Things to Do at Bram Stoker Festival Dublin 2026

Friday 23 October – Monday 26 October 2026

Dublin is about to get a little darker. From Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October, the city will come alive for the Bram Stoker Festival 2026, bringing four days and nights of Gothic adventures, supernatural stories, live performances, family fun, history, film, food and plenty of things that go bump in the night.

Taking place across the October Bank Holiday Weekend, the festival celebrates the life, work and imagination of Dublin-born author Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula. From Victorian Dublin and mysterious graveyards to Gothic theatre and tales of body snatching, there is plenty happening around the capital for anyone looking to embrace the darker side of Dublin.

And if you're looking for a suitably spooky way to explore the city yourself, we've got two experiences that fit the occasion perfectly...

1. Step Aboard the Original Dublin Ghostbus

What better way to experience Bram Stoker's Dublin than by venturing into the city's darker side after dark?

The DoDublin Ghostbus Tour takes you deep into the sinister side of Dublin, combining professional actors, dark comedy, gruesome history and some of the city's most chilling stories.

Along the way, you'll hear about ghosts, grave robbers, body snatchers and notorious characters from Dublin's past, as well as Bram Stoker and the inspiration behind his most famous creation, Count Dracula. The experience also includes atmospheric stops around Dublin, including a hidden city-centre graveyard and the historic surroundings of St Audoen's Church.

The Ghostbus itself becomes part of the experience, with sinister interiors and a Victorian-style theatre bringing the stories to life. It's history, horror, comedy and storytelling rolled into one very unusual Dublin night out.

If you're spending the Bram Stoker Festival weekend exploring Dublin, this is one way to see the city through a suitably Gothic lens.

2. Ghostly Adventures for Younger Visitors: Ghostbus Kids

The little monsters don't have to miss out on the fun. The DoDublin Ghostbus Kids Tour brings the darker side of Dublin's history to life with interactive storytelling, games and plenty of laughs.

Designed for children aged 7–14, young ghost hunters can discover stories of Dublin's Count Dracula, bodysnatchers, Vikings, voodoo and some of the city's more unusual characters.

It's spooky rather than terrifying, with a professional actor and children's entertainer keeping everyone involved throughout the journey. There are quizzes, interactive activities and even a real-life ghost hunt to get everyone looking over their shoulders.

So while the adults investigate Dublin's darker history, younger visitors can have their own Bram Stoker-inspired adventure aboard the Ghostbus.

3. Stokerland – A Gothic Family Day Out

For families looking for free things to do in Dublin over the October Bank Holiday Weekend, Stokerland takes over St Patrick's Park from Saturday 24 October to Monday 26 October.

With St Patrick's Cathedral providing the dramatic backdrop, the park is transformed into a strange, spooky and playful world packed with family-friendly entertainment.

Expect music, theatre, storytelling, street arts, games, creative play, mysterious characters, face painting and plenty of surprises. There's also a Victorian-style carousel that children can ride for free.

Fancy dress is strongly encouraged, so this is the perfect opportunity for little vampires, witches, ghosts and other creatures to get into the Halloween spirit.

Stokerland is free and unticketed, with food stalls and picnic-friendly areas making it easy to spend a full day in the city. A relaxed session will also take place on Monday morning.

4. Macnas – Fiáin

On Monday 26 October, Dublin City Centre's Northside will be taken over by Macnas – Fiáin, a spectacular celebration of the wild.

Beginning at 7pm, this free, all-ages spectacle brings the streets and public spaces of Dublin to life with immersive performance, extraordinary characters and the wild energy that Macnas has become known for.

If you're looking for something completely different to add to your Bram Stoker Festival weekend, this promises to be a dramatic way to finish the Bank Holiday.

5. Get Spooked by Stitch

Theatre lovers can head to The Boy's School at Smock Alley for Stitch, running from Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October.

This 18+ production is a sinister and atmospheric theatrical experience inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. At its heart is the question of what happens when the line between monster and maker begins to disappear.

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Ireland, Stitch explores shame, identity and the making of a monster through an unsettling Gothic story.

With a small-capacity venue and performances each evening, this one is firmly aimed at those who like their Halloween entertainment dark, intimate and unsettling.

6. Petrified Live – Horror Comes to the Stage

Fans of horror podcasts can experience Petrified Live at Project Arts Centre on Friday 23 October.

Ireland's award-winning horror audio drama comes to the stage for a brand-new live episode, bringing its supernatural stories out of the headphones and into the theatre.

The story follows ordinary people encountering the supernatural and the terrifying consequences that follow. After the performance, audiences can stay for a Q&A with the creators and cast.

For anyone who enjoys a good ghost story, this is a chance to experience one of Ireland's best-known horror podcasts in a completely different way.

 

7. Explore Dublin's Dark History at Marsh's Library

Few places in Dublin are better suited to a Bram Stoker-inspired weekend than Marsh's Library.

On 23 and 24 October, Marsh's by Candlelight invites visitors inside Ireland's oldest public library for an eerie after-hours experience.

As darkness falls, visitors can explore the library's darkened galleries, ancient books and original oak bookcases while hearing strange stories associated with the building, including tales of the ghost said to haunt its second gallery.

There's an especially strong Bram Stoker connection here. Stoker first visited Marsh's Library as a young student in 1866, and the tour includes the books he consulted during his visits as well as the page in the visitors' book where he left his signature.

For fans of Bram Stoker, Victorian Dublin and Gothic history, this is one of the festival's most atmospheric experiences.

8. Follow Bram Stoker's Footsteps Through Dublin

Want to see the Dublin that shaped the man behind Dracula?

Bram Stoker's Footsteps – An NLI Walking Tour takes place on Friday 23 October and explores the streets and buildings connected to Bram Stoker and the Dublin of his time.

Led by staff from the National Library of Ireland, the walking tour begins and finishes at the Library's Victorian Main Building and looks at the people, places and Gothic history connected to Stoker's life.

It's a chance to explore Dublin through a Stoker-shaped lens and discover some of the real-world surroundings behind one of the world's most famous Gothic writers.

9. Discover Stoker on Stoker

If Dracula's origins fascinate you, Stoker on Stoker: Unearthing the Secrets of Dracula offers a deeper look at the life and research of Bram Stoker.

Taking place at Trinity College Dublin on Sunday 25 October, the multimedia presentation is led by Dacre Stoker, Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew and a researcher of the Stoker family history.

Using photographs, manuscripts, maps and Bram Stoker's research notes, the event explores the real influences behind Dracula, including Irish and Transylvanian folklore, science, medicine, travel and Victorian society.

It's a fascinating opportunity to look beyond the legend of Dracula and discover the research, places and ideas that helped create one of the world's most famous horror novels.

10. Stoker on the Runway: Gothic Fashion

Gothic influence doesn't stop at literature. Stoker on the Runway: The Gothic in Contemporary Fashion explores how Bram Stoker, Gothic literature and Victorian mourning dress continue to influence designers.

Taking place at Trinity College Dublin on Sunday 25 October, historian and fashion expert Laura Fitzachary explores the connections between Irish fashion, Bram Stoker and contemporary designers.

Expect references to designers including Alexander McQueen, JW Anderson, Rick Owens and Simone Rocha, alongside a look at how Gothic literature and Victorian history continue to shape fashion.

11. Take a Trip Through Dublin's Victorian Pubs

Bram Stoker's Dublin was a city undergoing huge change, and Dublin's Victorian Pubs – A Walking Tour with Donal Fallon offers a very different way to explore it.

Taking place on Monday 26 October, historian and author Donal Fallon leads visitors through the pubs and streets of Victorian Dublin, exploring the drinking habits, political connections and literary characters of the period.

The route includes historic pubs such as The Palace, Mulligan's, Davy Byrne's, The Bailey, McDaid's, Toners and Kennedy's, as well as the Shelbourne Hotel bar where Bram Stoker met Victorian actor Henry Irving.

It's a fascinating way to discover the city that Bram Stoker knew, while uncovering the literary, political and social worlds surrounding him.

12. Explore Mount Jerome Cemetery

For something suitably atmospheric, head to Mount Jerome Cemetery on Sunday 25 October for a special walking tour with Donal Fallon.

Mount Jerome captures the atmosphere of Victorian Dublin, with memorials, tombs, vaults and crypts creating one of the city's most fascinating historic landscapes.

Along the route, you'll hear about figures from Ireland's supernatural and literary history, including William Wilde and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and their connections to Bram Stoker and the Dublin of his time.

If stories of Dublin's graveyards, Gothic writers and the supernatural are your idea of a good Sunday afternoon, this is one to look out for. Places are limited, so early booking is advised.

13. Watch Dracula on the Big Screen

Bram Stoker's most famous creation returns to the big screen at Light House Cinema with a 4K restoration of the classic 1958 Dracula.

Starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing, the Hammer Horror classic is being shown in a newly restored director's cut with footage that was removed from the original release.

For horror fans, Hammer devotees and anyone who wants to revisit the legendary Count Dracula on the big screen, it's a suitably cinematic addition to the festival weekend.

14. Go Hunting in the National Library of Ireland

Think you have what it takes to solve a mystery?

On The Hunt in the National Library turns the National Library of Ireland into a race against the clock. Part quiz and part guided research challenge, participants will have to navigate the Library's collections to uncover the answers they need.

You'll receive a crash course in using the Library and its archives before putting your new skills to work across books, photographs, maps and other unexpected collections.

It's free, but places are limited, making this a particularly interesting option for history lovers, curious visitors and anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

15. Experience Dublin's Five Senses After Dark

The Museum of Curiosities becomes something altogether stranger during Senses, an immersive experience running from 23–25 October.

Across five rooms, the experience explores sight, sound, touch, scent and taste through darkened spaces, projections, Victorian viewing devices, live music, interactive instruments, mystery objects, unusual textures and historical curiosities.

From a scent-led Victorian perfumery to a room exploring taste through edible creations and preserved historical curiosities, Senses promises an evening designed to be experienced rather than simply watched.

If you're looking for something weird, immersive and completely different, this one is worth investigating.

16. Hear the Strange History of Dublin's Body Snatchers

The darker side of Dublin's history doesn't get much darker than body snatching.

From the Sack 'Em Ups to the Anatomy Act: Body Snatching in Dublin Graveyards explores the strange history of body snatching in Irish cemeteries.

Historian Warren Farrell joins Donal Fallon at Green Street Courthouse to discuss the people involved in this morbid trade, the history behind it and how changes in the law eventually brought the industry to an end.

It's also a subject that fits naturally into the darker history surrounding Bram Stoker's Dublin — and one that Ghostbus passengers can explore further on their own journey through the city's macabre past.

17. Blood, Guts & Black Pudding

Not every Bram Stoker Festival experience is about ghosts. Some are about what goes on the plate.

Blood, Guts & Black Pudding takes place at Medley on Fleet Street on Monday 26 October, bringing together food history, conversation and tasting.

Author Kate Ryan and chef Andrew Rudd explore the long history of blood as food in Ireland, from its place in traditional diets to the future of black pudding and the traditions that surround it.

The event finishes with a tasting of black pudding from several Dublin makers, making this one for adventurous foodies and anyone with an interest in Irish food history.

18. Get Creative with Night Bites

Looking for something a little more hands-on? Night Bites brings Gothic, Victorian and Bram Stoker-inspired creative experiences to independent Dublin businesses and artist studios.

Across the city, you'll find experiences ranging from life drawing and lino printing to costume-making, paper theatre, Drink & Draw and pottery.

At Flux Studio, visitors can take part in Gothic-inspired life drawing featuring Victorian costumes, spooky soundtracks and classic horror imagery.

Create & Sip offers Prints After Dark, where you'll learn lino carving and create your own Gothic-inspired prints on paper and a canvas tote bag.

At Change Clothes, old textiles are transformed into wearable bat wings and other Halloween costume pieces, while Art in Layers invites visitors to create their own Gothic paper theatre inspired by Dracula and Victorian design.

There's also Drink & Draw at This Must Be The Place Throwing Shapes in Smithfield, where budding artists can create a Bram Stoker-inspired masterpiece with music, prizes and plenty of craic.

For anyone who'd rather make something spooky than simply watch it, Night Bites is a brilliant way to get creative during the festival.

19. SCANRA: The Bonfire

The Bram Stoker Festival's after-dark atmosphere continues at Bewley's with SCANRA: The Bonfire on Monday 26 October.

Now in its fourth year, SCANRA explores the ancient Irish origins of Samhain through music, myth and storytelling, bringing contemporary creators together for an intimate evening.

This year's event features musician and performance artist Branwen Kavanagh, storyteller Sarah McKenna Dunne, instrumentalist and composer Alannah Thornburgh and performance poet Róisín Nic Ghearailt.

Expect an evening of music, mystery and stories as the festival weekend draws to a close.

20. Dracula's Disco

And for younger visitors who prefer their vampires with a dancefloor, Dracula's Disco returns to The Round Room at the Mansion House on Monday 26 October.

Presented in partnership with The Ark, this free family event is aimed at children aged 5+ and brings music, dancing and plenty of ghoulish fun to the afternoon.

Count Dracula's resident DJ will be spinning Halloween classics and much-loved hits for young zombies, ghosts and their grown-ups.

Fancy dress is encouraged, so come prepared to do your Dead Dance and get your boo!-gie on.

Make a Weekend of the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin

From free family events and Gothic theatre to Victorian history, graveyards, Dracula on the big screen and some seriously strange after-dark experiences, the Bram Stoker Festival offers plenty of ways to explore Dublin over the October Bank Holiday Weekend.

There's a common thread running through many of the events: the Dublin that shaped Bram Stoker and the Gothic imagination that continues to influence the city today.

Whether you're following Bram Stoker's footsteps, exploring Victorian Dublin, getting creative with Night Bites or investigating stories of body snatchers and grave robbers, there's no shortage of ways to discover Dublin's darker side.

And if you want to go beyond the festival programme and experience some of Dublin's darker history for yourself, step aboard the Ghostbus, meet the city's gravediggers and uncover the stories that have made Dublin such a fascinating city for lovers of the macabre.

Friday 23 October – Monday 26 October 2026. The darkness is coming...