Easirent Dublin Airport Events Guide
Flying in to Dublin Airport and stuck for something to do?
Read the Easirent “What’s On” guide to Dublin.
As a city with over one thousand years of history and heritage, you can bet that Dublin also has its fair share of events and festivals each year that celebrate the things that make Dublin, Dublin.
Over the years it has been a hot-bed for writers, poets, artists and pioneers, drawing in the best of the best from Ireland and further afield. Iconic figures such as Oscar Wilde and James Joyce were born in the city and the surrounding areas, as were contemporary figures such as poet Paula Meehan. Dublin’s vibe and heritage is a romanticised one of poetry and wit, humour and the craic, where anyone and everyone is on the verge of greatness. Modern Dublin wears its past proudly, and Dubliners never need any excuse to celebrate their great city.
So whether you’re flying in to town for a weekend, a week or a month, there’s bound to be something for you to do, any time of the year, regardless of your tastes or your budget.
Audi Dublin International Film Festival
Arguably the biggest event in Dublin’s social and arts calendars is the Audi Dublin International Film Festival (also known as ADIFF or just DIFF). The festival was established in 2003, but didn’t gain prominence until 2007. The festival attracts over 40,000 attendees every February in the heart of cinema awards season, with a range of ticketed and free events.
Held all over Dublin, ADIFF celebrates the best of Irish Cinema, as well as European cinema, Hollywood and World cinema too. ADIFF also celebrates the history of cinema during its awards event, honouring legendary names in Irish cinema such as Gabriel Byrne and Daniel Day-Lewis. So no matter if you’re a fan of French new-wave cinema, or want to take the family to see something light and fun, then don’t pass-up an opportunity to visit ADIFF.
Date: Feb/March | Website
Dublin Theatre Festival
Fans of live theatre need not fret, as Dublin also hosts its own annual theatre festival every September to October. Running since 1957, DTF runs a number of events at over 15 venues throughout its run, showcasing the best of contemporary and classic theatre.
Date: Sep/Oct | Website
Dublin Fringe Festival
Started in 1995, the Dublin Fringe is similar to its more famous sibling the Edinburgh Fringe, occurring in a range of venues across Dublin for 16 days every September. Encompassing more traditional venues such as local cafes and theatres, some performances in the past have popped up in the most unlikely of places such as public toilets, in parked cars, and even on a double-decker bus!
The fringe promotes the best of Ireland’s performance art, but application is open to international performers too. For attendees, the Fringe also has a range of workshops, allowing visitors the chance the hone their skills at everything from hip-hop to t’ai chi.
Date: September | Website
Dublin Marathon
Occurring every year at the end of October since 1980, the Dublin Marathon is part of the Irish race series, alongside the Irish Runner 5 mile, the Frank Duffy 10 mile, Fingal 10k and the Dublin half Marathon. The 2016 Marathon was the biggest yet, with over 19,500 competitors taking part, starting at Fitzwilliam Square in the City Centre before finishing at Merrion Square. Obviously, driving through the city on the day of the marathon is a no-go, but if you wish to spectate then make sure to get to your desired perch early!
Date: October | Website
Bloomsday
A celebration of Dublin’s most revered author, Bloomsday is a week-long fancy dress party based upon the work of James Joyce, most notably his novel Ulysses. In the novel, every last detail of protagonist Leopold Bloom’s day is mapped out in full, starting with a fried breakfast on the morning of the 16th of June 1904. Naturally, Bloomsday followers the same pattern, with a big public fry-up, before a tour of the city that visits all the locations frequented by Bloom, including, most importantly, a trip to the pub. Bloomsday occurs every June.
Date: June | Website
Travelling to the events
The above events are not to be missed and if you need car rental in order to visit the great city of Dublin then check out our low prices. The Easirent Dublin Airport branch is ideally situated; our staff will pick you up from the airport upon your arrival.
Music
Some of the biggest selling artists of all time are from Ireland, with acts such as the infamous U2 hailing from Dublin. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, as well as Ireland’s media and cultural capital, Dublin is awash with a vast number of high profile concerts, musical events and festivals every year.
A 35-minute drive out of Dublin city centre finds you at Marlay Park, home to the Longitude Festival every July since 2013. One of Ireland’s biggest music festivals, Longitude has featured headline acts such as Kraftwerk, the Chemical Brothers, Kendrick Lamar and many more, and is seen as a spiritual sibling to the Latitude Festival held in Suffolk. A replacement for the well-loved Oxegen festival, Longitude has a capacity of over 80,000.
Outside of Longitude Festival, Marlay Park also produces a series of ticketed summer concerts, with a capacity of 12,000 people per gig. Previous artists to have played Marlay Park include Nine Inch Nails, Van Morrison, Oasis and the Stone Roses. There are also a number of massive summer concerts held in Croke Park, in the heart of Dublin, with Coldplay being one of 2017’s major headliners. Croke Parke itself is an 82,000 capacity stadium that is the main stadium and headquarters of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), and was the site of the historic Bloody Sunday massacre on November 21st 1920.
Nearby Stradbally Hall hosts the annual Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival every September, and is an hour and a half away by car, although bear traffic in mind if you are planning on visiting the festival. Previous years have seen internationally renowned artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Grace Jones and the Sex Pistols grace Electric Picnic’s stages.
St. Patricks Day
Arguably the most famous Saints day in the Catholic calendar, St. Patrick’s Day has become an all-encompassing party, celebrating everything Irish while also still being observed as a traditional religious holiday. Held every year on the 16th of March, Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations centre around the Temple Bar district, where all manner of tourists and revellers can be found partying and celebrating.
However, if you want to do St. Patrick’s Day like the Irish do, then stay in Temple Bar for the annual parade before heading elsewhere for a quiet evening of casual drinks, delicious meals, and amazing stories. Unlike the larger St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in New York, Dubliners choose to use the day to promote and celebrate Irish pride, rather than using it as an excuse for a Guinness or six – although they’ll agree that there is nothing wrong with that. So be respectful, know your limits, and make sure there is a designated driver in your party.
Public Events
Obviously St. Patrick’s Day is the big one, but Dublin celebrate a host of other public days, from Christmas and Hallowe’en to St. Stephen’s Day on the 26th of December. Hallowe’en, or the pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced ‘Sow-in’) is particularly of note, with Dublin’s Samhain Festival being one of the biggest public events in all of Ireland, regularly attracting upwards of 20,000. Fans of spooky delights will want to see the Samhain Hallowe’en Parade which winds its way through the city from Parnell Square to Temple Bar and Wood Quay, before culminating in a spectacular fireworks display.
For St. Stephen’s Day, Dubliners observe a day of relaxation and reflection, with Christmas still observed primarily as a religious holiday rather than a massive consumerist event. Most pubs re-open on St. Stephen’s day, and the city throw a big party to end the day. Again, make sure that one of your party is the designated driver, and be respectful of other’s cultures and beliefs.
Sports
Every September marks the most important events in the Dublin sporting calendar; the All-Ireland Hurling finals and the Gaelic Football finals. Taking place in the grand Croke Park, both events see travellers from all over Ireland and beyond descend upon Dublin in search of fierce competition and top class sportsmanship. Both sports are very important to Dubliners, so expect the city to grind to a halt during the finals.
As well as Croke Park, Dublin is also home to another massive stadium in the shape of the recently built Aviva Stadium. Built in 2010, the Aviva Stadium is a 20-minute drive from the centre of Dublin, south of the River Liffey. Accommodating over 50,000 fans, Aviva Stadium is home to the Irish rugby union team during the 6 Nations tournament every February. Arguably the biggest event in the Dublin sporting calendar, rugby fever grips the city with every pub, club and café in the city packed to the rafters with supporters. Definitely not one for sports fans to miss.
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