Freaky stories and deadly events to mark Halloween

DUBLIN will be getting darker over the October Bank Holiday weekend as the city celebrates Halloween.

The Bram Stoker Festival, running from October 28 – 31, will feature four days of living stories and four nights of deadly events as it marks Dublin’s supernatural traditions and its most famous gothic son.

The packed programme includes theatre, spectacles, visual arts and music in haunting locations across the city.

By day, the Bram Stoker Festival programme presents gothic intrigue at family-friendly events, talks and interactive experiences.

At night, the city will embrace the darkness as a host of venues deliver deadly adventures for festival goers in search of macabre thrills and late-night parties.

The culturally curious will enjoy Dracula Live (Saturday, October 29) at National Concert Hall which sees leading Irish musicians Matthew Nolan and Sean MacErlaine perform a specially created deathly new score for Todd Browning’s 1931 classic movie ‘Dracula’.

Meanwhile, the Horror Expo on Sunday, October 30, set in the stunning surrounds of the Freemasons Grand Lodge will deliver a one of a kind event which promises to please the most ardent of horror fans.

There’s lots of fun for families too. Stokerland on October 29 and 30 will see St Patrick’s Park transform into a pop-up gothic fun park with the macabre talents of world class street-performers alongside rides and attractions to ensure a fangtastic time for all.

The magnificent Marsh’s Library plays host to Tales From the Shadows: Gothic Tales, on Saturday 29, a beautiful shadow puppet show with devious devils, vengeful vampires, gloating goblins and sorrowful spectres. Spooktacular events for kids at The Ark in Temple Bar include The Bram Jam (October 30 and 31), Draculas Spooky Underground Sound Lab (Sunday 30) and Dracula’s Disco (Monday 31) where Dracula’s very own DJ Will Softly will be spinning the decks and scratching vinyl at an energetic set for young zombies, ghosts and music-loving monsters.

Across  the city  thrill-seekers are invited to Glasnevin’s Botanic Gardens for Nightmare Plants (Friday 28), an immersive performance and after-dark experience like no other seen this year.

Master-storytellers and creators of stunning, brilliant chaos, and big, bold, visual spectacles, Macnas, will summon spirits and awaken the ghosts with Sleep No More on Monday 31, a new parade on Henry Street and Moore Street  while Bleedin’ Deadly (October 28 – 31) in the atmospheric Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital is a raucous celebration of a time when the Freak Show dominated in all its shocking glory.

The Bram Stoker Festival is currently looking to gather a team of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteersto join their Festival Family of Monsters. Throughout the festival they will be meeting, greeting and scaring audiences, while encouraging them to bring out their darker side at the night time events.

Download the application form from www.bramstokerfestival.com.