The Bram Stoker Festival, one of Dublin’s largest arts festivals, celebrates the life and legacy of Ireland’s most iconic gothic writer. With over 67,000 people attending in 2023, the festival has become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar, offering a rich programme of events inspired by the supernatural, the Gothic, and the Victorian Dublin that Stoker knew.
Taking place over the October Bank Holiday weekend, the festival transforms the city into a dark, atmospheric playground with major outdoor spectacles, intimate performances, and interactive experiences for all ages. From eerie walking tours through historic Dublin to fire gardens and illuminated installations, the Bram Stoker Festival captures the macabre spirit of Stoker’s work, offering something for everyone.
Stokerland, a family-friendly area, features discos, workshops, face-painting, and performances for children, while the rest of the city plays host to darker, more immersive experiences. Over the years, festival-goers have been treated to world premieres of new scores for classic films, outdoor circus performances in foreboding forests, and elaborate banquets in crypts.
In 2024, from October 25th to 28th, the festival returns with even more spine-tingling treats across the city, once again inviting visitors to delve into the chilling world of Dracula and beyond.
Bram Stoker, born in 1847 in Dublin, is best remembered as the author of Dracula, a novel that has never been out of print since its publication in 1897. Despite suffering from illness in his early childhood, which left him bedridden until the age of seven, Stoker grew into an outstanding athlete and footballer during his years at Trinity College Dublin, where he earned a degree in mathematics. After spending a decade as a civil servant at Dublin Castle, Stoker became the manager of the famous actor Henry Irving, moving to London where he managed Irving’s career while pursuing his passion for writing in his spare time.
Dracula tells the story of a Transylvanian vampire who uses his supernatural powers to prey on the innocent in Victorian England. The novel’s immense popularity led to numerous adaptations in theatre, film, and television, securing its place as a cultural touchstone for generations. But Stoker’s accomplishments were not limited to his most famous work. He was a keen member of Dublin’s intellectual circles, founding the Dublin Sketching Club, and even attempted a daring rescue of a drowning man in the River Thames in 1882, although sadly, the man could not be revived.
Stoker’s personal life was also filled with fascinating details. His wife, Florence Balcombe, a woman of her own renown, had previously dated Oscar Wilde and was later embroiled in a legal battle with the creators of Nosferatu, an unauthorised film adaptation of Dracula. Stoker himself was known for his wit and charm, a popular figure in social circles, whose skill on the dancefloor was said to part crowds at glittering balls.
Stoker’s life, work, and enduring legacy are central to the festival that bears his name. Each year, festival-goers are invited to explore not only his gothic imagination but also the city he called home, offering a unique blend of high-energy events and haunting, atmospheric experiences. The 2024 Bram Stoker Festival promises to continue this tradition, allowing visitors to experience Dublin in a way only Stoker’s dark, mysterious world can inspire.
