10 of the best events happening around Ireland this weekend
From festivals of beer, dance, and books to entirely improvised musicals, this weekend has a lot in store.
Muldoon’s Picnic
17 May, Pavilion Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Featuring Paul Muldoon with special guests Glen Hansard, Roddy Doyle, Liz Nugent, Anne Enright, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Donal Ryan, Hugh Buckley, Sile Denvir, and many more, Muldoon’s Picnic returns for four dates nationwide throughout May. An omnium-gatherum of poetry, prose and music, Muldoon’s Picnic is a cabaret-style evening, by turns witty, exuberant, and sophisticated, hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon.
Dublin Dance Festival
14-25 May, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, more info here
Dublin Dance Festival’s 2024 edition presents a world of dance, showcasing thrilling, ground-breaking artistic voices that bring diverse identities, beliefs, histories, and perspectives. Asia’s leading contemporary dance company Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is returning to Bord Gáis Energy Theatre to open the 2024 Dublin Dance Festival with the exquisite and fantastical world of 13 Tongues.
Bum Notes: The Improvised Musical
17 May, Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, more info here
This brand new musical appears sans recital, and all the cast need from you is … the title! An entirely improvised musical with a longer runtime and a bigger cast, you don’t want to miss this chance to have your musical suggestion crafted in real time into a fully realised, ridiculous, comical, and maybe even heartfelt production.
Ballymaloe Festival of Food
17-19 May, Ballymaloe, Cork, more info here
Ballymaloe Festival of Food celebrates every aspect of the journey of good food from the soil and sea to the plate, along with 60 years of Ballymaloe. World-class chefs from Ireland and beyond will travel to Cork for the inaugural festival, with cooking demos, pop-up dinners, talks, guided tours, walks, producers, craft exhibitors and activities.
Kilkenny Beer Festival
17-18 May, Sullivan’s Taproom, Kilkenny, more info here
A pure celebration of Irish craft beer, with ten Irish breweries attending, you will be spoilt for choice in who to try first. Set in the beer garden of Sullivan’s Taproom, perfect for large groups and couples, you will be able to browse the offerings at your leisure and speak to the people who make them while being entertained by resident DJs and musicians.
The Mousetrap
Until 18 May, The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the world’s longest-running play, celebrating 70 years and returning by popular demand to Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre. The genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time, you will absolutely be on the edge of your seat throughout. As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve this world-famous mystery for yourself?
Luke Kelly Festival
18-19 May, Smithfield Square, more info here
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the free family-friendly festival returns to Smithfield Square with a wide array of music, discussion, singalong sessions, sport, arts and crafts and more in celebration of Dublin’s favourite son.
Marian Keyes at International Literature Festival Dublin
18 May, Merrion Square Park, Dublin, more info here
Ireland’s international sensation is at it again with her newest bestseller, My Favourite Mistake. Marian Keyes steps into the spotlight for a laugh-out-loud evening discussing old flames, midlife crises, and falling back in love with yourself as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin.
Fiona Cribben – A Retrospective
From 19 May, Pearse Museum, Dublin, more info here
Fiona Cribben was an artist, making lifewreaths or healing mandalas and art to celebrate life. Cribben graduated from the National College of Art and Design with a BA in Fashion and Textiles 1999. She worked as a menswear designer at Calvin Klein New York, freelanced for Victoria’s Secret, and lectured in Fashion Design. When dealing with metastatic breast cancer, she pulled together pieces of her life – from London to New York, to Iceland and back to Ireland – and delved into creating ‘Lifewreaths’, to celebrate being alive. This retrospective exhibition features a large collection of Fiona’s lifewreaths, canvas paintings, and a selection of prints with her own poetry.
Africa Day
19 May, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, more info here
An annual celebration of Ireland’s growing links with Africa, a free flagship event will be held in Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham, with over 50 African musicians, dancers and cultural groups. The cultures of Africa will be celebrated with a main stage, dance stage, cultural village, children’s entertainment area, best dressed competition and much, much more. There will also be many regional events happening across Ireland throughout the following week.
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