Dublin streets to turn into open-air dance floors for Culture Night

Get ready for an evening filled with creativity as Culture Night Dublin marks its 19th edition this Friday, 20 September.

Thousands of people are expected to participate in the annual celebration of arts and culture, featuring a wide range of activities from theatre, music, and dance to podcasting, painting, and poetry. From the capital’s iconic heritage sites to its quirky off-beat arts venues, all events are completely free to attend, inviting everyone of all ages to join the celebrations.

From 9pm on Culture Night, a new initiative called “City Sounds”, supported by Dublin City Council, will highlight Ireland’s growing soundsystem culture, transforming a number of Dublin’s streets into outdoor dance floors.

Essex Street will showcase the iconic Bang Bike mobile sound system, playing old-school classics. Capel Street, will host a lineup of Techno DJs curated by Interruption and Central Plaza will feature the Cork-based collective Rise Up Soundsystem.

Speaking at the announcement of the City Sounds programme Conor “Jonezy” Jones, of Rise Up Soundsystem encouraged members of the public to come join the celebrations:

“Visitors to Dublin city this Culture Night are in for a fantastic experience! We will be hosting an open-air party at Central Plaza on Dame Street, celebrating electronic music and soundsystem culture. A variety of DJs will be performing genres including bass-heavy tracks, reggae, dancehall, garage, and jungle. This event promises to be a unique occasion and first for Dublin city. I encourage people of all ages to come by, you won’t be disappointed.”

Earlier in the evening, a Brazilian edition of City Sounds will see Central Plaza transform into a “Brazilian paradise” with introductory classes in Brazilian Forró dance, along with performances by Dublin’s renowned samba group, 353 Samba Club, celebrated for their electrifying rhythms and engaging stage presence.

This year’s programme also includes several specially commissioned events supported by Dublin City Council. Meeting House Square will be a hive activity with everything from neurodivergent-friendly circus spectacle and “Queer Set Dancing” to live performances from the likes of Culchie Goth, Roo Honeychild, JyellowL and a host of electronic DJs curated by BPM Energy Ltd.

At Wood Quay Amphitheatre, a unique Culture Night event will honour Mongolian culture, featuring traditional Mongolian throat singing, dance, and music that is distinctive to Mongolia. Additionally, a unique bi-lingual cabaret show will showcase several spectacular divas celebrating the beauty of the Irish language.

For those looking to continue the celebrations into the early hours, the “Nocturnal Beats” Late Night Venue Trail will showcase electronic music and DJ culture across a host of nightclubs, late-night bars, and cultural spaces across the city.

Museums and heritage sites will be open until late on Culture Night with many hosting specially curated events. The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) will present Earth Rising, a festival of free events aimed at addressing the climate crisis. Over at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral there will be choral performance by the Cathedral Choristers and the Abbey Presbyterian Church will feature an event showcasing music, art, and a tasting of African cuisine. Elsewhere, younger visitors will enjoy the 3-D making workshops at Chester Beatty.

The Wood Quay Amphitheatre will host “Seisiún Palaistíneach,” a concert blending Irish and Palestinian traditional music, featuring artists including Dr. Abdullah Al Bayyari and members of the Irish Trad music group Faró. There will also be opportunities to learn the Dabkeh, the traditional dance of Palestine. Elsewhere, a pop-up project titled “Dancing With Strangers: From Palestine to Ireland,” will invite public participation through remotely guided dance routines by Palestinian dancers affected by the ongoing conflict.

Culture Night is a great opportunity to take a deep dive into the Dublin visual arts scene with many notable exhibitions taking place on the night.  Flux Studio on Chatham Row is set to launch its new artist studios with a group show from its members. Graphic Studio Gallery will host a solo exhibition featuring Ailbhe Barrett, along with an opportunity to explore printmaking. Pallas Projects and Studios will conduct tours of their latest exhibition by artist Neva Elliott and The Hungarian Embassy will present a captivating exhibition highlighting the Weeping Virgin Mother of Gyo?r, known as the Irish Madonna.

Culture Night Dublin will take place this Friday, 20th September. Supported by Dublin City Council and The Arts Council of Ireland. The full programme of events is now live. See culturenight.ie/Dublin