When it comes to deciding how to spend your weekends, you really are spoiled for choice. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Mastercard to bring you the ultimate event guide every weekend.
Dublin
By far one of the highlights of the year for Irish culture vultures, Culture Night features an incredible programme of free late-night entertainment.
Arts and cultural organisations are opening their doors this Saturday with hundreds of events all over the country ranging from the weird and wonderful to the outright nuts.
Dublin highlights include an Instagrammers photowalk to take some pictures, while enjoying the night and visiting the most exciting places around the city, an open-air concert in the courtyard of Dublin Castle, or take free Aerial Cirque classes and learn how to spin and swing yourself from the ceiling in a silk cocoon.
Smithfield Square’s Interactive Playground returns with an even bigger programme for all ages to enjoy, from yarn spinning workshops to fencing taster classes; or you can explore the cultural side of the city by foot, bike or bus with the Culture Night Tours which includes a Dublin Street Art tour.
Dublin Vegfest is Ireland's largest vegan food & lifestyle event, and is a delightful mix of stalls offering the best vegan food by local producer's, lifestyle talks, demos, cruelty free products, exhibitors, non-profits, animal rescues, film and more.
This year’s event in Dublin 8 has an entire Vegan Food Village, with grub by beloved veggie producers such as Cornucopia and Natasha’s Living Food, and with food options including cupcakes, pies, burgers, sausages, cheeses, chocolate bars, fermented foods, fudges, marshmallows, BBQ and street food classics, even non-vegans will find something to love.
Demos of natural ethical skincare products, and workshops will be held where you can learn about plant based health benefits and new and exciting recipes.
Irish Light Photography Festival 2017
IrishLight aims to draw the best professional Irish based landscape photographers together, and bring international photographers to Ireland in this inspiring photography festival at the The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.
The theme of this years festival is 'An tOilean', translated as 'The Island', and keen snappers and amateurs alike will be seriously impressed by the range of landscape photographs on display.
The very best of Irish scenery will also be displayed in the CHQ Building, and there’s also interesting talks from some of the country’s best photographers, including Peter Gordon who will chat about his favourite images from Donegal to West Cork, giving you location insight and an in depth creative and technical appraisal of the images.
Because is it even the weekend if you don’t get into a fit of laughter at least once? This post-summer spectacular will see 17 top notch acts take to the stage of The Laughter Lounge for the month of September.
This weekend’s shows will have you cracking up at Malaysian comedian Nigel Ng, who has won the prestigious Amused Moose Laugh Off 2016 and was the runner up at the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Awards 2016, with guests Comedy Central sensation Damian Clark (Australian), Football Ramble funny man Jim Campbell (British) and Johnny Candon (Irish) from BBC Comedy presents.
Doors open at 7pm on Friday and Saturday, with folk arriving before 7.30pm offered a complimentary Bulmers cocktail or pint, and night-owls will be catered for after the gig with a late night bar and tunes.
Galway
Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival
Ireland’s favourite foodie city strikes again with this tantalising festival of all things delicious from the sea, the Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is the oldest oyster festival in the world.
The city will be transformed into a seafood lover’s dream for the weekend, with special events such as the Oyster 'Olympics' taking place, as well as foodie talks & tasting events in some of Galway's best restaurants for the festival’s Seafood Trail.
A highlight of the festival calendar sees masked revellers party the night away in a Masquerade Carnival of Revelry, as the night will begin with an Oyster and Prosecco reception followed by starter course in different venues around Galway, followed by a parade ‘Mardi Gras style’ to the final venue for main course, dessert and dancing til the wee hours.
Galway's famous bustling market has been trading in Church Lane by St Nicholas' Church in the centre of Galway city for centuries, and here’s where you will find hundreds of stalls selling fresh produce and locally produced crafts.
There's a great variety of food available, from Madras curry to fresh fruit and veg, to mouthwatering handmade chocolate, and all the essentials for a gourmet picnic spread.
Open Saturdays from 8.30am-6pm and Sundays 2pm-6pm, must-visit stalls include The Bean Tree, a vegetarian company selling delicious veggie curries and chapatis, Coolfin Organic Bakery, who serve up light and fluffy yeast breads and tasty spelt loaves, and Kappa-Ya Sushi, who use a mixture of traditional Japanese ingredients and Irish produce for fresh rolls and Teriyaki dishes.
Cork
Cork’s only “dedicated laugh festival” kicks off this weekend with a gig by Corkonian MC Chris Kent, who is joined by one of Irish comedy’s brightest new talents, Andrea Farrell, and Republic of Telly star Joanne McNally, Gogglebox star Deirdre Maven and the hilarious PJ Gallagher.
Top Irish and International stars will be performing, and with various comedic events held all throughout the city, you’re sure to find something that’s right up your street. Always wanted to unleash your inner comic? A two day workshop of The Art Of Being An Idiot is the event for you.
Apart from all that great comedy, you’ll discover unique shopping and dining options in the city, including the English Market, with its stalls selling foods from all over the world, while at every corner you’ll come across a new panoramic view, another interesting architectural feature and some of the best art galleries, theatres and museums in Ireland.
This event guide was brought to you with thanks to Mastercard®. Register on Priceless.com today to discover exclusive experiences and get privileged access to sporting events, shopping, dining and travel.
