The Irish Times Summer Nights Festival

This event has ended

Online, Monday 28th June - Thursday 1st July

The 2021 Irish Times Summer Nights online festival takes place from the end of June, with a host of high-profile guests including writers, politicians, and actors in conversation with Irish Times journalists.

The festival takes place over four evenings from Monday, June 28th, to Thursday, July 1st.

The final line-up has now been revealed. The guests for the festival’s opening night are CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan, economist and Irish Times columnist David McWilliams, and Moone Boy and Bridesmaids actor Chris O’Dowd.

Among those on the bill for the festival are actor Cillian Murphy, Women’s Six Nations star Linda Djougang, author Roddy Doyle, and singer Chris de Burgh, who will be in conversation with Ross O’Carroll-Kelly creator Paul Howard.

The festival will also feature an interview with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who will discuss her thoughts on a united Ireland with Irish Times columnist Kathy Sheridan.

International guests for the series include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maureen Dowd, novelist Elif Shafak, feminist writer Mona Eltahawy, and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, who will talk with Fintan O’Toole about the most pressing issues facing the world.

Among the other hosts are Irish Times writers and editors Jennifer O’Connell, Róisín Ingle, Hugh Linehan, Sorcha Pollak and Patrick Freyne.


Date:
Monday 28th June - Thursday 1st July
Time:
Varies
Price:
€25 - €50

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

What's on

Blood Brothers

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences. Few musicals have received quite such acclaim as the multi-award winning Blood Brothers. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only five musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its a

What's on

Dublin Bowie Festival

Various Locations

The Dublin Bowie Festival, the biggest arts festival in the world dedicated to David Bowie, returns from February 24th to March 1st 2026, featuring tribute bands, talks, exhibitions, DJs, screenings, and special guests Live Music, Q&A's, Memorabilia & Merch, Movies, Concert/Documentaries, Quiz & more. Check out the full programme details.

What's on

Scene + Heard Festival

Smock Alley Theatre

The Scene + Heard Festival is an annual Irish arts festival dedicated to nurturing and showcasing new creative works, often featuring experimental, never-before-seen theatre, music, and blended art forms from artists across Ireland. It provides a developmental platform for artists to present bold ideas and find collaborators, functioning as a "Festival of New Work" that lets audiences glimpse the future of Irish performance.