Dublin City Council festivals draw in over 180,000 people annually
Dublin City Council-led festivals cater to over 180,000 attendees each year.
Assistant Arts Officer Sinéad Connolly outlined the figures behind some of Dublin ’s biggest cultural events at the recent Finance SPC. With several annual happenings from city-wide experiences to more niche tailored events, the council’s Arts Office endeavours to bring together families, individuals, and visitors to enjoy the culture of the capital.
Encompassing the International Literature Festival Dublin, Culture Night, Dublin Lunar New Year, Musictown, and Brigit – Dublin City Celebrating Women, all these offer something different. Through various models and a combination of free and ticketed events, they highlight Dublin as a thriving centre for artistic expression and community engagement.
Having just concluded its run for 2026, the International Literature Festival Dublin is the longest annual festival supported by the arts council. Taking place in Merrion Square Park since 2022, it was first established in 1998 and has since grown from a two day event into a mammoth ten day festival.
Operated by Boxroom Productions, it’s largely programmed for adults with several family and schoolchildren-centric offers as well. Through collaboration between embassies, publishers, , Dublin Unesco City of Literature and the Dublin Literary Award, it has over 200 events and had an audience size of 36,597 in 2025.
In terms of financing, the International Literature Festival had a total fund of €889,700 in 2026 with the Arts Council contributing €140,000. The remainder came from Arts Office + Culture, Community, Leisure and Area Services (€525,000), ticket sales (€156,400), and other avenues like partnerships, concession and sponsorships (€68,300).
Culture Night is an annual, nationwide public event that celebrates arts, heritage, and culture that usually happens on a Friday in mid September. Featuring hundreds of free, usually family-friendly events, it boasts extended hours at museums, live music, art exhibitions, and theatrical performances coordinated by the Arts Council.
Ms Connolly explained that DCC acts as a facilitator of Culture Night, but the bulk of events rely on the goodwill and participation of various venues across the city. Established by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust in 2006, what started with a programme of 40 events has ballooned to around 360 throughout the city.
Operated by Speckintime, attendance figures for 2025 stood at 98,428 and took into account individual venue activities and key events programmed by the council. With every single event, workshop, or performance being completely free of charge, Culture Night allows everyone to enjoy the city without breaking the bank.
The financials for Culture Night include €215,000 from the Arts Office and €35,000 from the Arts Council. €45,000 also comes from other sources and partnerships.
MusicTown is an arts festival that encourages collaboration among music genres within the city and brings together different audiences with complementary interest. Last year’s festival took place in the National Concert Hall and is a three to four day event depending on the year.
Operated by Foggy Notions, there was a turnout of 2,477 in 2025, although Ms Connolly said they are envisioning a larger event this year due to its programme relating to the legacy of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott . The €235,000 budget comes from combined funds of €210,000 from the Arts Office and ticket sales of €25,000.
First established in 2008, Dublin Lunar New Year has grown into a nine day festival taking place across January and February and aligning with Chinese New Year celebrations. As a way of bringing together Dubliners with the East and South East Asian community in the city, Dublin City Council organises certain flagship programmes.
With events organised by venues, embassies and community groups, the turnout for 2026 was 17,039. Entirely funded by the Arts Office, the budget for this year was €200,000.
Established in 2022, Brigit – Dublin City Celebrating Women makes full use of the newest bank holiday with a four day programme of events across the city. Rooted in the legacy of St Brigit, it includes talks, performances, walks, workshops, music, visual art and shared moments, celebrating women’s creativity, heritage and influence in Dublin today.
Aimed at people of all ages, 26,465 enjoyed the festival in 2026. The Arts Council contributed to €250,000 this year, with €23,600 coming from ticket sales, although many of the events were free of charge.
Featuring more than 120 events across the city, Brigit has grown as a festival each year it's been on and included a parade down Capel Street as well as the GPO illuminated visuals celebrating women.
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