Culture Night – Ireland’s Biggest Party on this Friday!

Are you ready for Ireland’s biggest party? Culture Night is taking place this Friday the 20th of September, following last year’s extraordinary success, where 1.2 million people participated in over 1,700 free cultural events around the country.

This year, Culture Night aims to be even more inclusive, accessible and diverse while showcasing the best of both the traditional and evolving arts in Ireland. 

How to Culture Night

This year’s events take place in every county, and in both urban and rural spaces. All activities on Culture Night are free, and Culture Night Late will also return with an additional 45 free events running late into the night, meaning you can participate anytime!

There are many ways people can Culture Night, whether taking a tour, joining a visual arts workshop, moving to the music at a gig or giving something new a go. With something for all needs and all preferences, audiences can check the Culture Night website to find out about accessibility and what will suit them here. For anyone unsure how to Culture Night as a family, on a date, or with limited mobility, the website www.culturenight.ie has the answers The website and social channels will provide updates on new events added right up until September 20^th. 

Highlights from around the country, for all ages and interests include:  

• A Stitch in Time – Upcycling Workshop, Rathangan Kildare will provide tips and skills to get the best out of clothes and household fabric items. Attendees can bring along three to five items of pre-loved clothes or textiles (all other materials supplied) to be repaired, upcycled or recreated into something new. No sewing experience necessary; from repairing a loose stitch to adding lace sleeves or cutting down a neckline, it’s all possible with a little guidance. This is a fun, creative and informative workshop suitable for all. 

• Mullingar Town Band Concert, Mullingar is delighted to present an entertaining music performance with Colourguard in Market Square, Mullingar for Culture Night 2024. 
  
• Drop-in ‘Myths and Monstrosities’ Workshop at Luan Gallery, Athlone will allow participants to be guided in creating their own figurine of a monster or mythical creature using craft materials. Responding to the themes of “the monstrous other” and mythology present in Kevin Mooney’s exhibition Tuberculosis, participants will engage in critical discussion with the facilitator about the concept of monstrosity and the use of myth in our everyday. 

• Spark a Love of Stories with Ireland’s Children’s Book Artists, Dublin City invites visitors to join Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde and some of Ireland’s finest children’s authors and illustrators for an enchanting evening of live-storytelling in the window of Dubray Bookstore on Grafton Street.

• Reels on the Bus, Longford is an interactive traditional music workshop and live trad music session open to secondary school students in Longford. Reels on the Bus aims to introduce young people to Irish traditional music with a one-hour workshop in bodhrán playing. This immersive workshop is open to complete beginners and experienced musicians who will learn how to accompany live traditional music in a fun, collaborative environment. 

• Wild & Fired Indian BBQ Feast With Rooh Vodka, Derry – Londonderry invites guests tojoin Lo & Slo at the stunning Walled Garden of Brook Hall Estate for an unforgettable gastronomic BBQ fusion event. Guests will enjoy exclusive cocktails crafted by the renowned mixologist Dee Coll, the “Cocktail Man.” and a delicious three-course fire-cooked feast that marries the bold spices of Lee’s Punjabi roots with the smoky allure of Emily’s American BBQ.

• Going Global – A Global Citizenship Education Workshop, Leitrim. Leitrim Volunteer Centre and Comhlámh are hosting an afternoon workshop exploring and striving to create space for open inquiry, exploration of the complex, interdependent and unequal world of which we are part, and the envisaging of a more just and sustainable future for all.

• DoodleSong, in Clonakilty, Cork is an event for three to six year olds and their adults together to sing and take their crayons for a spin. With a paper covered floor as the artistic space there will be singsongs and tales of ancient Ireland, of boats and voyages, of storms and magical waves.

• Dublin Ink Tattoo Culture Experience, Temple Bar and Creative Quarter, Dublin City provides an opportunity to experience the art of tattooing in a unique and fun way as the talented artists at Dublin Ink share their skills and show visitors how to tattoo – using bananas! 

• Westport FRC Multicultural Evening, Westport, Mayo will take place at Sacred Heart School in Westport. This family-friendly event celebrates the rich tapestry of cultures in the community with an engaging array of activities. Attendees can explore tables representing various countries, enjoy traditional foods, crafts, and cultural displays. A world map will be set up for guests to mark their places of origin, and many participants will showcase their beautiful traditional attire.

• ‘Critters’ – A Sculpture And Performance Trail, Letterkenny, Donegal is sure to be an unforgettable evening as Inishowen Carnival presents a sculpture and performance trail through Letterkenny Town Park. 

Culture Night Late

Once again Culture Night Late returns with a series of events running later into the night and many into the early hours. Highlights from this year’s Culture Night Late programme include:  

• Lumina, in Tuam, Galway, is a breathtaking nighttime event that will captivate audiences as the facade of the Tuam Cathedral is transformed into a canvas of light and sound through projections and live choral performances. 

• Top 8 Culture Night Late, Limerick aims to nurture Ireland’s ever growing and vibrant Street Dance and Hip Hop culture. This event will take place across two venues in Limerick City, showcasing the rich and underground culture of neo-Irish-Afrolism and celebrating the very best in music with DJs like Limerick based Ceese and Gxrl Code’s Mona Lxsa.

• Meeting House Square: JyellowL, Temple Bar and Creative Quarter, Dublin City will seeJyellowL bring something for every mood to the stage at Meeting House Square. Giving a high energy performance with impactful lyricism, his dynamic songs are both personal and urgent, and are sure to both make people move while also touching hearts. Other performances at Meeting House Square include BPM Collective, Culchie Goth among others.

• OTHERWORLD, Galway City follows the huge success of Culture Night 2023, as Outset Gallery in collaboration with producer Emmet Kerrigan proudly present “”OTHERWORLD””. This is an ambitious multidisciplinary arts event that promises to guide audiences through an expansive landscape, spanning multiple areas, stages and showcasing stellar music acts from Galway and beyond.

• Way Of The West X Connollys Of Leap, Cork invites audiences to experience the magic of Culture Night with Way of the West (WOTW) – a Late Night Event of music and art. The lineup features some of the most exciting names in the music scene, including Darren Emerson, JFDR, Curtisy, Billy Scurry, Arveene, Bon Voyage, Dj Iphone Charger and Little O. 

Following on from its success last year, the Arts Council’s book-gifting project Read Mór is back for a third year. This year, the Arts Council is partnering with the Irish Prison Service on Culture Night to gift a curated list of titles from Irish and Irish-based authors within all prisons nationally. 

Live Broadcasting Options

RTÉ proudly supports Culture Night, broadcasting  across radio, television and online  from  multiple regional venues from 7pm on Friday 20^th September.  RTÉ One and RTÉ Player will broadcast a music and arts extravaganza featuring the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. David Gray and Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s pre-recorded performance from Sceilg Mhichíl and artists Villagers, Joe Chester, Gemma Hayes and Edwina Guckian will also perform as part of the RTÉ show. 

There will be an RTÉ Radio 1 Arena special outside broadcast live from the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, with music, chat and performance. 2FM Rising on Culture Night offers an unmissable night of live music in the Róisín Dubh Galway with a selection of some of the most exciting Irish music acts including Big Sleep, Chubby Cat, Brad Heidi and more. 2FM’sThe Tracy Clifford Show will be live from Galway, teeing up Beta Da Silva who will host a 3-hour live broadcast, bringing you all the action from the event.  

RTÉ lyric fm brings Ambient Orbit, a live event on Culture Night at Trinity College, Dublin in partnership with the Douglas Hyde Gallery. Ar RTÉ Raidío na Gaeltachta beidh an Clár Cuireadh Chun Ceoil le Peadar Ó Riada a chraoltar ar an Aoine ó 7pm – 9pm. RTÉ is also supporting Culture Night across TV, radio, online and social through the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme.

For more information on Culture Night and to keep up with new additions to the programme, go to www.culturenight.ie or join the conversation on social media channels using #OneNightForAll and/or #OícheDarSaol at Culture Night Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.