Dublin’s Christmas lights will stay on into January as part of an expanded festive programme that will bring a second TwinkleTown to the city.
Dublin City Council says it will extend its lighting programme beyond December, with Christmas-themed projections planned for the GPO and City Hall.
A large digital projection is also planned for a location that has yet to be announced.
TwinkleTown will return to Smithfield Square, where the council says it attracted 600,000 visitors last year.
A second event will be held for the first time in St Patrick’s Park in the Liberties, with lights, carousels and performances by Sing Ireland choirs.
Smithfield’s programme will include ice skating, a Big Wheel, the Santo Panto, a vintage funfair, live music, festive food and an Irish makers’ market.
Both TwinkleTown locations will offer sensory-friendly experiences.
The council’s TwinkleTrail will also expand through the city centre.
Plans include up to 20 illuminated stars on O’Connell Street, along with new displays and installations elsewhere on the route. The council says it is still finalising some elements of the trail.
Familiar Dublin Winter Lights displays will return in December, including lighting on the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the rainbow lights on the Millennium Bridge.
The Lord Mayor’s Christmas card competition will also feature at Palace Street.
The IFA Live Animal Crib will return to the Mansion House, which will have a canopy of lights outside and a sensory space for visitors who need a break from the bustle of the city centre.
In Barnardo Square, children’s Christmas drawings will be projected onto the side of a building.
Winning entries in the Lord Mayor’s Children’s Art Competition will become Lord Mayor Daryl Barron’s official Christmas card.
More than 30 Christmas trees will be lit across the city and its communities, including a tree over 13 metres tall on O’Connell Street.
Local tree-lighting ceremonies are also planned.
Christmas markets in Temple Bar, Inchicore, Smithfield and the Liberties will feature alongside the Henry Street, Mary Street and Moore Street markets.
The council’s “Feel Dublin City Twinkle” campaign will promote the markets, shopping and nightlife throughout the festive season.
Dublin City Council also says it is preparing an application for the city to become the European Capital of Christmas.
The full programme is due to be announced in November.