📚 Dalkey Book Festival
Date: 18–21 June 2026
Location: Dalkey village
DART / access: Dalkey DART
The headline local cultural event of early summer: writers, journalists, public figures and big conversations across Dalkey venues.
3months of highlights
20+events and watch items
DARTaccess noted throughout
Officiallinks included
Please check before you travel. Event details, tickets and transport arrangements can change. Official links are included on each card and calendar buttons are provided as a convenience.
June 2026
Literature, concerts, Pride, Leopardstown evenings and the busiest month on the southside calendar.
🦞 Book Festival food stop: Bubbas
Heading into Dalkey for the Book Festival? Bubbas is a handy local stop for seafood, takeaway, tables to stay and wine in Dalkey.
🎩 Bloomsday Festival
Date: 11–16 June 2026
Location: Sandycove, Glasthule, Blackrock & Dublin City
DART / access: Sandycove / Blackrock / Pearse
Joyce-themed walks, readings, theatre, music and local celebrations.
🏇 Bulmers Live at Leopardstown
Date: 11 & 18 June 2026
Location: Leopardstown Racecourse
DART / access: DART plus Luas / short taxi connection
Summer evening racing with live music at Leopardstown.
🎙️ Mary Coughlan Live
Date: Saturday 13 June 2026
Location: Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney
DART / access: Killiney / Dalkey plus short taxi or bus
A strong local live music date close to Shanganagh Castle.
🎸 Metallica – M72 World Tour
Date: 19 & 21 June 2026
Location: Aviva Stadium
DART / access: Lansdowne Road DART
Two major stadium nights on the DART line.
🎤 Olivia Dean
Date: 20 & 21 June 2026
Location: Marlay Park
DART / access: DART to Blackrock / Dún Laoghaire plus onward bus or taxi
A major southside concert weekend.
🎤 Lewis Capaldi
Date: 23 & 24 June 2026
Location: Marlay Park
DART / access: DART plus onward connection
One of the largest southside concert dates of the summer season.
🖤 The Cure
Date: Friday 26 June 2026
Location: Marlay Park
DART / access: DART plus onward bus or taxi
A major summer concert draw for the southside.
🏳️🌈 Dublin Pride Parade
Date: Saturday 27 June 2026
Location: Dublin city centre
DART / access: Pearse / Tara Street / Connolly
A major city-centre celebration and one of Dublin’s biggest public events of the summer.
🎧 Calvin Harris
Date: Saturday 27 June 2026
Location: Marlay Park
DART / access: DART plus onward bus or taxi
A large outdoor dance music date at Marlay Park.
🌺 Florence + The Machine
Date: Sunday 28 June 2026
Location: Marlay Park
DART / access: DART plus onward bus or taxi
A strong closing highlight for a very busy June of southside concerts.
July 2026
Harbour weekends, racing and music dates from July 2026.
⚓ People’s Park Market
Date: Sundays
Location: People’s Park, Dún Laoghaire
DART / access: Dún Laoghaire / Sandycove & Glasthule
A reliable weekly outing for food stalls, coffee, craft, produce and a harbour walk.
🏇 Bulmers Live at Leopardstown
Date: 9, 16 & 23 July 2026
Location: Leopardstown Racecourse
DART / access: DART plus short onward connection
The racing and live music series continues into July.
August 2026
Late-summer highlights include the Dalkey Lobster Festival on 22–23 August and Electric Picnic at Stradbally on 28–30 August.
🦞 This weekend · 22–23 August
🦞 Dalkey Lobster Festival 2026
Date: Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 August 2026
Location: Dalkey village
DART / access: Dalkey DART, short walk into the village
Street food & stalls: 12:00–18:00
Live music: Continues later into the evening at venues across Dalkey
Road access: Road closures into Dalkey from 11:00
Dalkey’s late-summer food weekend returns with local seafood, live music, street entertainment and family activity across the village. The street food and stalls run from 12:00–18:00, while live music continues later into the evening at venues around Dalkey. Expect the village to be very busy through the afternoon and evening, so travel by DART where possible and check the official festival information before setting out.
⚡ Electric Picnic 2026
Date: Friday 28 – Sunday 30 August 2026
Location: Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, Co. Laois
Travel: Direct festival coaches from Dublin City; rail to Portlaoise or Portarlington with festival shuttle connections
Tickets: 2026 tickets are sold out. Ticketmaster resale is the only official resale platform.
Ireland’s major end-of-summer music and arts festival returns to Stradbally for three days. The announced 2026 line-up includes Gorillaz, Fontaines D.C., Zara Larsson, CMAT and sombr, alongside a much wider programme of music, comedy, art, talks, food and late-night areas.
Travel note: If you are heading from south Dublin, plan the full journey in advance. The festival publishes dedicated coach and shuttle information and advises festival-goers to follow official event routing rather than relying solely on sat-nav when driving.
🌊 Bray, Killiney & Dún Laoghaire weekends
Date: All summer
Location: Bray, Killiney Hill, Sandycove, Dún Laoghaire
DART / access: Bray / Killiney / Sandycove / Dún Laoghaire
For quieter weekends: cliff walks, piers, cafés, swims, harbour markets, local music and coastal days out.
Community Events
Approved local submissions, listed in date order.
Community submissions
Submit a local event
Send confirmed dates, official links and DART/access details for consideration on the Shanganagh Castle events page. Submissions are reviewed before publication.