Culture Night is fast becoming one of the countries most-loved cultural days, showcasing the very best of the arts in Ireland.

This Friday (Sept 21^st) will see the country vibrate to the rhythm of dancers, musicians, poets, actors, artists, storytellers and more as Culture Night returns with over 4,000 free events taking place nationwide.

Each year Culture Night brings people together to create unique shared experiences and memories, from generations of families consuming and exploring new night-time adventures to groups of friends visiting venues in towns, cities and beyond to enjoy the best of contemporary culture and genres they might never have before.

The list even includes a splattering of previous Plec Picks and GP favourites such as Pillow Queens, Nava, Dowry, The Hit Machine and more!

We’ve sifted through the extensive programme and picked out the very best in musical highlights across the evening – all so you don’t have to!

Dublin———–>>

The Amphitheatre

6.30pm – 11pm | Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8

Buried right in the heart of the Civic Offices on Wood Quay is The Amphitheatre – an open-air stage area that plays host to performances throughout the year, ranging from opera to rock to hip hop.

The Amphitheatre is delighted to host an array of pop-up performances by the Discovery Gospel Choir, The Hit Machine Drummers, Dublin Circus Project, The Ramparts and Sam Kavanagh’s Lalalala Choir. So much fun to be had! Find the timetable here.

Open-Air Concert

8pm – 10pm | Collins BarracksArran Quay, Dublin

Arena’s Sean Rocks presents an evening of live family entertainment in the company of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and very special guests. The concert will also feature a choir of 140 members of the public from around the country and include artists like: Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Mick Flannery & Amanda Coogan, Alma Harrak, Mango X Mathman, Claudia Boyle, Ursula Burns, Nava (Plec Picks), Moxie and much more.

The Tara Building

6pm – 10pm |11-15 Tara Street, Dublin 2

This Culture Night, come and meet the members of the Tara community as we present a line up of discussion, live music, and pop-up workshops focused on the creativity and culture of our space. This will include specialists in design, film, writing, photography, mindfulness, marketing, and tech presenting their creative thinking. Live music on the night is bound to be wonderful as they have Rachael Lavelle, Dowry and Ruth Mac all performing.

Ballad Tour

7.30pm | Outside Smock Alley Theatre, Cow’s Lane, D8

Come and revel in ballads of old, rendered comically and movingly by Sean Fitzgerald and friends. Learn about the incredible history of Dublin city and its musicians and poets, such as Zozimus the blind poet and the inhabitants of ‘Hell’. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll most definitely sing!

RTÉ Concert

4pm- 10pm |Collins Barracks, Benburb St, Arran Quay, D7

Between the granite walls of the historic Collins Barracks, a gigantic, free open-air concert will bring the very best of Ireland’s emerging and established artists to stage alongside the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. RTÉ will bring the entire concert to homes around the country, live on RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena programme from 8pm to 10pm. You can also follow all of the action via live streaming on RTÉ – see rte.ie/culture for more.

RTÉ Lyric FM live @ The Chester Beatty

4pm-10pm | Address Dublin Castle, D2

Come view a range of exceptional and exotic treasures at one of the city’s most popular museums. Join Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive for a live RTÉ Lyric FM broadcast celebrating the collection in music and speech with special guests. Take a free guided tour, avail of a workshop or pick up a family activity pack. The gift shop and Silk Road Café will be open for the evening.

Ableton Push Playground

6pm–9.30pm | Sound Training College, Rory Gallagher Corner Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, D2

Visit the Sound Training College for a series of exciting and informative Ableton sessions. Certified trainer Martin Clancy will be running sessions every 20 minutes with the help of his talented team of producers. This training offers a fantastic chance for beginners in electronic music to get to grips with some of the industry’s leading software.

AIB Choral Society

6.30pm–9pm | AIB Bank, Grafton St, D2

The AIB Choral Society, founded in 2002, is a four part mixed voice choir with over 50 members of current, former, and retired staff and family members. Their repertoire includes classical, traditional, popular and music for the stage and screen. Come hear a number of their favourite pieces for a thirty-minute programme performed throughout the evening.

Digital Hub

8pm | Digital Hub, Dublin 8

Visit The Digital Hub campus, off Thomas Street in Dublin 8, for a special evening of music and film under the iconic St. Patrick’s Tower. Culture Night at The Digital Hub, in association with the Dublin International Film Festival, is a celebration of Dublin 8 creativity, community and talent. It will kick off at 8pm with a special musical performance with local singers. This medley of tunes will be followed by a curated programme of new Irish short films made by local filmmakers, which will be screened on a large outdoor screen.

Cork———–>>

DeBarras

11pm – 12pm| 55 Pearse Street, Clonakilty, West Cork
Having first come together in the autumn of 2016 on the basketball courts of a Dublin City park, the four members of Pillow Queens (Plec Picks), soon realised that making music together would be an equally productive group activity.Cathy plays guitar & sings. Rachel plays drums & sings. Pam & Sarah swap guitar, bass and lead vocal duties.

Clare———–>>

Luka Bloom

8pm | Cultúrlann Sweeney, Kilkee

The Irish folk singer and songwriter will be delving into his wealth of songs to perform in Kilkee’s cultural and library facility.

Donegal———–>>

The Temper Tantrums

7pm | An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny

Following on from the success of his solo show, Little Folk- On Tour, Kyle Riley is back and bringing the band- The Temper Tantrums. The ‘Sing to Me’ Tour features original songs, some traditional children’s music and a little something for the adults too. It’s an hour of folk and rock music, sure to get you moving. For your under 8’s, your rock toddlers and the little boppers in between, it’s fun for the whole family.

Carlow———–>>

Music Generation Carlow: Reelig & Mouthbox

6pm | TBC

Music Generation Carlow’s are showcasing their most talented young musicians. Reelig, our senior traditional ensemble and MouthBox, our county vocal ensemble, will present a varied programme of Irish Traditional and pop music. Providing an exciting finale as both groups join forces and fuse their styles!