Greetings from Third Castle
We hope you've a few evenings spare this week, because Mercury Rev are at Vicar Street and Reception Weekend is marking ten years at Project Arts Centre.
Mercury Rev mark 25 years of All Is Dream on Wednesday, the same day Alan Davies brings his first stand-up tour in a decade to 3Olympia. Reception Weekend starts on Thursday, with Irish debuts from Rafael Toral and from Bitchin Bajas and Beam Splitter.
Anyone after a night of dance and storytelling has Mná na hÉireann at the Ambassador, and Rhys Darby's Unhinged tour reaches the Workmans Club on Tuesday 20 October. On Sunday, the Dublin Halloween Market fills Lost Lane and MoLI opens its Georgian house for Open House Dublin tours.
This is our pick of what's on this week. As always for a full event list check out the link at the bottom of the email.
Let's dive in 👇
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Mercury Rev
Wednesday 14 October · Vicar Street
Mercury Rev mark 25 years since All Is Dream with a night at Vicar Street. The band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1989, and their 1998 album Deserter's Songs is a critical favourite.
Mná na hÉireann
Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 October · 19:30 · The Ambassador Theatre
A dance show with Irish music, song and spoken word tells the story of the women who shaped modern Irish history between 1912 and 1918. Countess Markievicz, Dr Kathleen Lynn, Winifred Carney and Grace Gifford feature, with a focus on Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell, who carried the surrender from Pádraig Pearse to Brigadier-General William Lowe after the Easter Rising.
Carol Leavy Joyce, a former Riverdance Irish dance director, created and produced it.
Reception Weekend 2026
Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October · Space Upstairs, Project Arts Centre
Reception Dublin turns 10 with a weekend of experimental music that crosses genres, with Irish debuts for Rafael Toral on Friday and for Bitchin Bajas and Beam Splitter on Saturday. Thursday brings Natalia Beylis and Joanna Mattrey performing together as a duo for the first time, alongside Seymour Glass in his Irish debut and a solo fiddle set from Ultan O'Brien.
Thursday and Friday start at 20:00, and Saturday has sessions from 14:30.
The Rubarb Jam
Tuesday 13 October · 20:00 · Little Whelan's
Colm Hargan, Grainne Bates and Rowan Murphy share the bill in Little Whelan's.
Sol & The Gang
Wednesday 14 October · 19:00 · Button Factory
Full-steam R&B, hip-hop, soul and afrobeats, covering decades of music from Motown to today. Sol & The Gang were founded by J-Sol of The X Factor, and this national tour comes with new original music.
Party 101 with DJ Matt Bennett
Thursday 15 October · Vicar Street
A throwback dance night built on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon soundtracks and late-2000s and early-2010s pop. Host Matt Bennett is an actor, musician and DJ who played Robbie Shapiro in Victorious, and the night includes crowd interaction and surprises.
Valeria Castro
Thursday 15 October · 20:00 · Whelan's Main Venue
The singer-songwriter from the Canary Islands is back in Dublin after her debut here. She recently played to 9,000 fans in Madrid, and her 2026 tour takes in arenas and festivals across Europe and seven cities in Latin America.
Fontaines C.D. + Arctic Monkeyz
Friday 16 October · 18:30 · The Sound House
Five-piece tribute band Fontaines C.D. recreate a Fontaines D.C. gig, with fan favourites including "Big", "Boys in the Better Land", "Starburster" and "I Love You". Arctic Monkeyz, a tribute to Arctic Monkeys, play the band's biggest hits.
Paro Pablo: Drunk On A Tuesday EP Release Party
Friday 16 October · 19:30 to 22:30 · The Cobblestone
Paro Pablo, from Finglas, has been on the Irish music scene for over a decade and has released more than 50 songs. His new EP, Drunk On A Tuesday, gets its first full live performance in an intimate show.
Bronagh Gallagher
Saturday 17 October · The Ambassador Theatre
Actor and soul singer-songwriter Bronagh Gallagher plays the Ambassador with her band, with original songs and recent material including Edamame.
Declan O'Rourke
Saturday 17 October · Vicar Street
Declan O'Rourke's eighth studio album, Oceanic, was recorded in Sydney, where he first recorded songs as a 19-year-old. Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil co-produced it.
Oasis Live Forever Tribute
Saturday 17 October · 21:00 · The Old Mill, Tallaght
Oasis tribute act Live Forever are back at The Old Mill for a night of Oasis songs.
Tengu presents: Haseeb Iqbal, T-Woc & Hewan
Saturday 17 October · Yamamori Tengu
London selector and broadcaster Haseeb Iqbal is known for eclectic DJ sets and radio documentaries. Dublin record collector T-Woc blends dub, reggae and psychedelic sounds, and Ethiopian-born DJ Hewan plays African music from an all-vinyl collection.
The Roadhouse Doors
Saturday 17 October · 19:30 · The Grand Social
A tribute to Jim Morrison and his band, with more than two hours of faithfully recreated classics.
Autechre
Tuesday 20 October · Vicar Street
Sean Booth and Rob Brown are on a run of European dates this autumn, with their latest release, AE_2022.
Alan Davies: Think Ahead
Wednesday 14 October · 3Olympia Theatre
Known as the lead in Jonathan Creek and a regular on the QI panel, Alan Davies is on his first stand-up tour in a decade. Think Ahead is his late-middle-aged take on the form.
Mary Beard: More Secret Histories of Ancient Rome
Thursday 15 October · 20:00 · National Concert Hall, Main Stage
Historian Mary Beard looks at the lives of people left out of the usual accounts of Ancient Rome, and draws lines between Roman politics and the present day. There's a chance to put your own questions to her.
David O'Doherty: Highway to the David Zone
Friday 16 October · The Lark Concert Hall, Balbriggan
David O'Doherty's new show is a pageant of laughter, song and occasionally getting up from a chair.
Open House Dublin 2026: MoLI Historic House Tour
Sunday 18 October · 11:00 and 15:00 · Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), St Stephen's Green
A guided tour through the Georgian houses at 85 and 86 St Stephen's Green, covering their architecture and history and some of the museum's lesser-known areas, as part of Open House Dublin.
Rhys Darby: Unhinged
Tuesday 20 October · 20:30 · The Workmans Club
Middle age, AI jokes and physical comedy are all in Rhys Darby's new Unhinged tour show. You might know him from Flight of the Conchords, Our Flag Means Death and the Jumanji reboots.
The Witness
Tuesday 20 October to Sunday 1 November · Glass Mask Theatre, 41 Dawson Street
Rex Ryan writes, acts and directs this one-man show based on Nicola Tallant's bestselling book. It tells the story of Joey "the Lips" O'Callaghan, the youngest person ever placed in witness protection in Ireland.
The Dublin Halloween Market
Sunday 18 October · 12:00 to 17:00 · Lost Lane, Grafton Street
Vintage fashion, arts, music, tattoo artists and tarot readings fill the rooms at this Dublin Halloween Festival market. More than 40 sellers are there, along with a spoon ring maker, a kitchen, a bar and prizes.
For a full overview of all events on this week in Dublin City check out our event listings page
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
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