Bram Stoker Festival 2026: free events, tickets and practical guide

Dublin City Council Bram Stoker Festival returns from Friday 23 to Monday 26 October 2026. The strongest free choices are Stokerland in St Patrick’s Park and the Macnas parade through Dublin’s north-east inner city. Ticketed theatre, film, talks and food events run across the same bank-holiday weekend, but several smaller events have already sold out.

This guide covers the events still listed as available on the official 2026 programme when checked on 3 October 2026. Availability can change, so use the official event links before travelling.

Bram Stoker Festival 2026 at a glance

Best free event for families: Stokerland

Stokerland takes over St Patrick’s Park from 11am on Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 October. Entry is free and no booking is required.

The daytime programme is aimed mainly at children under 12 and their families. It includes street theatre, storytelling, music, games, face-painting, creative play and a free Victorian-style carousel. Visitors may bring a picnic, and food traders will also be on site.

The park is wheelchair accessible. A quieter, sensory-friendly session runs from 11am to 1pm on Monday 26 October, with softer sound, no sudden noises and a mobile sensory unit. The nearest Luas stop is St Stephen’s Green, about 850 metres away. Several Dublin Bus routes stop on Patrick Street.

Best outdoor spectacle: Macnas Parade Fiáin

Macnas Parade: Fiáin starts at 7pm on Monday 26 October. It is free, unticketed and suitable for all ages. Spectators are asked to gather from 6.45pm, not earlier.

The parade begins halfway up North Great George’s Street and continues through Great Denmark Street, Gardiner Place, Mountjoy Square, Gardiner Street and Seán McDermott Street. The full procession normally takes about 20 minutes to pass each viewing point.

Expect giant street spectacle, performers, music and the Galway company’s distinctive large-scale puppetry. The event will be busy. There is no seating or event toilet along the route, and some pavements are uneven. Gardiner Place and Seán McDermott Street offer flatter approaches for people with mobility needs.

Reserved wheelchair and relaxed-viewing areas are due to open for booking at noon on Wednesday 7 October. The main parade does not need a ticket.

Free tickets to watch for: Dracula’s Disco

Dracula’s Disco returns to the Round Room at the Mansion House at noon and 2pm on Monday 26 October. It is designed for children aged four and over, who must attend with an adult.

The hour-long event is free, but everyone needs a ticket. Tickets are due to be released through The Ark at 10am on Tuesday 20 October. The venue is wheelchair accessible and has accessible toilets. The performance uses flashing lights and haze.

Best ticketed choices still available

Stitch at Smock Alley Theatre

Stitch is a one-hour theatre piece inspired by Frankenstein. It plays at 7pm from Friday 23 to Monday 26 October in the Boys’ School at Smock Alley Theatre. Tickets cost €20 and were marked “selling fast” when checked.

This is strictly for adults aged 18 and over. Latecomers are not admitted. The Saturday performance includes Irish Sign Language interpretation, and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Dracula (1958) in 4K at Light House Cinema

The newly restored director’s cut of Hammer’s 1958 Dracula screens at 1.30pm on Sunday 25 October. Tickets are €13, or €10.50 for concessions.

The 97-minute film carries a 12A certificate. Light House Cinema is close to the Smithfield Luas stop and is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair spaces should be booked directly through the cinema box office.

Stoker on Stoker at Trinity College

Stoker on Stoker begins at 1.30pm on Sunday 25 October in Trinity College’s Graduates Memorial Building. Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker uses family history, manuscripts, maps and research notes to trace how Dracula was created.

Tickets cost €13 plus a €1 booking fee and were marked “selling fast”. The 90-minute event is suitable for ages 12 and over; under-18s must attend with an adult. Irish Sign Language interpretation is provided, and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Blood, Guts & Black Pudding

Blood, Guts & Black Pudding pairs food writer Kate Ryan with chef Andrew Rudd for a discussion and tasting of Irish blood-pudding traditions. It takes place at 2pm on Monday 26 October at Medley in the Old Irish Times Building.

The event is for adults aged 18 and over. Tickets cost €20 plus a €1 booking fee. It lasts 90 minutes, includes Irish Sign Language interpretation and is wheelchair accessible.

Booking advice

• Book paid events early. The festival says demand is high and does not operate waiting lists for sold-out events.
• Booking fees are added to some listed prices.
• All sales are final unless an event is cancelled.
• Check the individual event page for age limits, warnings and late-entry rules.
• For the Macnas parade, use public transport where possible and check the festival website after 14 October for road closures and local-access information.

See the complete Bram Stoker Festival 2026 programme for workshops, talks and availability updates.

Last checked: 3 October 2026. Featured image: St Patrick’s Cathedral viewed across St Patrick’s Park, the venue for Stokerland. Archive photograph taken in 2015 by David Iliff, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. The image shows the venue, not the 2026 festival.