Culture
08 Nov 22

Dublin's New Year's Eve concert replaced by family-friendly event

The festival along the quays will feature numerous hubs of live music, food stalls and bars.

There will be no headline concert this New Year's Eve in Dublin city centre.

Instead, the focus will be on the countdown to 2023 and a fireworks display along the River Liffey. The festivities along the quays will also include family entertainers and street performers.

According to the licence application by Dublin City Council’s planning office, the format of the event on December 31st, 2022 has changed slightly in comparison to previous years "with no concert taking place but the main focus now being on the Midnight Moment and the fireworks display on the river to ring in the new year.

"There will be a festival set up along both North and South Quays with numerous hubs of live music, food units and bars," according to the organisers.

The change has been made after last year's event was cancelled just days before due to a spike in Covid-19 cases. Plans for 2021 included a headline concert by Picture This, afternoon shows at Dublin Castle and a street party near St Stephen's Green.

The last time Dublin hosted New Year's Eve festivities on a large scale was pre-Covid in 2019.

Thank you so much to all who came out to watch Dublin light up with imagination & wonder this NYE! Wishing you every luck in the new decade from all @ NYFDublin! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fFIGBGwDcu

— NYFDublin (@NYFDublin) January 1, 2020

To ring in the new year, this year's celebrations will take place along the River Liffey, at North Wall Quay, Sir John Rogerson Quay and in the city centre.

Families can also enjoy the New Year’s Eve Matinée with an earlier countdown at North Wall Quay from 4pm. The 30-minute performance will start at 6.30pm, culminating in the earlier countdown celebrations scheduled for 7pm.

Tickets will be needed to attend and can be purchased via Ticketmaster, with the capacity limited to 24,000 people.

The main event along the North Wall Quay and Sir John Rogerson Quay is set to run from 8pm to 40 minutes after midnight and include the official countdown and a grand fireworks display on pontoons in the Liffey from Samuel Beckett Bridge to Tom Clarke Bridge. The site will be open to the public from 4pm.