One Night For All: Culture Night Cork City - Friday, 18 September

26/08/2026

• The Devils in the Dance Hall @ Concert Hall, City Hall: Inspired by the true story of Jimmy Gralton and the suppression of Ireland’s rural dance halls, this lively performance celebrates dance as a form of defiance. Through spoken word, song and the sounds of The Gralton Big Band, it brings the spirit of Ireland’s old dance halls to life. Choreographer Edwina Guckian will teach audiences steps across swing, foxtrot, sean-nós, lindy hop and set-dance, inviting everyone to dance, move or simply enjoy the show.

• Culture Night at the English Market: One of Cork’s most iconic landmarks will open its doors from 6pm to 9pm for one night only. A selection of traders will serve local treats and traditional tastes, from handmade sushi and local cheese to charcuterie and Cork favourites, alongside wine tastings and samples. Local musicians will add to the lively atmosphere throughout the evening.

• Triskel Arts Centre: Triskel will host an evening of music and contemporary art. The Irish Baroque Orchestra will present Handel’s Band Off-Duty, an immersive, high-energy session that imagines the music Handel and his contemporaries would have heard in the informal settings of the 1740s - where Baroque virtuosity met the living Irish traditional music of the day.

• Barrack Street Band and Friends at Elizabeth Fort: Elizabeth Fort will come alive with an evening of music and song from 5.15pm to 8pm, featuring Voices of Peace, the Ukrainian Voice music group, the Sunshine International Youth Ensemble and Cork’s own Barrack Street Band. Bringing together performers from diverse cultural backgrounds, the evening will celebrate music, community and Cork’s cultural diversity.

• Cork City Libraries will host a wide-ranging programme featuring exhibitions, live music, readings and creative workshops, both at the central Grand Parade building and in selected branches. Highlights include the colourful Rap-A-Mile music-in-motion parade from the Kabin Crew, Chinese art, music workshops and Sweet Dreams: Lullabies Across the World, an exhibition compiled by women with experience of forced displacement, and expressed through painting, drawing, crochet and sewing.

• Art at Wandesford Quay: Backwater Artists Group, Cork Printmakers and Lavit Gallery open their doors this Culture Night, creating a hub of artistic activity. Backwater will offer guided studio tours and an opportunity to meet resident artists. Cork Printmakers will offer tours of its printmaking studios and current exhibition hay boy, gay boy by Maitiú Mac Cárthaigh, while Lavit Gallery will presents New Irish Art, showcasing new work by artists from across the island, alongside a talk and exhibition tour exploring the artists and building an art collection.

• 2FM Rising X Culture Night Live at St Luke’s: St Luke’s will host a special night of live music featuring 2FM Rising artists MOIO, Mischa and the Bear, Run The Red and Chubby Cat, alongside a live DJ set from 2FM’s Graham Smyth. The gig will also be broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special show hosted by 2FM New Music Show presenter Beta Da Silva.