Culture Night turns 21 on September 18 with free nationwide events

Culture Night returns on Friday, September 18 for its 21st year, with thousands of events taking place across Ireland. Here are some of our picks to check out on the night.

More than 300 events will be happening in the capital alone.

If you’re mapping out your Culture Night trail, Bolands Mills needs to be on your list. Milling About – Culture in Every Corner, is taking over Grand Canal Dock on Friday, September 18, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. This year’s expanded programme brings an even richer lineup of art, music and storytelling to the iconic flour mills, with main stage sets from acclaimed artists Sorcha Richardson, Æ MAK and Zaska.

Out in Bolands Square, street artist Kevin Bohan will paint a mural live on the night, which piece will go on display inside The Factory so it can be enjoyed long after Culture Night wraps up. DJ turned chef Marcus O’Laoire steps behind the decks at Grindstone coffee to spin a laid-back, all-vinyl listening session right by the water, while Bricknasty offer a set of late-evening jazz at Daphni.

Also at the Bolands Mill site, Pilates studio Reformation will run gentle, interactive movement session. Hair and beauty studio Dont Kill My Vibe will also host an intimate live storytelling session, In the Chair, during which four local legends will have their hair styled live by salon owners Anja and Andrea, trading memories and stories of the local area.

There is a greater emphasis on outdoor events this year, and Meeting House Square in Temple Bar will host a slew of exciting talent from 4:00 p.m. The genre-spanning bill is headlined by family trad-pop outfit Burnchurch, and includes Holly Munro, Pier, Blue Niall, Celaviedmai, Jessie & The Veil, Asha Ari and the Pink K-Pop Dance Academy.

Just around the corner at cult favorite video game and music shop The R.A.G.E., expect the experimental with a lineup featuring Mark & Luke, Postcard Versions, Elaine Malone and Rory Sweeney.

On Capel Street, Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre presents "Anything But Silent," an evening built around all the ways queer people make themselves heard, spanning storytelling, history, literature, film and participatory work across three floors.

Down in Cork, Pat Carey brings his shapeshifting orchestral folk project How I Became A Wave to St Catherine's Cultural Centre in Kinsale, a deconsecrated church turned arts space. The band released their self-titled debut in March; doors at 8.30pm, free but booking essential. Down the coast in Baltimore, 1970s-inspired folk-rockers The Fynches take over St Matthew's Church, one of more than 150 free events across Cork county.

It's a similarly folky affair in Galway City, as Monroe's Live hosts "A night of new folk" from 6pm, spearheaded by rising act Heron Red, who bring rich harmonies, top-tier musicianship and a Waterboys-inspired sound to the west coast. They've gone from De Barra's in Clonakilty to support slots with Bell X1 and Damien Dempsey in under two years. No booking, all ages.

In Killarney, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport opens up around the National Library's touring Live Aid exhibition with a unique slate of Live Aid-themed performances, featuring drag acts from 6pm, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and traditional Ethiopian music.

Music history is also being celebrated in Treaty City. Irish songwriter Johnny Duhan - who penned classics such as 'The Voyage' - will be commemorated in his native Limerick, with a plaque unveiling in his honour taking place at Wolfe Tone Street.

Taking Here, Together.is a photography and community-engagement project bringing together members of the Riverchapel Ladies Club and asylum seekers living at the Courtown Hotel IPAS Centre.

The programme began with photography workshops for both groups. Participants were introduced to documentary photography and encouraged to record their own lives, routines, surroundings, interests and
everyday experiences. Using photography as a meeting point, the project created a dialogue and connection among the participants, inspiring discussions on shared experiences of living in the same place at the same time.

The groups later came together to review and discuss the photographs they had created and to consider the recurring ideas that emerged from their work.
Alongside the workshops, JP Keating worked individually with participants, photographing them in their homes and personal environments to create a broader and more intimate portrait of their lives within the same community.

The Christ Church Old School, Gorey, Co. Wexford will host Here, Together, an exhibition from photographer JP Keating. The community-engagement project brings together members of the Riverchapel Ladies Club and asylum seekers living at the Courtown Hotel IPAS Centre.

• For more information on what Culture Night events are taking place near you, click here.