Culture Night is back this Friday September 18th with over a thousand free events across the country. Here are the music picks worth leaving the house for, county by county, from techno and hardcore punk to a Planxty listening party.
Culture Night Late is where a lot of the good stuff happens, with funded late-night events running past 9pm in towns and cities nationwide. Everything is free, but a few events need booking, so check the links.
Dublin alone has over 300 events this year. For the full city picture, read our Culture Night Dublin overview.
Jump to a county
- Dublin: Bolands Mills, Meeting House Square, Avenue 68, John Francis Flynn, Soul Juice, k8olo and Mooncup, Super Average DJs, Raidió na Life, Faceless Tribe, The R.A.G.E., Pygmalion, Squalor Magazine, Wigwam, Zeztra, Trinity Orchestra, Dafe Orugbo, Róisín El Cherif, Parthalán
- Belfast: ill Records, Oh Yeah, Tetto x Disco Italiano, Black Box
- Cork: The Devil’s In The Dance Hall, How I Became A Wave, The Wran, Leevy, ÉIST x Ár n-Áit
- Galway: Split The Bill, Heron Red, Studio@5
- Kildare: Planxty listening party, The Record Rack
- Kilkenny: Synaesthetic, Nialler9 Block Party
- Limerick: Sionna x Trad Folkin’ Rocks with Phil Hartnoll (Orbital)
- Louth: Sunil Sharpe, Spiral, Oíche Blas do Theanga, Rua Rí, David Keenan
- Mayo: Paddy Hanna
- Sligo: Minor Disturbance, The Amniotics
- Tipperary: IMLÉ
- Waterford: The Slinkies
- Wicklow: Jayne Pomplas, Luke Coffey and Patrick Stefan
Dublin
AE MAK, Sorcha Richardson, Zaska @ Bolands Mills
Bolands Mills, Grand Canal Dock, 6:30pm to 9:30pm
A big one in Dublin. Three of the best Irish acts around take over The Factory, the stage where U2 and Bowie once played. Sorcha Richardson arrives fresh from Draw The Outline alongside art-pop favourite AE MAK and and there’s art, storytelling and movement across the site.
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- AE MAK (The Factory)
- Sorcha Richardson (The Factory)
- Zaska (The Factory)
- Marcus O’Laoire, extended vinyl listening set (Grindstone)
- TBA stripped-back set (Daphni – Bricknasty had to pull out due to illlness)
Meeting House Square
Meeting House Square, Temple Bar
The main open-air music hub in the city for the night, closing with Kilkenny sibling folk-rock band Burnchurch, deadly rapper Celaviedmai and Irish-language rapper and folklorist Blue Niall brings his hip-hop and Celtic mythology project in the early evening among others.
- Holly Munro (5:55pm)
- Blue Niall (6:35pm)
- Pier (7:15pm)
- Celaviedmai (8pm)
- Jessie & The Veil (8:45pm)
- Asha Ari (9:35pm)
- Burnchurch (10:30pm)
Avenue 68 @ Wood Quay Amphitheatre
Wood Quay Amphitheatre, 4:30pm
The Dublin five-piece Avenue 68 bring their R&B, jazz and funk grooves to the riverside amphitheatre early in the evening, fresh from a sold-out Whelan’s and a summer of festivals including Electric Picnic.
John Francis Flynn @ Roe & Co Distillery
Roe & Co Distillery, James’s Street, 7pm to 10:30pm. Booking required, 18+.
NASC, Zoë (Bonnie) Redmond’s conversation series, hosts a panel on building a creative career in Dublin in the old Guinness Power Station. The night closes with an intimate set from John Francis Flynn.
- John Francis Flynn (performance and panel)
- Carl Hickey (panel)
- Thommas Kayne Byrne (panel)
- Ghaliah Conroy (panel)
Soul Juice Jam @ Bewley’s
An improvised jam session where the house band rotates every fifteen minutes, pulling players from Dublin’s R&B, hip-hop, jazz, soul and trad scenes – Qbanaa and friends.
k8olo and Mooncup @ Capel Street
Two of Dublin’s best bass-heavy selectors take over Capel Street with Daylight Soundsystem. Sure to be a lot of craic.
- k8olo
- Mooncup
- Osaro (live artist)
Super Average DJs @ Central Plaza
Central Plaza, Dame Street, 9pm to midnight
DJ trio – Dolfin, Average John and Dilicious turn Dame Street into an open-air disco from their Mambo Caravan, playing disco, house and ’90s classics.
- Dolfin
- Average John
- Dilicious
Oíche Chultúir le Raidió na Life @ Cleary’s
Cleary’s Pub, Amiens Street, 9pm to midnight. Booking required.
Raidió na Life brings together Irish-language rappers, hip-hop acts, poets and DJs, open to speakers and learners alike.
- Cúán de Búrca x hHH
- Saibhin
- Torby
- Niamh Cinn Whóir
- More to be announced
Techno in All City
All City Records basement, Crow Street, 6pm to 10pm. 18+.
Faceless Tribe install a hand-built soundsystem and immersive lighting in the basement under All City for a day-into-night rave. Note it’s not wheelchair accessible.
- Faceless Tribe DJs
The R.A.G.E. Live
The R.A.G.E., Crow Street, 8pm to 11:30pm. 18+.
The record shop that hosted Gilla Band’s first-ever gig resents four diverse sets from Irish alternative music artists with Mark & Luke, Postcard Versions, Elaine Malone & Rory Sweeney.
- Mark & Luke
- Postcard Versions
- Elaine Malone
- Rory Sweeney
Pygmalion x OMNI
Pygmalion, South William Street, 10pm to 3am. 18+. Book via RA.
Free entry to an electronic night in the vaults under Powerscourt Townhouse, and one of the latest finishes on the whole programme.
- Diebyveg b2b Emma Kearns
- Aod
- Marco Lorusso
Squalor Magazine launch @ Thomas House
Thomas House, Thomas Street, 6pm to 9pm. 18+.
The launch of Volume 1 of a new Irish mag covering music, art, skating and creative culture, with live sets and a documentary on Dublin graffiti.
- Digdeep
- Principle Skinner
Trinity Orchestra
Graduates Memorial Building, Trinity College, 7pm to 8pm. Booking required.
The student-run orchestra, best known for their festival sets, are back home with an hour of classical music in the GMB Debating Chamber.
Sample Me! with Dafe Orugbo @ The Ark
The Ark, Temple Bar, 4pm, 5pm and 6pm. Booking required, ages 12 and under.
One for the kids: 30-minute sessions where children make live music with voices, body percussion and simple digital instruments.
Róisín El Cherif @ Pavilion Theatre
Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, 8:15pm to 8:55pm. Booking required.
The Irish-Palestinian singer Róisín El Cherif (weaves Arabic, Irish and English into alt-pop and traditional airs, in her Pavilion debut as a trio.
Parthalán by Iarla Ó Lionáird
A completely new live work led by Iarla Ó Lionáird, featuring the world premiere of his new musical composition and libretto, with Ian Nyquist and Gareth Quinn Redmond collaborating on the music.
- Iarla Ó Lionáird
- Ian Nyquist
- Gareth Quinn Redmond
- Rosie Ní Mhurchú
- Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Cormac McCarthy (musical introduction)
Belfast
ill Records presents Hip Hop Culture
Out of Office Brewing Taproom, Ulster Sports Club, 7pm to 11:45pm
A free night of live Belfast hip-hop, with MCs, musicians and DJs.
- Belfast Groove Collective
- YinYang
- DóhFada (also hosting)
- Mindesigns
- DJ Violentlyill
Oh Yeah Presents
Oh Yeah Music Centre, Gordon Street, 4pm to 1am
Belfast’s music centre runs from a youth open mic through a headline gig to a late karaoke and club night.
- Youth Open Mic (4pm to 7pm)
- Polar Bolero and special guests (8pm to 11pm)
- Karaoke Klub and club night with Ciara Brennan (11pm to 1am)
Tetto x Disco Italiano
Tetto rooftop garden, Ann Street, 8pm to 11pm. 18+.
An evening of Italo house, dance and space disco with Bobby Analog and guests back-to-back on a rooftop.
Black Box Presents
Black Box, Hill Street, 4pm to 10pm
Music, art, theatre and comedy across both of Black Box’s spaces.
- Beauty Sleep
- Fya Fox
- Katie Emm
- DJ Time of The Month
- Black Moon DJs
- Planet Neve Live
- The Funk Kongs – video game jazz
Cork
The Devil’s In The Dance Hall @ Cork City Hall
Cork City Hall, 9pm to 11pm. Sold out, walk-ups where there’s room.
Edwina Guckian’s piece on Jimmy Gralton and the 1935 Dance Hall Act. She’ll teach the crowd swing, sean-nós, lindy hop and set dancing. The Gralton Big Band perform.
How I Became A Wave @ St Catherine’s, Kinsale
St Catherine’s Cultural Centre, Kinsale, 8:30pm to 10:30pm. Booking required.
Pat Carey’s orchestral folk project, with cello, violin, pedal steel, keys and sax around him. His self-titled debut is a richly arranged record, and the songs shift shape live.
The Wran @ DeBarras, Clonakilty
DeBarras Folk Club, Clonakilty, 6pm to 7pm. Booking required.
The Dunford brothers The Wran from the Comeraghs blend banjo-heavy trad with punk and a hint of psychedelia, and are fresh off a sold-out UK tour. An early start.
Leevy @ O’Mahony’s
O’Mahony’s, Watergrasshill, 10:30pm to midnight. 18+.
The West Cork five-piece bring pounding drums, banjos, whistles and heavy guitars with folk harmonies.
- Leevy (10:30pm)
- Broc Ceoil (9:30pm)
ÉIST x Ár n-Áit
Ár n-Áit, Skibbereen, from 4:30pm, and live on ÉIST radio
West Cork’s best bet perhaps with around 20 musicians ending in an all-artist jam. Dan Walsh’s Fixity, is where free jazz, rock and noise collide.
- Múiris (Rock Amphitheatre)
- Fixity (6:30pm)
- Living Things
- Yankari Afrobeat Collective
- Frawl (Love Universal)
- Shane Breen (VCR)
- Swiss (King Street Sounds)
Galway
Split The Bill @ Róisín Dubh
Róisín Dubh, from 5pm. All ages.
Strange Brew’s all-ages showcase of young Galway bands on the big stage.
- Copernicus II
- Big Nothing
- Cats!
- Infared
- Mentality
Heron Red @ Monroe’s
Contemporary folk duo Molly Buchan and Callum Wall with rich harmonies and original songs rooted in tradition, exploring community, belonging and place.
Studio@5 Presents: A Cultural Gathering
Cue One, Lakeview, 6pm to 11pm. Booking required, ages 13 to 18.
A youth night of music, art and conversation with Music Generation and Galway County Council.
- Shark School
- Sakura
- Metanoia
Kildare
Planxty – A Celebration of Planxty’s Debut Album@ Dubh
Dubh, Newbridge, 8pm to 10pm. Booking required.
Broken Record’s RPM Series celebrates Planxty’s debut album, exploring its stories, history and lasting influence and plays key tracks on a proper sound system, with a discussion on the band’s Newbridge and Kildare connections and a closing DJ set.
- Joe Donnelly and Zara Hedderman (discussion)
- DJ set
A Vinyl History of the Dancefloor @ The Record Rack
The Record Rack, Naas, 7:30pm to 10pm. Booking required.
Four local selectors play vinyl-only sets, each introduced with a short history of a key shift in dance music covering
- The Dub Revolution
- Disco Origins to the Masterpiece
- Post-Punk to Synth-Pop (1979 to 1982)
- The History of House
Kilkenny
Synaesthetic @ Kilkenny Skatepark
Kilkenny Skatepark, John’s Quay, 9pm to 10:15pm
Turning the skatepark into a sensory rush with a live audio-visual set from Tanoki featuring Farah Elle and a collab between Robot Rock and live visual artists: LeTissier AV.
Nialler9 Block Party @ Watergate Urban Park
Watergate Urban Park, 7:30pm to 10:30pm
A quick plug: I’m on the decks at Kilkenny’s new urban park playing a set featuring electronic, disco and edits drawn from the rich history of dance music. It’s alcohol-free. Come dance. DJ Edel from 7:30pm / and myself from 8:30pm to 10:30pm.
Limerick
Sionna x Trad Folkin’ Rocks @ King John’s Castle
King John’s Castle, Limerick, 6:30pm to 11pm.
Sionna and Trad Folkin’ Rocks take over the castle with a mix of traditional music, trad rap and electronic music, headlined by Phil Hartnoll of Orbital. It’s part of Cultúr 2026, the programme marking Ireland’s EU Council Presidency.
- Phil Hartnoll (Orbital)
- Reggie
- Trad Rave
- God Knows
- Big Horn Céilí Band
- Meadhbh Hayes
- Stephanie Keane (special guest)
Louth
Sunil Sharpe @ Graft Bru Hub
Graft Bru Hub, Abbey Lane, Drogheda, from 9pm
Speaking of clubbing, one of Ireland’s best techno DJs and a huge advocate for Irish nightlife through Give Us The Night plays for Drogheda Groove Movement, part of Droichead Arts Centre’s Night Moves programme.
- Sunil Sharpe
- Emore
- Erik
Spiral @ McHughs
The Watchtower, McHughs, Drogheda, from 9pm
A free four-band hardcore punk show, with distro stalls selling zines, tapes and records.
- Pleasure (Leeds)
- No Magic
- Breakeven
- Instruction
Oíche Blas do Theanga @ Odd Mollies
Odd Mollies, Drogheda, from 9pm
Three of Drogheda’s up-and-coming artists.
- Sophie Moon
- KIDD
- Téga
Rua Rí + more @ The Spirit Store
The Spirit Store, Dundalk, from 9pm
A great lineup of Irish acts plus Rua Rí, the Cobh singer-songwriter whose debut Tell Your Mother I Saved Your Life is one of the best Irish albums this year. Read his track-by-track.
- Rua Rí
- Clara Byrne
- Nightlamping
- Pixie Nova
- DJ tazzbettah
David Keenan @ Dundalk Library
Dundalk Library, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
The Dundalk songwriter plays a hometown library show, with all three performers closing the night together.
- David Keenan
- Brendan McCreanor
- Tadhg Mulligan
Mayo
Paddy Hanna @ The NCF
The NCF Cultural Co-Op, Pearse Street, Ballina, 8:30pm to 10pm. Booking required.
Paddy Hanna brings the songs from OYLEGATE, his Daniel Fox-produced album about the highs and lows of parenthood, to Ballina. Note the venue is on a first floor with no wheelchair access.
Sligo
Minor Disturbance @ ATU Innovation Centre
ATU Innovation Centre, Sligo, 9pm to midnight. Booking required.
Minor Disturbance is a free late-night event that transforms the ATU Innovation Centre into an immersive space for live electronic music with early doors printmaking and large-scale projections by Renata Pekowska.
- Bodycam
- E the Artist
- Rani
- Kyna
Queer Shed Sligo: The Amniotics and more @ Ard Voltas
Ard Voltas Arts Space, Ballysadare, 6pm to 10pm. Book via [email protected].
Queer Shed Sligo present the Dublin queer alternative band The Amniotics, theatrical avant-rock artist Anca Ioana and DJ duo LoveSmoke. Alcohol-free and all ages.
Tipperary
IMLÉ @ Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle, 9pm to 10pm (doors 8pm). Booking required.
The Irish-language collective bring their genre-defying sound to one of the country’s most striking castles.
Waterford
The Slinkies @ Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Waterford, 10:30pm to 12:30am
Luca Records & Decks presents Cilian Jacob and Ken Lally, formerly VAGUE, playing original songs inspired by rock, funk, folk and soul, with drag performers creating a live canvas to the music.
- The Slinkies
- Alien:Nation
- The Haus of Goofy
Wicklow
Jayne Pomplas, Luke Coffey and Patrick Stefan
St Kevin’s Church, Hollywood, 8pm to 9pm. Booking required.
Music Under The Mountains presents an acoustic trio mixing trad, bluegrass and folk songwriting, including Mules & Men banjo player Luke Coffey. The 17th-century church isn’t wheelchair accessible.
- Jayne Pomplas (fiddle, vocals)
- Luke Coffey (banjo)
- Patrick Stefan (guitar, vocals)
The full Culture Night Late programme is here, and our Dublin overview is here. Back to the county list.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
