CULTURE NIGHT 2018 is finally upon us, and that means hundreds of venues across Ireland will open their doors for free tonight. 

The now annual event has become one of the most prominent activities on the cultural calendar, and this year is no exception. From throwing pottery, to pulling screen prints and zorbing on water there’s something for everyone. 

Throughout this week TheJournal.ie‘s culture guide has brought you through activities across the regions from Dublin and the East, the Midlands and West, to the North and South. It’s important to note while all activities are free, some require pre-booking, you’ll find the full details on the Culture Night website

Here is our pick of tonight’s festivities around Ireland.

Dublin City

• Printmaking is once again back in vogue in artistic circles and Damn Fine Print is one of many workshops across the capital. Located in Unit 1, 32 North Brunswick St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, the team will open its doors to the public from 6pm–10.30pm this Friday night. Here you can try your hand at pulling your very own print.

• Also joining in the fun is Street 66, which will host a Drag + Draw Culture Night Special. It’s set to be a fun and informal life drawing session with drag queen models taking place between 5pm – 7pm in 33-34 Parliament St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

• If you’ve always had a hankering for improv, but never quite got around to trying it out this Culture Night is your chance. Act The Maggot is hosting 30-minute taster classes from 7.30pm –9pm, for guests 18 and over. Booking essential. Chapterhouse, 73 Middle Abbey St, Dublin 1.

Defence Forces Defence Forces

Kildare

• Artist Monica de Bath invites children and adults to work with her on a large-scale drawing of the creatures, both real and imaginary, that live by the local canal and river. Cé Eile a Chónaíonn Anseo? Who Else Lives Here? From 6.30pm, Rathangan Library.
• 60 Years of Defence Forces Peacekeeping Operations. A lecture on the history of the Defence Forces. The lecture will be repeated on the hour. From 5 to 9pm, United Nations Training School Ireland, Curragh Camp.

Shutterstock / Jaroslav Moravcik Shutterstock / Jaroslav Moravcik / Jaroslav Moravcik

Limerick

• Challenge yourself to walk, run or even just to stand on water in this water zorbing experience. From 5pm to 8pm at Hunt Museum, Back Garden, Nevsail’s hut, Rutland Street, Limerick.
• Bedford Row will be a hive of activity on Culture Night with hip hop performances, mini all-ages dance classes, performances by Limerick Music Generation and the Mary Immaculate Community Choir. From 5pm to 9pm.

Waterford

• Fancy transforming yourself into a lion, a cat, or a monkey? Head over to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Lombard Street and explore your creativity with visual artist Ruth Flynn as she invites children and parents to make animal themed masks. From 6pm to 7pm at Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) 6 Lombard Street Waterford.

Cork

• Anam Cara Writers and Artists Retreat hosts a journey through the process of composing music. From 8pm to 9pm Eyeries, Beara, West Cork.
• At CIT’s Blackrock Castle Observatory you will find a variety of science and astronomy events for all ages. From 6pm to 10pm.

Cavan

• Tapestry of Light, a photography exhibition by Tina Claffey, opens this Culture Night. Claffey’s observations and unique perspective of the flora and fauna of the unspoilt raised bogs and wet woodlands of the Irish midlands are celebrated in this new book. From 7pm to 9pm at Church Street Centre, Ballyconnell.

Offaly

• VR Movies is back in Tullamore this Culture Night. The midlands’ only virtual reality studio presents VR and 360°short films including the award-winning Aurora from Pink Kong Studios, an Irish animation studio based in Dublin. Booking is required, doors open from 4pm at Sragh Business Park, Sragh, Tullamore.
• Lough Boora Parklands hosts artist, Michael Bulfin. Bulfin will take visitors on a walk through its landscape and sculpture park, focusing on his artwork Sky Train. From 6.30pm at Lough Boora Visitor Centre, bring weather appropriate clothing.

Meath

• Oldcastle’s Masonic lodge opens its doors this Culture Night. Take a tour and learn about the History of Freemasonry in Meath and Oldcastle by Provincial Grand Archivist, Eugene Markey. From 7pm to 9pm at Masonic Hall, Church street, Oldcastle.

Westmeath

• Athlone Abbey Road Artists’ Studios will open their doors to give the public behind the scenes access to the artists’ practices. The current resident artists include Leigh Francis, Lelia Henry, Calvin Doyle and Eoin Francis McCormack. From 5pm to 7pm.
• Mullingar Library will host a memoir writing workshop with Carmel Maginn from 3pm to 4.30pm.

Sligo

• Baby Culture Night with Branar, across two venues in Sligo encourages child-directed free play, enabling children and their families to have hours of fun as they imagine, invent, build and play. From 5pm to 10pm at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street and The Model Niland, Sligo.

Shutterstock / Natalya Okorokova Shutterstock / Natalya Okorokova / Natalya Okorokova

Derry

• The Choir of St Eugene’s Cathedral invite you to join them for an evening exploring the theme of mystery. This choral concert will marry music with the visual art in the Cathedral to draw out the meaning of central elements of Christian belief. From 8pm to 9.30 pm.
• Hive studios is opening its doors for a Culture Night of retro gaming. From old school platform classics like Manic Miner and Super Mario Bros, to SNES and Sega classics such as Sonic and Streets of Rage, the evening returns to a time before online gaming. From 5pm to 8pm.

Culture night 2018 gets underway in a matter of hours. The events listed above are just some of the hundreds taking place right around Ireland. For more details on what’s going on in your area have a look here. Enjoy the festivities.