It’s your first weekend event guide of the year

Hopefully, by today, you’ll be done with the “how was your Christmas?” small talk and moving onto brighter things. January is historically a dour month, but this weekend seeks to change all that. Expect music, vintage shopping and even some Quidditch. Happy weekend from IMAGE!

Tonight: Go Radio Gaga at the Bohemian Rhapsody Sing-Along at the Stella

Contrary to what most critics will tell you, Bohemian Rhapsody absolutely knocks it out of the park when it comes to great cinema. Rami Malek is stunning as the man himself, Freddy Mercury, with production that will bring you right back to Live Aid in 1985 (or perhaps put you there for the first time). The only way this movie could get better is if it were socially acceptable to sing along in the cinema — luckily, the Stella has answered our prayers and given us just that. Seats are very limited at this stage, so best of luck with booking!

All weekend: Challenge the stigma at the First Fortnight Mental Health Art and Culture Festival

Aiming to create more open and safe spaces to discuss mental health, the First Fortnight festival started as a kitchen conversation and has since developed into a Europe-wide celebration of challenging the stigma against mental health. Artists from 16 European countries will come to Ireland for the first time to offer their music, theatre, film and spoken-word projects, in every form from Disney cartoons to in-depth interviews. Expect some famous faces, including Irish arts royalty Emmet Kirwan, Stephanie Preissner, the Academic and more. Not to be missed, and for a great cause.

On Saturday: Find some gems at the Dublin Charity Shop Crawl

Sustainability is the new buzzword for 2019 fashion, and if you want to get in on the action, charity shop hopping is your new best friend. The two ladies at Sustainable Fashion Dublin, Taz Kelleher and Geraldine Carton, have tons of sustainability-themed projects coming up for fashion lovers, including their second Charity Shop Crawl this Saturday. Covering the many gems between Capel Street and Smithfield, you can hang out with the girls, meet some new friends, find some killer threads and finish it all of with a cup of tea and some chats.

All weekend: Be Heroes at the Dublin Bowie Festival

Calling all Ziggy Stardust-wannabes, the Dublin Bowie Festival is back. Celebrating 50 years since Space Oddity, and commemorating Bowie on the 3rd anniversary of his death, the festival aims to cover the impact that the star had, not only on music, but on fashion and popular culture too. Venues include the National Concert Hall, The Olympia Theatre and the Lighthouse Cinema, with performances, screenings and exhibitions galore. If you’re a Bowie fan, or even if you’re not, this is where you need to be this weekend.

On Saturday: Get airy at the Irish Quidditch Cup

Harry Potter fan? Novelty outdoor sports fan? The Irish Quidditch Cup 2018/19 will take place in Trinity College on Saturday, welcoming three teams from around the country to compete for the title. The winner will go on to compete in the European Quidditch Cup in Poland in March, after having gone for gold (snitch) on Saturday. Free and open to members of the public.