Cultural Venues Throwing Open Their Doors for Culture Night 2014

Venues across the country will be opening their doors welcoming culture vultures – and all the rest – for the annual Culture Night this September.

Culture Night: One night, 900 venues, from museums, galleries, cathedrals and studios to libraries, parks and theatres, all open late in celebration of culture and creativity. Last year 350,000 people got involved in the event.

Dublin has 40 new Culture Night venues this year. Ever fancied a trip to see Michael D? Well we can’t guarantee he’ll be giving them, but there are guided tours of the official residence of the President of Ireland, Áras an Uachtaráin, on offer. More into foodie culture? Take a tour of Airfield Dundrum, the largest urban farm, for that farm to fork experience.

In the city, Merrion Square will come alive for the night with Downstairs Dublin lighting up the Georgian Square’s basements with a series of talks, installations, projections, music and pop-up events. And in The Complex in Smithfield Square there’s a drive-in movie screen, with The Mission and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

The headline event is a special performance from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in Meeting House Square. RTÉ’s Cór na nÓg will be in St. Stephen’s Green and a Hansel and Gretel music trail will lead audiences to the main event at Meeting House Square, by Arena, which is broadcast around the country.

Look out for Man on Bridge around the city. It’s a series of projections of photographs from the archive of legendary Dublin street photographer Arthur Fields. Heads up – they’ll be projected in Meeting House Square, The Art Park in the IFSC and in Smithfield Square.

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There will be tours organised in each of the Culture Night quarters. Each guide will be making stops at handpicked venues where you can partake in the programmed events  and learn some interesting facts about your surroundings. The Tour de Culture is a bike tour of the Heuston/Museum Quarter focusing on Phoenix Park, Collins Barracks and their surrounds. Just bring a helmet and your bike!

From the big cultural names that you’d expect to smaller names that you mightn’t ever have heard of, there’s a hell of a lot to discover, experience, and enjoy. The only difficulty is picking what to do in just one night.

The aim of Culture Night is to remind us all about the fantastic cultural facilities and resources that we have locally and to encourage us to try new things. We couldn’t concur more with this sentiment. Apparently there’s also going to be some free culture on select Dublin Bus routes. Now that’s an accomplishment.

Culture Night takes place on 19th September 2014 throughout the country. Join in the fun on Twitter and Instagram.