One of the finest nights in the Irish calendar is fast approaching. Culture Night is a nationwide celebration of the arts and creativity, and sees multiple events taking place around the country. Theatres, galleries, studios and theatres open their door on 16th September for an evening of events, most of which are completely free. It’s a great opportunity to catch a piece of bespoke, unique culture, with events curated specifically for the evening.

You can see a comprehensive guide to events both in Dublin and around the country here, but we’ve chosen a few things to add to your agenda in the capital.

Smashing Times Theatre Company @ Samuel Beckett Theatre

This is a performance of The Woman is Present: Women’s Stories of WWII by Deirdre Kinahan, Fiona Bawn Thompson, Mary Moynihan and Paul Kennedy. The play tells the reimagined tales of women during WWII, “recalling stories of bravery, sacrifice and love as powerful women stood up against Fascism and refused to accept oppression”. This is set to be a powerful and poignant performance.

Time: 7.30pm - 8.30pm 
Website: www.smashingtimes.ie
Address: Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle is the prime location for Culture Night. The atmospheric building is the perfect setting for a celebration of the arts, and will be transformed for the evening. Expect a full evening of performance, with concerts, workshops, talks and more, all simultaneously broadcast across various RTE platforms.

Time: 5.00pm - 10.00pm
Website: dublincastle.ie
Address: Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2

Irish Film Institute

The IFI is one of the hottest spots in the city, particularly for film-lovers. On Culture Night, there will be an evening of family-friendly Irish short films. There’ll be new films shown, as well as some classics from the archive.

Time: 6.00pm - 10.00pm 
Website: www.ifi.ie
Address: 6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, D2 

Meeting House Square

A little enclave of creativity within Temple Bar, on Culture Night the Meeting House Square will be taken over by dance, with performances from Aerial Cirque and John Scott Dance. There will also be a public dance class, for a chance to join in yourself.

Time: 5.00pm - 11.00pm 
Website: www.aerialcirque.org
Address: Entrance East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

You can see more about Culture Night, including full programmes, here.