Inaugural Dublin City Council Liffey Festival

Historic 106th Liffey Swim, Pelican of London Tall Ship, vessel visits, aerial spectacle, jet pack displays, activities on the water, walking tours, maritime talks, Viking stories, live music, street theatre, fairground attractions, and the Dublin City Council Liffey Festival Flotilla are among the highlights of a new, two-day festival inviting Dubliners and visitors to get out, get involved and rediscover the River Liffey.

The River Liffey will take centre stage this September as the Dublin City Council Liffey Festival, a brand-new festival for all ages, transforms the river and its quays into one continuous waterside celebration.

Taking place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September from 12 noon to 6pm daily, Dublin City Council Liffey Festival will stretch from Sir John Rogerson’s Quay across to Custom House Quay and George’s Dock and onto the River Liffey itself. The festival is free for all to attend, with a small number of paid activities, some of which can be booked in advance soon at dublinliffeyfestival.ie

Over two days, the public can get out on the water, try a new sport, step aboard visiting ships, follow the historic Liffey Swim, join walking tours, discover the stories of the river, watch spectacular aerial and jet pack displays, enjoy live music and street performance, and gather along the quays for Sunday’s Dublin City Council Liffey Festival Flotilla.

Encouraging Dubliners and visitors alike to attend, Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron said, “Dublin City Council is proud to launch the inaugural Dublin City Council Liffey Festival, a new free event celebrating the river that has shaped our city’s history, culture and communities.

“Over two days, the Liffey and its quays will come alive with a fantastic programme of activities, performances, maritime experiences and family-friendly entertainment. This festival is about reconnecting people with Dublin’s river and showcasing everything it offers today. I encourage everyone to come along, explore the quays, get involved and enjoy this unique celebration of the heart of our capital city.”

The story of Dublin is inseparable from the Liffey. From Viking settlement and trading port to the development of the quays, docklands and maritime industries, the river has shaped the city for centuries. Dublin City Council Liffey Festival invites a new generation to experience that story for themselves, not simply from the banks, but on, beside and along the river.

One of Dublin’s great sporting traditions will open Dublin City Council Liffey Festival on Saturday as the 106th Dublin City Council Dublin City Liffey Swim takes to the water.

First held in 1920, the race will begin at Rory O’More Bridge, where the Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron and President of Swim Ireland Joe McCarthy will mark the start with a rendition of Dublin’s unofficial anthem, Molly Malone.

Swimmers will then race through the heart of the city to the finish at the steps of Custom House Quay, where the medal ceremony will take place.

For those who want to experience the river themselves, HQ2O Watersports will offer discounted pre-booked opportunities to try katakanus, currachs and hydrobikes. Across the weekend, the water will feature a variety of paddle activities in conjunction with Canoeing Ireland, along with various water displays and spectacular jet pack performances.

Dublin’s maritime heritage will sail directly into Dublin City Council Liffey Festival at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, where the impressive Class A Tall Ship Pelican of London and the RCC Cosaint, the Revenue Commissioners brand new cutter which patrols Ireland’s coastline, will be among the visiting vessels.

Festivalgoers will be able to step aboard selected ships for free public visits, while performances, talks and activity will bring the quayside to life. Further visiting vessels will be announced ahead of the festival.

The public can delve deeper into the stories of the river at Live at the Liffey, a dedicated stage on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay bringing together history, heritage and storytelling inspired by the Liffey and Dublin’s Docklands.

A varied programme of talks will explore the many layers of the river’s story, from Dublin’s maritime and archaeological heritage to the lives and memories of its dock workers and the social history of the city.

Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director at Dublin Port Company, will present Dublin Port: Unlocking Our Maritime Heritage – Fostering Inspiration and Innovation, while archaeologist Dr Niall Brady, Director of the Archaeological Diving Company, will explore the archaeology of the river and estuary. Declan Byrne of the Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society and John Miley Walsh will share stories and memories of Dublin’s dock-working communities.

Renowned Dublin historian and tour guide Pat Liddy will present The Liffey: The River that Made Dublin, while historian, author and broadcaster Donal Fallon will present Hidden Histories of Dublin’s Docklands: Diving Bells and Dockers and Dublin and the Great Hunger: The Jeanie Johnston and Other Stories. The programme will also bring the past to life through storytelling with Candlelit Tales, alongside further sessions exploring themes including the biodiversity of the Liffey and Dublin’s Viking heritage.

At George’s Dock, guided tours will take the story beyond the stage and onto the waterfront. The Liffey Waterfront: From Boom to Decline and Back Again will reveal the characters, landmarks and hidden histories that have shaped the river and its quays.

Throughout the weekend, the quays will become festival spaces in their own right, with live music, street theatre, craft workshops, all ages activities, face painting, food and drink and fairground attractions, giving visitors plenty to discover as they move between the different festival hubs.

Custom House Quay will host the Liffey Swim finish on Saturday alongside entertainment and on-water spectacle, before paddle activities with Canoeing Ireland, aerial performances and jet pack displays take over the river on Sunday.

Across the water, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay will combine visiting vessels with live performances, talks, workshops, street entertainment, food and fairground attractions, creating a second major waterside festival hub.

And on Sunday, everyone is invited to line the quays for a fitting finale as the river becomes the main stage for the Dublin City Council Liffey Festival Flotilla. Local boats, rowing clubs and community vessels will gather at Custom House Quay before travelling together along the Liffey towards Dublin Port, with Glasshouse Ensemble providing an eight-piece orchestral and vocal backdrop as citizens gather along the Quays in celebration of the communities who use, enjoy and care for Dublin’s River Liffey today.

Dublin City Council Liffey Festival takes place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026, from 12 noon to 6pm daily, across Custom House Quay, George’s Dock, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and the River Liffey. The festival is free for all to attend, with a small number of paid activities, some of which can be booked in advance at dublinliffeyfestival.ie

Come down, get on the water, explore the quays and experience Dublin from the river that helped shape the city.

Further programme information, additional visiting ships and details of activities requiring advance booking will be announced at dublinliffeyfestival.ie