Culture Night 2026

Culture Night (Oíche Chultúir) is the Arts Council's national celebration of culture, creativity and the arts. For one night, doors open later and venues put on events programmed specially for it, the idea being that this culture is alive and treasured in everyday life rather than shut away behind a ticket desk. Thanks to the Arts Council and local authorities, every activity is free.

In Dublin that means museums, galleries, libraries and concert halls open late and free, and a good number have put on something for families. The listings below are the ones we'd bring children to. You can pull your own print alongside the printmakers at the National Gallery, hand-set a word in metal type at the Print Museum, sit in on a drumming workshop at the Concert Hall, or catch film shorts made for kids. Most of it is drop-in, running from about 4pm into the late evening.

Most of these venues are in the city centre and easiest reached by bus, Luas or DART. Parking is limited and on-street spaces around Merrion Square and Temple Bar fill up from early evening.

Everything is free and most of it is drop-in, so there is nothing to book. A few venues hand out free tickets in person on the night instead, usually about 30 minutes before each session.

Access varies by venue, so it's worth checking the individual listing or contacting the venue before you travel.

The National Gallery is running accessible tours alongside the themed ones: ISL Highlights, Hard of Hearing Highlights, and Audio Described Highlights for visually impaired visitors. All tours gather in the Courtyard and none need booking. The building is step-free with lifts to every floor.

The National Print Museum is entered through the café at the rear, with a drop-off point outside. The ground floor is fully accessible; the mezzanine is not. Fold-out chairs are available on request, assistance dogs are welcome, and large-print booklets are available for the main exhibition. The team is autism aware and JAM card trained, and there's a Visual Story on the museum's website with photos of the layout so you can see what to expect. The printing presses are noisy when they're running.

The National Concert Hall has ramp access at the front entrance, level access to the foyer, and accessible toilets off the foyer.

Most venues ask you to get in touch in advance if you have access needs, so staff can meet you and help on the night.