What’s Been Happening & What’s Next
Stay tuned to what’s happened and what’s coming after 6 pm with the latest events and late-night initiatives on the lineup!
Dublin Nights Together Stage
Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Economy Office was delighted to support a new Dublin Nights Together Stage on Capel Street at this year’s Dublin by Night Fest, which brought an exciting lineup of emerging musical talent to the heart of the city on Saturday, 7th November.
Supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the stage featured a diverse selection of Irish artists, including Alky, Hannah Mc Connell, The Wu and Delush, offering audiences the chance to discover new music and enjoy free live performances in the city centre.
Dublin Book Festival After Dark
Dublin Book Festival After Dark returned for its third year, supported by Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Economy Programme, bringing an exciting mix of literature, music, poetry, spoken word and lively conversation to venues across the city.
Taking place from 6pm onwards, the 25 strong programme celebrated Dublin’s vibrant evening cultural scene, with events featuring some of Ireland’s most exciting writers, performers and creative voices.
Highlights included an opening night celebrating Irish women’s writing, conversations with acclaimed authors Kevin Barry and Colm O’Regan, live music, poetry performances, literary discussions, comedy, quizzes and even karaoke.
Events took place in a range of venues including The Grafton Hotel, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Poetry Ireland, Museum of Literature Ireland and Teeling Distillery.
DBF After Dark was part of Dublin City Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting a diverse, accessible and thriving night-time cultural offering across the city.
Dublin Book Festival After Dark Programme
Night Bites at Bram Stoker Festival
Night Bites, presented in association with the Dublin City Council Night-Time Economy Advisor, brought a series of affordable, hands-on creative experiences to Bram Stoker Festival in October.
From Gothic life drawing and lino printing to Drink & Draw, Sip & Sculpt, textile workshops and paper theatre, Night Bites offered a different way to experience Dublin after dark, putting creativity, participation and culture at the heart of the night-time economy.
The programme proved hugely popular, with all Night Bites events selling out, demonstrating the appetite for accessible and creative cultural experiences in Dublin at night.
Nocturnal Beats: Bringing Dublin to Life
In September, Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Economy Advisor and Dublin Fringe Festival came together for Nocturnal Beats – a celebration of the artists, venues, promoters and audiences who bring Dublin to life after dark.
Supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Nocturnal Beats spotlighted a vibrant trail of night-time events, performances and cultural experiences taking place across Dublin Fringe Festival 2026.
From live music and club culture to cabaret, drag, dance floors and immersive performance, the programme celebrated the energy, creativity and diversity of Dublin at night – and recognises nightlife as an important part of the city’s cultural life. Together, we championed nightlife as culture.
Bright Nights, Big City: A conversation about the future of Dublin after dark
Bright Nights, Big City brought together leading figures from hospitality, music, culture, major events and night-time policy in Ireland and internationally for a day-long conversation about Dublin after dark — and where the city goes next.
It took place at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, 22 September, and the conference explored the future of the Dublin pub, the journey from grassroots music venues to arenas, international night-time policy, club culture and safety, culture after dark, and the role major events can play in the future of the city.
Speakers from Dublin and across Ireland were joined by international voices from Amsterdam, Bristol, Belfast, Spain and the UK, bringing together people who run pubs and clubs, grassroots venues and major events alongside those shaping night-time policy in cities across Europe.
Bright Nights, Big City was organised by Dublin City Council’s Night-Time Economy Advisor and AIM Ireland, with support from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
