Dublin’s festival season has something for everyone

THE capital city is taking centre stage this autumn as a feast of theatrical, literary and musical festivals takes to the city’s streets.

‘Dublin Festival Season’ celebrates everything from arts, architecture, music, film and food, with many events taking place in the most unusual and unlikely of venues.

Here is just a taste of what to expect. See www.discoverireland.ie for more details

Take a capital catwalk

Don your glad rags and hit the catwalk for the Dublin Fashion Festival (from September 4 to 7), a glam event that brings fun and theatre back into shopping.

A host of chic fashion events will take place in over 250 shops, bars, restaurants and hotels over three colourful days.

Expect trendy pop-up shops to appear in the most unexpected places while fashionistas enjoy exclusive open air shows on Grafton Street and Henry Street as well as on the Luas at Stephen’s Green.

The Creative Quarter Fashion Show in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre (Friday, September 4) will showcase eclectic and unique offerings from Dublin’s fashion scene.

Enjoy some Fringe Benefits

Be a true culture vulture and immerse yourself in a sparkling and eclectic mix of theatre, comedy, music and street performance during the Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival (September 5 to 20).

With over 600 events, 84 different shows and 40 venues this is a platform for emerging Irish talent and a magnet for the best in contemporary international theatre and dance shows.

The festival features a gala performance of Harp on the Samuel Beckett Bridge, a concert series in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar and Chaos, the hilarious new show from the Lord of Struts in the Peacock Theatre (September 10 – 13).

Book into Dun Laoghaire

Turn over a new leaf in Dun Laoghaire for an internationally renowned festival with a great local tilt and make a date with the Mountains to Sea Book Festival in Dun Laoghaire (September 11- 14).

Feast on fine writing, fiction, poetry, workshops and picnics against a backdrop of a splendid coastline and the stunning Wicklow Mountains.

Meet world renowned writers Martin Amis, Lynn Barber, John Boyne, Anthony Cronin and try your own hand at writing at one of the Creative Writing Workshops with Jane Casey, Anna Carey and Patrick Freyne. Oh and don’t forget to bring the little bookworms. The family programme features a Dal Factor workshop and a Where’s Wally Library Hunt.

Dublin Coffee & Tea Festival

The inaugural Dublin Coffee & Tea Festival 2014 will take place from September 12 – 14 at the RDS.

Coupled with the widest variety of coffee and tea blends the country has ever seen under one roof, the Dublin Coffee & Tea Festival will be brimming with lots of tasty opportunities to tickle the taste buds of coffee and tea lovers and indeed demonstrate the ever-sophisticated offering on the market today.

Highlights will include The Roasters Village, The Peoples Stage, The Cupping Room, The National Barista Semi Finals and the new Home Barista Championships!

Hop to Oktoberfest

Brew up a capital break swilling back fine Bavarian beer washed down with specialty German food during Oktoberfest on Georges Dock (September 18 – October 5). All of the action takes place in a massive atmospheric quayside marquee with dozens of different beers served by 24 authentic Oktoberfest barmaids. Challenge your friends to take part in the Bavarian Games – and learn to sing a yodel or dance a polka with traditional Bavarian musicians.

Stay up all Night for Culture

Stay up way past your bedtime for Dublin Culture Night (September 19), when museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, and artists’ studios open their doors for free entertainment, adventure and discovery. Join in some of the hundreds of talks, tours, performances and events in venues including The Dublin Writers Museum and visit the An Post Museum in Dublin’s GPO.

‘Letters, Lives and Liberty’ is a fascinating exhibition exploring the role of the Post Office in Irish life. Take part in the An Post children’s quiz.

The GPO will come alive with Latin sounds with a performance by Dublin Tangouseum, Gallery Number One and Trinity College Library. The Abbey Theatre invites people to take part in a special one-hour workshop while the little ones can battle it out for the An Post children’s Quiz in the GPO.

Get into the act for Dublin Theatre Festival

Book your seats for the best of Irish and international drama at the Dublin Theatre Festival (September 25 – October 12), the hottest ticket in town for those wanting to add a little drama to their lives.

This year’s festival features over 10 world premiere productions from Irish writers and companies as well as an extensive array of international work. Love/Hate star Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Ciarán Hinds and Sinéad Cusack will take to the stage at the Abbey Theatre for Our Few and Evil Days, a new work by Mark O’Rowe.

Eimear McBride’s novel A Girl is a Half-formed Thing will be adapted for the stage by Annie Ryan of The Corn Exchange with actress Aoife Duffin (Moone Boy) taking the lead role. And Hugo Hamilton’s play The Mariner will have its world premiere at The Gate Theatre.

Open up to Architecture

Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors? Find out with Open House Dublin (October 17 – 19), an inspiring celebration of architecture designed to get you up close and personal with some of the city’s most famous and interesting buildings.

Buildings of all types and periods will open their doors to special tours, all completely free! The iconic US Embassy building in Dublin will open to the public for the first time – and you will also get a sneak preview of dlr LexIcon, the official name for the new Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Central Library and Cultural Centre.

Raise the Roof!

If you want to see some great emerging Irish music talent don’t miss Hard Working Class Heroes (October 2 to 4), Ireland’s annual showcase for new music with over 100 bands playing over three days.

This year’s line-up includes A Lazarus Soul, Benihana, Carriages, Walpurgis Family and Yes Cadet – some of whom may be household names this time next year. Venues include The Button Factory, Workman’s Club, The Mercantile, Bad Bob’s, Grand Social and Meeting House Square.

Get spooked

Celebrate all things ghoulish during the Bram Stoker Festival (October 24 – 27), inspired by Dublin horror novelist Bram Stoker and his gothic novel ‘Dracula’.

The festival will celebrate all things macabre, strange and supernatural, mixed with some good-old fashioned Halloween fun.

Gorge yourself on free pop-up performances of spine-chilling street theatre; get lost on the Vampire Hunt and watch out for blood curdling literary happenings during terrifying theatre! www.bramstokerfestival.com

Don’t miss this spectacular festival season. Plan your events with discoverireland.ie