November Guide: 25 events happening across Ireland this month
Irish music, the finest of Ireland's literary talent, the brightest stars of Irish design, and a sprinkle of magical Christmas lights – November really has it all when it comes to events across Ireland. Here are 25 not to miss.
Dublin Book Festival
November 5–9, venues across Dublin city, more info here
The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most vibrant and successful literary celebrations, taking place in the heart of Dublin, a city steeped in storytelling and literary heritage. Since its inception in 2006, the festival has championed Ireland’s writers and publishers, providing a lively, welcoming space that highlights the best of Irish writing across all genres. This year’s talent includes Naoise Dolan, Anna Carey and Sinead Gleeson.
Sézane Pop-Up
November 6, Brown Thomas, more info here
Cult French label Sézane will open its first pop-up in Ireland this month at Brown Thomas. A brand that features brilliantly cut trousers, flattering jeans, exceptional knitwear and accessories with the perfect touch of Parisian chic, fans include Taylor Swift and Sienna Miller.
Light Moves Festival
November 6–8, Limerick city, more info here
This biennale festival brings together screenings, installations, talks and performances from both established and emerging talents in dance, film and new media. Committed to fostering collaboration and nurturing creative communities, the festival creates opportunities for artists from Ireland and abroad.
Dublin Gallery Weekend
November 6–9, venues across Dublin, more info here
Dublin Gallery Weekend 2025 lights up Ireland’s capital, offering a four-day celebration of contemporary visual arts across the city’s galleries and creative spaces. With over 100 Irish artists showcasing their work, visitors can explore provocative pieces by rising stars and more established names. There are 60+ free events, including behind-the-scenes studio tours, artist talks, hands-on workshops, neighbourhood art trails, gallery pop-ups and lively evening socials.
Samhain Festival
November 6–9, Clonakility, more info here
The Samhain Festival is an annual celebration with deep Celtic roots, marking the end of the harvest season through music, culture and community spirit. Hosted across various venues in Clonakilty, including the much-loved DeBarras Folk Club, the festival brings together an exciting mix of traditional and contemporary Irish sounds. Highlights this year include John Spillane & The Band of Wrens and singer Lisa O’Neill.
Samhain Festival of Food & Culture
November 6–9, Kells, Co. Meath, more info here
Celebrate Ireland’s vibrant culinary and cultural heritage at the Samhain Festival of Food & Culture. This much-anticipated event showcases the very best of Irish food and drink with a lively programme that includes the renowned Sheridans Irish Food Fair and literary pub crawl.
Listowel Food Fair
November 6-10, venues across Listowel, more info here
One of Ireland’s longest-running culinary celebrations, the Listowel Food Fair returns from 6–10 November 2025 to the North Kerry town renowned for its food and literary heritage. Each year its awards shine a spotlight on Ireland’s finest food talent, from emerging artisan producers and innovative creators to celebrated food writers and heroes of the industry. Guests this year include chef Kevin Dundon and Professor Luke O’ Neill.
Ennis Trad Fest
November 6-10, Ennis, Co. Clare, more info here
With a long and illustrious tradition in Irish music, Ennis Trad Fest is one of the prime dates in the traditional music calendar, bringing together the very best of Irish traditional musicians in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Cork International Film Festival
November 6–16, venues across Cork city, more info here
Cork International Film Festival is Ireland’s premier annual film event, celebrated for its diversity, ambition and creativity. Bringing together audiences and filmmakers, the festival showcases a carefully curated selection of outstanding films, offering a unique shared cultural experience that is proudly rooted in Cork yet open to the world. Highlights this year include an in-depth conversation with Ed Guiney, co-CEO of Element Pictures.
Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo
November 6 – January 31, Dublin Zoo, more info here
Wild Lights returns to Dublin Zoo, and the theme this year is The Wild Kaleidoscope. Explore 13 vibrant zones celebrating the power of colour in the wild, from elegant flamingos and shimmering peacocks to playful penguins and enchanting red pandas.
A Taste of Galway
Now until November 30, venues across Galway city, more info here
Immerse yourself in Galway’s vibrant food scene during the month-long festival of Blas na Samhna. Top restaurants and hotels across the region curate unique foodie experiences, from natural wine pairings and seafood trails to pop-up feasts and chef swaps. It’s the perfect chance to try the best of culinary highlights from the West of Ireland.
IMRAN Féile Litríochta
November 8-23, venues across Dublin, more info here
IMRAM 2025 invites audiences on a thrilling “voyage of discovery” into the world of Irish-language literature, with a dynamic programme blending music, multimedia projects, poetry and even hip-hop. Highlights include Amhráin na Gealaí/Moon Songs: The Phoebe Bridgers Project, Dán na Caillí: The Hagwitch Project, and Bard na Páirce/The Poet of Croke Park, celebrating the life and work of legendary football commentator Mícheál Ó Muirtheartaigh. Festival-goers can also enjoy Ceolta, a night of cutting-edge hip-hop, an interview with acclaimed author Áine Ní Ghlinn, the Discovery Lectures exploring Irish-language literature in English, and the Duais Bash haiku competition for schools, and Guth na hÉigse, among many other events.
Kae Tempest
November 13, Vicar Street, more info here
Kae Tempest is a British poet, playwright, rapper, and recording artist, celebrated for their powerful blend of spoken word, hip-hop and literature. Their work often explores themes of social inequality, capitalism, and the complexities of the human experience. Formerly known as Kate Tempest, they came out as non-binary in 2020, and their artistry has been widely recognised with numerous honours, including the Ted Hughes Award and multiple Mercury Prize nominations for their albums.
Design Kenmare
November 14-16, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, more info here
Design Kenmare gathers some of Ireland’s most talented design professionals in one of the country’s most stunning locations. Over a weekend of live events, experience a wide spectrum of disciplines including graphic, fashion and interior design, photography, visual arts, and craft. Meanwhile, hear creators like Paul Galvin, Róisín Lafferty and Bryan O’Sullivan discuss their work, influences and challenges.
My Goodness! It’s Christmas at the Guinness Storehouse
November 14 – 29, Guinness Storehouse, more info here
Continuing its 25th anniversary celebrations, enjoy ‘My Goodness! It’s Christmas’ at the Guinness Storehouse. The event is transforming its seven floors into a festive wonderland where guests can enjoy seasonal food, drinks, décor, live music and art installations by day and by night, be merry at Christmas Nights at Gravity, featuring panoramic city views, DJs from Love Tempo and BIGFAN, festive cocktails and bites.
Irish Design Week
November 17-21, venues across Dublin city, more info here
Irish Design Week 2025 returns, celebrating six decades of design innovation since the opening of the Kilkenny Design Workshops. Convened by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI), this year’s theme, “The ties that tie, and the links that link,” explores the ways design connects us across disciplines, generations and borders. Expect inspiring talks and workshops, and cutting-edge showcases.
Good Taste: Fashion and Food in Conversation
November 17, IMMA, more info here
Good Taste by The Art of Styling is an immersive fashion and design experience exploring how we perceive taste. Part of Irish Design Week 2025, the event merges fashion and food into a multi-sensory performance. Guests will journey through runway moments, soundscapes, movement and immersive installations, each inspired by the elements of a curated meal. Curated by Zeda the Architect with a multidisciplinary team, Good Taste unites designers, stylists, chefs and performers to redefine how we experience design in Ireland.
National College of Art & Design, in collaboration with Design & Crafts Council Ireland
November 18, Whyte Recital Hall, Royal Irish Academy of Music, more info here
As part of Irish Design Week 2025, acclaimed Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer joins London-based writer and cultural commentator Anastasiia Fedorova for a thought-provoking conversation on body politics, inclusive design and fashion as a force for social change. O’Dwyer’s work challenges traditional ideas of fit and form, while Fedorova explores identity, sexuality and contemporary culture. Meanwhile, Irish designer Eibhlín Albert-Doran join American designer Diane Perne for Design Diplomacy, a concept developed by Helsinki Design Week that produces unique, intimate conversations over a card game of questions.
Embracing Uncertainty featuring Margaret Heffernan, Roy Foster and Tommy Tiernan
November 18, Trinity College, more info here
Drawing on her new book Embracing Uncertainty: How Writers, Musicians & Artists Thrive in an Unpredictable World, Dr Margaret Heffernan argues that creativity isn’t a luxury and that instead, it’s essential. In this special event, she joins historian Roy Foster and broadcaster-actor-comedian Tommy Tiernan to explore how artistic practice can inspire our culture and politics and how best to embrace flexibility and ambiguity in a constantly changing world.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
November 20 – January 11, Bord Gáis Theatre, more info here
The winner of 10 Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Director and Best Choreography, Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza.
Wonderlights at Marlay Park and Malahide Castle & Gardens in Dublin and Fota House in Cork
November 20 – December 31, Dublin and Cork, more info here
Ireland’s largest light show returns to Marlay Park and Malahide Castle & Gardens in Dublin and Fota House in Cork with a brand-new 2025 spectacle: The Magic of Winter. Explore a mesmerising winter wonderland featuring illuminated arctic animals, glowing meadows and an enchanting frozen forest. Highlights include a 30-metre hydro screen projecting a winter ocean scene over the lake and a towering Cathedral Tunnel, which is 5 metres high and 30 metres long.
Quiet Lights
November 20-23, venues across Cork city, more info here
Launched in 2018 by Islander, Quiet Lights is Cork’s beloved winter festival, celebrated for its intimate atmosphere and heartfelt programming. Each year, the city’s venues are transformed into havens for folk, traditional and experimental music, showcasing both emerging and established artists. This year the talent includes Niall Breslin, Lisa O’ Neill and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.
Dingle Literary Festival
November 21-23, Dingle, Co. Kerry, more info here
Each year, the Dingle Lit Festival lights up the stunning Dingle Peninsula in late November. Founded in 2019, this unique bilingual festival celebrates contemporary writers in English while also honouring the region’s rich literary and cultural heritage through a dedicated Irish-language programme, supporting new writing in Irish and connecting audiences with the vibrant local literary scene. Guests this year include authors Eimear McBride and John Patrick McHugh and actor Gabriel Byrne.
International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 25, City Hall, Dame St. Dublin 2, more info here
Rise up this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and join the march against gender violence in Dublin. Organised by the Rosa Social Feminist Collective, the march calls for urgent government action to protect survivors during court proceedings, including a full ban on access to counselling notes in gender violence cases. The march begins at 5.30 pm at City Hall.
Santa’s House Express
November 28 – December 23, Palmerstown House Estate, more info here
Santa’s House Express returns to Palmerstown House Estate for 2025, and this year, the family can meet Santa’s elves, sing with the reindeer and enjoy a magical train ride to Santa’s Manor. Meanwhile, there’s also festive treats on hand with Mrs Claus, a personal chat with Santa himself and a cuddly present for every child.
Featured photography of Cork Film Festival, Wonderlights at Marlay Park and Ennis Trad Fest.
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