The 2019 Bram Stoker Festival kicks of next week. The four day event features 16 events set to thrill Dubliners and visitors this October Bank Holiday Weekend.
The festival, brought to life by Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland, continues to celebrate the legacy of the iconic Irish writer.
The gothically inspired programme mixes family-friendly adventures with late-night antics for mates, dates and everything in between.
While many events are free, ticketed events are selling fast!
Check out some of the highlights:
Night Watch
When? Friday 25-Mon 28
Set in Dublin’s historic Grand Canal Dock, Night Watch is an outdoor spectacle by the internationally renowned Lantern Company.
This atmospheric and darkly theatrical installation will see a ghostly ship summoned from the dark.
The slip - swathed in fog and foreboding lights - will be accompanied by an eerie, maritime forest of beings and bodies arising from the depths.
A must-see for families, visitors and Dubliners of all ages.
Sound of Wood on Muscle: A Modern Radio Dracula
When? Fri 25 Oct 9pm & Sat 26 Oct 6pm & 8:30pm, €18
Some of Ireland’s most inventive and hilarious theatre makers present the Irish premiere of Sounds of Wood on Muscle: A Modern Radio Dracula.
The show is a modern spin on Orson Welles’ iconic radio production of Dracula and is described as part tongue-in-cheek lecture, part live podcast, and part contemporary theatre.
It takes place on the altar where Bram Stoker married Florence Balcombe in St. Ann’s Church, Dawson St.
Meeting House Horrors
Film fans are in for a fright with Meeting House Horrors. You're asked to dress in your fearsome finest for these spooky flicks.
- The Craft (Fri 25 Oct, 8pm, €16)
- An American Werewolf in London (Sat 26 Oct, 8:30pm, €16)
- Lost Boys (Sun 27 Oct, 8pm, €16).
Abe’s Story
When? Sat 26 Oct, 1pm, €11
The film by award winning animator and director Adam Stewart tells the tale of an overworked writer, Abe, who is inspired by his day job in the theatre to create a bloody brilliant novel in Victorian London.
It won the Best Animated Sequence in a Short Film Award at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, and will be followed by a discussion with the director and acclaimed Bram Stoker biographer Paul F. Murray on the influences that helped shape the greatest horror novel of all time: Dracula.
Stokerland
When? Sat 26 Oct & Sun 27 Oct, 11am-4:30pm, free
St. Patrick’s Park will be turned into a Victorian playground on Saturday and Sunday.
This gothic gathering will bring the entertainment, including a spooktacular performance by Joyful Noise (27 Oct at 2:25pm, free) of some classic Halloween jams.
Joyful Noise is an upbeat and lively community music project that empowers young people with disabilities through the experience of learning pop songs and live performance.
Dracula’s Disco
When? Mon 28 Oct, 2pm, free
Dracula's Disco is also back to spin some ghastly grooves in Meeting House Square. Come dressed in your beastly best and get ready to boogie!
Spooky Stories at Marsh’s
When? Fri 25 & Sat 26 Oct, 10am-5pm, free
Marsh’s Library will open its doors to any little monsters who dare to wander its dark halls, regaled with tales from Marsh’s past among the ancient books of witchcraft and heresy.
Bite of Dublin Walking Tour
When? Mon 28 Oct, 3pm, €40
Horror scholar Valeria Cavall leads this walking tour.
Guests will sink their teeth into bespoke bites inspired by Stoker while learning about many of his early writings and lesser known stories.
The tour begins at Dublin Castle with The Right Catering Company, followed by Loose Canon Wine and Cheese Shop, Seafood Cafe and rounding off at Dawson Lounge.
Stoker on Stoker: The Mysteries Behind the Writing of Dracula
When? Sat 26 Oct, 3pm, €11
Dacre Stoker, the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker and co-author of the 2018 prequel novel Dracul, will share an intimate insight into Stoker family lore, separating fact from fiction in a compelling audio-visual presentation.
Bram Stoker and the Haunting of Marsh’s Library
When? Fri 25 Oct, 6:30pm, €16.87
Marsh’s Library won’t just be for family fun this year – adults are invited to the three-hundred-year old library for an enlightening evening.
The exhibition will be shown by Marsh’s Library Director Dr. Jason McElligott, who will take visitors on an after-hours tour of the building, including an opportunity to see the books that Stoker himself read while visiting.
Dr. McElligott will dig deep into what might have inspired the young Stoker while he studied at Marsh’s, as well as some of the more unusual tales from the building’s past.
For information on events, volunteering and tickets sink your teeth into www.bramstokerfestival.com.
