18th September | 4pm – 8pm
This is exactly the sort of thing I love finding for this email.
Silver Works are opening their studio and offering 20-minute introductions to goldsmithing.
You’ll get hands-on and try texturing a copper ring while learning a little about the techniques that go into jewellery making.
No experience needed. Just turn up and have a go.
Opening Frames: 10 Years of IADT Animation
IADT Carnegie Library, Dún Laoghaire
Friday 18th September | 6:30pm – 7:30pm
One for the film and animation fans.
IADT is celebrating ten years of its BA in Animation with a special screening of graduation films from the past decade.
Expect award-winning shorts, festival favourites and early work from directors who have since gone on to make their mark on Irish animation.
The Banking Hall: A Dublin Landmark
The College Green Hotel, College Green
Friday 18th September | 5:30pm – 7pm
How many times have you walked through College Green without seeing what’s behind the doors?
Culture Night gives you a chance to step inside the Banking Hall at The College Green Hotel and explore a piece of Dublin’s architectural history.
We’re talking towering marble columns, restored tiled floors, ornate plasterwork, a stained-glass roof and four huge replica chandeliers made from thousands of pieces of Waterford Crystal.
This is exactly what Culture Night is about for me: getting into buildings you’d otherwise never see.
If you enjoy Dublin Buzz and find these roundups useful, you can support the work over on Buy Me a Coffee.
It helps cover the time spent digging out events, keeping things up to date, and making sure the good stuff stays free and easy to find. No pressure at all, just a simple way to back the project if it’s been helpful to you.
1926 Census Exhibition
National Archives of Ireland, Bishop Street
Friday 18th September | 4pm – 8pm
A brilliant one for history nerds.
The National Archives is opening its 1926 Census Exhibition, giving visitors a look at life in Ireland exactly 100 years ago.
You’ll be able to browse a replica census book and explore stories around work, everyday life, language, culture, sport, religion and the realities of living in the newly independent Irish state.
If you’ve ever fallen down a family-history rabbit hole online, you’ll probably enjoy this.
Culture Night Tours of Marsh’s Library
Marsh’s Library, St Patrick’s Close
Friday 18th September | 5:30pm – 9pm
Another chance to get inside one of Dublin’s incredible historic spaces.
Tours of Marsh’s Library will run every 30 minutes throughout the evening.
You’ll walk through a library that has remained remarkably unchanged since opening in 1707, hear stories about visitors including Jonathan Swift, James Joyce and Bram Stoker, see the famous reading cages and finish with a visit to the library’s hidden garden.
Tours are first come, first served, so I’d get there early for this one.
Two Short Films about Love and Friendship
Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar
Friday 18th September | 6:10pm – 7:30pm
The IFI is screening two Irish shorts exploring love, friendship, independence and community through the experiences of people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Grace follows a woman with Down Syndrome navigating adulthood, independence and first love.
The Water Boys tells the story of Jim and Gary, two men with cerebral palsy who have been water boys for their local Kilkenny hurling team for more than 40 years.
Our People – Our Places – Our Past
Bridge Street, Balbriggan
Friday 18th September | 5pm – 7:30pm
Culture Night isn’t just about the city centre.
Up in Balbriggan, a new book and album are being launched celebrating the history of Balbriggan, Balrothery and Balscadden.
The album features twelve original songs written and recorded by local musicians, mixing folk, country and ballad traditions, while the accompanying book brings together local history and original artwork.
A lovely community project if you’re based around North County Dublin.
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Tony Floyd Kenna & Friends
The Hendrick, Smithfield
Friday 18th September | 6pm – 10:15pm
After all that history, art and culture, you might want a pint and some live music.
The Hendrick is hosting Tony Floyd Kenna & Friends for an evening of live music in Smithfield, with the bar open throughout.
It also runs until after 10pm, making this a handy final stop if you’re putting together a Culture Night trail around Smithfield and the city centre.
Central Plaza: Super Average DJs
Central Plaza, Dame Street
Friday 18th September | 9pm – Midnight
And if you’re still going…
The Super Average DJs are taking over Central Plaza with their converted vintage caravan DJ booth.
Dolfin, Average John and Dilicious will be bringing the tunes until midnight, turning the middle of Dame Street into a free outdoor party.
A fairly solid way to finish Culture Night.
That’s your lot!
There is so much more happening across Dublin on Friday, so treat these as a starting point rather than the full programme.
What I love about Culture Night is that it gives you an excuse to be curious about your own city.
Walk into the museum you’ve passed 100 times. Go inside the strange building you’ve always wondered about. Watch a film you’d never normally choose. Learn how to make something. Listen to some music.
Or just head into town with absolutely no plan and see where you end up.
That’s probably the best way to do Culture Night anyway.
Enjoy it, and I’ll catch you next week!
