11 brilliant events happening around Ireland this weekend
From folk and film festivals to the start of the Christmas market festivities, here are some top notch events to head along to this weekend…
The Perfect Immigrant
9-11 November
After a sold-out run at The New Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival 2022 and a short run at Smock Alley 2022, The Perfect Immigrant play is coming to The Civic theatre in Tallaght as part of the show’s 2023 Ireland tour. What else does a young Black man have to say if it isn’t about racism? Too busy trying to be an adult, leaving Nigeria and settling in Ireland, he has to find a way to hold on to both worlds. With a story woven through prose and poetry, you will shift in your seat as you are teased with the discomfort of this immigrant settling into a new land.
Light Moves Festival
9-12 November
An Irish festival with a global reach, Light Moves Festival returns for its 7th edition in Limerick City with its unique blend of performance, dance, film, music, and digital art. Offering a thrilling showcase of the richness and diversity of work from Ireland and across the world, as artists embrace dance, movement, and the screen as a powerful platform for activism and visibility and challenge social and gender inequalities, the festival features both internationally-renowned and early-career artists.
Galway Christmas Market 2023
Opens 10 November
Running right up until Sunday 7 January, 2024, The Galway Continental Christmas Market is the first Irish festival market to open to the public this weekend. Last year, it welcomed over 450,000 visitors, with more than 50 wooden chalets, a German Bier Keller, Santa’s Grotto, a big wheel and carousel, and many theatrical delights popping up here and there. From warming hot chocolates to the smell of cinnamon rising in the air, it’s impossible to pass through Eyre Square without being put into the Christmas spirit.
IMRAM: Féile
10-18 November
IMRAM brings its audiences on a ‘voyage of discovery’ that reveals the rich diversity of modern Irish language literature. From the launch of thrilling new crime novels to a multi-media exploration on the theme of climate emergency, there’ll be poetry readings, celebrations of women’s lives, theatrical displays and much, much more. Find the full programme of events here.
Wonderlights
10 November — 2 January
Embark on Wonderlights’ The Magic of Winter and be transported into a fairytale realm. Discover enthralling projections on the Castle and enchantment at every footstep. Meet the beloved Talking Tree, venture into the deep Arctic Oceans and explore life in the Frozen Lands as light explodes into life. Take a stroll among the Magical Flying Fairies, as you watch them dance in the night sky. Awe-inspiring displays of majestic Woodland Creatures await your admiration. With the integration of cutting-edge technology, Wonderlights offers new areas to explore, providing engaging and entertaining experiences for guests of all ages.
Killruddery’s annual Harvest Moon Gala Charity Ball
11 November
Killruddery House and Gardens, Wicklow, are hosting their annual Harvest Moon Gala Charity Ball in aid of Their Lives Matter, Tanzania — a charity very close to Lady Ardee’s heart. With this wonderful event making a return for another year, you will be welcomed with a drinks reception in Killruddery Yard before making your way to our 19th Century Grain Store for a gala dinner with music, dancing and general merriment until late. Complete with a raffle and auction in the evening, proceeds from this charity ball will go towards the wonderful work that Their Lives Matter does, expanding children’s cancer services in Tanzania.
Dublin Book Festival
Until 12 November
The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and vibrant book festivals, running since June 2006. The annual public festival showcases, supports and develops Irish publishing by programming, publicising and selling Irish published books, their authors, editors and contributors – all in an entertaining, festive, friendly and accessible environment that reflects the creativity and personality of the Irish publishing sector and its authors. See a full list of events here.
TULCA Festival of Visual Arts
Until 19 November
The 21st edition of TULCA—entitled honey, milk and salt in a seashell before sunrise—returns, hosting an array of talks, workshops, tours, screenings and performances to consider how landscapes and communities are shaped by these legacies, and how they influence how we see ourselves and where we call home in Galway. Find the full programme here.
Dublin Folk Festival
Until 12 November
After an absence of over 45 years, Singular Artists and Conor Byrne are proud to announce the welcome return of Dublin Folk Festival in the iconic surrounds of Dublin’s Liberty Hall, in the heart of the city. On Friday, the Daoiri Farrell Trio will take to the stage, followed by Ralph McTell on the Saturday and Scullion on Sunday.
Cork International Film Festival
Until 24 November
Cork International Film Festival presents Ireland’s most exciting, diverse, and ambitious annual film festival, connecting and stimulating audiences and artists through a carefully curated selection of the best films, to create a unique shared cultural experience, rooted in Cork, open to the world. Now in its 68th year (!) highlights include a screening of All Of Us Strangers, a new Irish Christmas film, and much, much more.
The FRIENDS Experience
Until 28 January
I feel as though it’s safe to say every Friends fan around the world has found themselves rewatching the sitcom yet again since news broke of the passing of everyone’s favourite funnyman, Matthew Perry. If you want to immerse yourself in the world of the beloved show, The FRIENDS Experience is still running in The Point Square, and will give you a behind the scenes glimpse, a look at some props and costumes, and basically just make you feel as close to the show as can be.
Feature image via Light Moves Festival.
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