Seven packed days of culture, performance, walks and late evening events beckon in Dublin's coolest postcode!
09.04.26
The programme for the 2026 edition of Culture Date With Dublin 8 has been announced. Running from 4th to 10th May, the festival promises over 100 events over 7 fun-filled days all across some of the city’s most historic and creative neighbourhoods.
This year’s festival unfolds through two central themes. ‘Songlines of the City’ invites audiences to experience Dublin 8 as a living map of memory, story and connection, shaped by the voices, movements and rhythms of the people who pass through it. Alongside this, ‘Gulliver 300’ marks 300 years since the publication of Jonathan Swift’s famous Gulliver’s Travels, celebrating the enduring power of satire, imagination and perspective, and Swift’s deep ties to Dublin 8.
With over 100 events on the programme, created in collaboration with cultural organisations, artists, venues and community groups across the area, audiences can explore a rich and varied mix of performances, live music, spoken word, podcasts, history talks, workshops, walks, singing sessions and hands-on activities for all ages. From intimate cultural experiences to large-scale moments, the festival opens up Dublin 8 in new and unexpected ways.
As day turns to night, the exciting Late in D8 programme brings the city to life after dark, with an eclectic series of music, performance and late-night events across venues throughout the neighbourhood.
From performances and exhibitions to walks, talks and after-dark moments, there’s something for everyone to discover!
Visit www.culturedatewithdublin8.ie for details of all events or follow on socials @culturedatewithdublin8
The Guinness Choir will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a special concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday, 7th May. The title of the event, “The City of Our Dreaming,” comes from a poem commissioned by Paula Meehan to mark the occasion.
Author and podcaster Donal Fallon hosts In The Ring: Dan Donnelly & Dublin’s Boxing Heroes at the National Stadium on Saturday 9th May - a unique event celebrating the legendary 19th-century bare-knuckle boxer. Blending boxing history with poetry, music and live performance, the evening features contributions from Damien Dempsey, Brian Kerr, Barry McGovern, Kelly McLoughlin, Terry O’Neill, Niamh Ní Charra and Emmet O’Brien.
The First Count: A Night in 1926 takes place at The Fumbally Stables on Wednesday 6th May, hosted by Shite Talk: An Irish History Podcast. This immersive “Reeling in the Years”-style experience brings the first census of the Irish Free State vividly to life through live music, performance, food and storytelling in the heart of The Liberties.
Highlights include a keynote lecture by Swift scholar Dr Brendan Twomey at St Patrick’s University Hospital, examining the themes and cultural impact of Gulliver’s Travels, followed by a guided walk and rare access to the historic Board Room, where guests can view a selection of Swift artefacts including his writing desk and death mask. Swift’s Dublin, a specially curated walking tour, will trace the writer’s connections to the city, from St Patrick’s Cathedral to the streets and spaces that shaped his work.
The Church of St Catherine & St James in Donore is set to become a uniquely atmospheric setting for a series of standout performances, with Tom Dunne, Fiachna O'Braonáin and Alan Connor performing on Wednesday 6 May, followed by Phelim Drew bringing his Remembering Ronnie show to the space on Thursday 7 May.
Discover Dublin 8 through a series of distinctive tours and talks that reveal the area’s hidden histories and lesser-told stories. Highlights include a special Alternative Tour of Kilmainham Gaol, offering rare access to parts of the prison not usually open to the public, and The Lost Prisons of Dublin 8, a walking tour uncovering the sites of long-forgotten jails across the city. Dublin Decoded leads a Hidden Portobello tour exploring the area’s rich past as “Little Jerusalem” and its connections to literature, film and migration, while The National Archives of Ireland presents 1926 Census clinics, giving audiences the chance to explore this landmark moment in Irish history with expert guidance.
Highlights include a screening of Chats in the Flats at Donore Credit Union, capturing working-class voices from the community, alongside exhibitions by Liberties-based artists Duc Van Pham and Valerie Gannon, offering intimate portraits of people and everyday life in the area. At Tailors’ Hall, Throwing Shapes Artist in Residence Camilla Hanney presents her ceramic installation A Liberties Feast, a striking and immersive work rooted in local tradition.
1,000 Waves: Hands of the City, an interactive art ritual by Unity in the Community, invites participants to explore belonging through shared stories and collective expression, while projects from The Liberties Community Project and The Robert Emmet History Group, and The Tenters Celebrated Heritage Group, highlight the depth of local knowledge and lived experience. Dublin City Council Culture Company opens up Kilmainham Mill through its Culture Club series, and events such as The Story of Inchicore and Kilmainham in Seven Landmarks and a creative celebration of the River Camac by Friends of the Camac further connect people to place, memory and identity.
Dublin 8 art party hosted by Drink and Draw with Alternative Dublin at Drop Dead Twice, socially engaged projects by NCAD students at Studio 8 in the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and an exhibition trail by artists Ishmael Claxton, Jye O'Sullivan and María Baez embedded in local businesses.
