Set to return on September 19, Culture Night promises a spectacular lineup of events to celebrate creativity, diversity, and community all over Ireland. With over 1,000 events planned, the national festival presents an incredible opportunity to dive into the island’s rich culture. So without further ado, check out the queer highlights you can take part in to make your Culture Night 2025 the most vibrant ever.
Breaking Frames: Culture Night at Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre
Outhouse is inviting the community to celebrate Culture Night with a series of free, drop-in events exploring identity, creativity, and community beyond societal limits. The lineup of free events includes:
- A programme of short LGBTQ+ film screenings curated in partnership with GAZE Film Festival, Queer Spectrum Film Festival, and TITE Film Festival.
- An exhibition of mixed-media paintings by visual artist Martin McCann, inspired by growth, transformation, and the beauty of imperfection.
- A collaborative exhibition in which participants can explore how we see ourselves, how others see us, and how identities expand beyond societal frames.
Sing Out West with ISL
The West of Ireland’s only LGBTQ+ choir, Sing Out West, will perform at the Michael Davitt Museum in Mayo, with Irish Sign Language interpretation. Founded in 2022, the choir brings lively and entertaining music with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ artists. Reserve your spot here.
LINQ Ireland: OUTspoken – LGBTIQ+ Voices Live
Celebrating queer creativity, identity, and expression, this event welcomes poets, singers, storytellers, comedians, and anyone with a story to share. Organised by LINQ Ireland, the evening will include moving spoken word pieces, soul-stirring songs, uplifting stories, laugh-out-loud performances and more. More details here.
Consent Chronicles: Stories of Hope, Healing and Humour
Taking place at the Chapters Bookstore in Dublin, this evening of thought-provoking storytelling is organised by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s We-Consent campaign. It will spotlight different personal stories that explore themes of consent, sex, sex education and more, offering a diverse tapestry of experiences that reflect the multifaceted nature of these topics. More info here.
Voices of Pride and Power, A Celebration of Drag Excellence
For Culture Night 2025, Outcomers LGBT+ Community Centre is organising an incredible event for queer voices and the wider community in Dundalk to come together to celebrate the artistry, resilience, and cultural legacy of drag. Find out more here.
Queertopia Returns – Hold Onto Your Wigs!
Ready to corrupt Culture Night in the best way possible, Queertopia is strutting into The Black Box in Belfast, bringing camp chaos, razor-sharp wit, and more sparkle than a Pride parade in a glitter factory. Find more info here.
Miss Powder Vacuum | Pageant at The Douglas Hyde Gallery
Artist Bill Harris is behind this once-off pageant taking place at The Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin, where contestants of all shapes, sizes and species are welcome. An alternative to Alternative Miss Ireland, the event will feature live performances, music and the crowning of true glory. More here.
Bolands Mills – Inaugural Culture Night Celebration
Celebrating Culture Night for the first time in 2025, Bolands Mills is organising an evening of leading-edge music and spoken word across two stages. On the Spoken Word Stage, queer comedian and podcaster Alison Spittle will join other guests and poet and fashion stylist Jan Brierton for what promises to be an entertaining and hilarious night. Find out more here.
Annaghmakerrig Session: Dani Larkin
Acclaimed songwriter and virtuoso guitarist Dani Larkin is set to return to Annaghmakerrig for a captivating performance at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, County Monaghan. Famous for her signature storytelling, Larkin will take the audience on a journey through ruminations on love and experiences of wildness, loss and mystery. Find out more here.
The Maverick Culture Night Party
Featuring live music and a variety of drag performers, The Maverick will present a huge line-up of Belfast’s finest LGBTQ+ talent at the heart of the city’s Rainbow Quarter. More info here.
QueerVerse – a Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Poets
QuareClare – Clare’s LGBTQ+ support and social group will kick off their Pride weekend with an evening of queer poetry for Culture Night 2025. Starting off with three guest poets who will all read or perform a selection of their work, the event will also feature a limited ‘open-mic’ session where local writers can take part. More details here.
Pink Pussycat Cabaret Takes on Culture Night
Pink Pussycat Cabaret is organising an evening of dazzling performances that celebrate the vibrant creativity of our LGBTQ+ community. Featuring sultry songs, fierce drag, playful burlesque, bold spoken word, and more, this event is a love letter to queer culture. Find out more here.
These Walls at the Guinness Storehouse
Launching just in time for Culture Night, this new street art initiative will spotlight the streets of Dublin 8 through artist collaborations and partnerships with local institutions. The project aims to honour the area’s creative legacy while embracing its evolving identity. Among the amazing artists involved are Alice Rekab and Venus Patel, who will transform the streets with their incredible works. While this event is sold out, you can find out more here.
These are some amazing queer events taking place at Culture Night 2025. If you think we’ve missed any, get in touch at [email protected].
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