The Bram Stoker Festival 2026 is just around the corner, and events are selling out fast. If you, like many in the queer community, are interested in horror, history, and mythology, the festival is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the spooky season in unique ways.

Here are just a few of the incredible events taking place at the festival this year.

SCANRA: The Bonfire
Hosted in the iconic Bewleys Café on Grafton Street, the fourth annual celebration of SCANRA is taking place on Monday, October 26. The event promises an amazing celebration of the original music, mythology and storytelling that are found in the old Irish origins of Samhain. 

SCANRA aims to highlight voices that aren’t typically platformed, and promises some amazing performances from incredible queer talents such as storyteller Branwen Kavanaugh and drag performer Foxxx. Alongside them, the event features a number of musicians and storytellers, promising a culturally rich and unforgettable experience!

Petrified Live
The award-winning Irish horror audio drama Petrified is ready to get your Halloween season off to a horrifying start with a live podcast session. Presenting a brand-new horror story pulled from beyond the grave, the queer creators behind the podcast are ready to deliver a spine-tingling live episode of “Ireland’s scariest podcast”.

The event will take place on October 23 at the Project Arts Centre, with tickets available here!

Macnas Parade: Fiáin
Described as a celebration of the “wild elements of the West of Ireland”, the Macnas Parade is set to kick off at 7pm. Following a route that covers much of where Bram Stoker used to live in Dublin City, it promises “giant spectacle, performance, music and imagination, bringing the wild spirit of the West to the heart of Stoker’s Dublin.”

Organisers also mention the event is wheelchair accessible, and that there is a dedicated space, at a quieter area of the parade route, for people who will benefit from a more relaxed environment.

Blood, Guts & Black Pudding
For those interested in food and a good book, the ‘Blood, Guts & Black Pudding’ event is taking place in The Old Irish Times Building on Fleet Street on Monday, October 26. 

The event showcases a conversation about author Kate Ryan’s book, alongside chef Andrew Rudd, with the topic of discussion being “Ireland’s traditional food culture, and exploring why we should fall in love with puddings all over again, before a tasting of black pudding from various blood pudding makers still going strong in Dublin.” This event will have ISL interpretation. 

Night Bites – Prints After Dark: A Gothic Lino Printing Workshop
If you are free on Friday, October 23, and happen to be needing a new tote bag, be sure to consider this event! Led by artists Ciara Kavanagh and Billy Fagan, the event will give you a chance to learn the basics of lino carving and create your own printing block.

Complimentary tea and coffee are on offer while you get to carve your very own lino print. Once carved, you then have the option of printing it onto a tote bag, a unique reminder of a unique night!

Stoker on Stoker: Unearthing the Secrets of Dracula
One of the more unique events of the entire Bram Stoker Festival, this talk is taking place at Trinity College on Sunday, October 25. Presented by Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker, the multimedia presentation explores the legendary author’s life and the remarkable story behind the creation of Dracula.

This event will have ISL interpretation. 

Night Bites – DIY Animal Ears
Halloween is fast approaching and, like many people, you might not have your costume ready, but the Bram Stoker Festival has you covered!

The event aims to provide an eco/budget friendly alternative to buying a new costume, with organisers saying: “Choose your creature and we’ll guide you through shaping, constructing and customising reclaimed materials into the beginning of a low-cost costume without buying something new.” The event is taking place in The Digital Depot on Roe Lane on October 24.

Many of these events are selling out fast, so be sure to check them out and attend them if any pique your interest!