Our Top Picks

1. 🧑‍🎄 The famous Elf Town Galway back for 2024 and kicks of this Friday, 22nd Nov. (FYI: Elf Town is in Dublin this year too!) Elf Town is a 2 hour Christmas experience set over 3 different buildings with the magical journey itself set over 4 floors, where at the end, you and your family get a private visit with Santa – The children will be amazed when he knows a little secret about each child.

2. Join violinist Vladimir Jablokov and his brother Anton Jablokov for an unforgettable evening filled with beautiful classical melodies and themes from movies and musicals, performed in their unique, energetic style at Darnley Lodge Hotel, Meath on 24 Nov.

3. Embark on a magical journey through time and tradition at The Christmas Experience at Malahide Castle from 22nd Nov to 23rd Dec. Immerse yourself in the warmth and charm of the season as you journey through the historic castle, with its timeless beauty and traditional decorations.

1. Dublin

🤣 Attention all comedy fans! Paul Smith is back and better than ever with his latest tour show, Pablo. Paul brings his brand-new show Pablo to 3Arena for two nights on 20 and 21 November.

🏀 Ireland's MNT take on Azerbaijan in the first of its two MUST WIN games in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifying on 21 Nov. Get behind the team as they bid to qualify for the next round of qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time. The game is taking place at the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght.

🎤 Al Murray, The Pub Landlord is at Vicar Street on 23 Nov. Standing up so you don't have to take it lying it down anymore, the Pub Landlord is back to make sense of the questions you probably already had the answers to.

🚌 Running from 22nd Nov to 15 Dec, the Christmas Tour of Dublin City is an entertaining tour, with songs, stories, lots of laughs and plenty of Christmas cheer! Take in the best of Dublin’s Christmas displays and lights. Bring someone special on this unique and unforgettable Christmas tour!

Hidden Gem 🔍

🏛️ Get a Behind the Scenes Tour of the National Concert Hall on 22nd November.

2. Ulster

🥗 Make tasty treats in a festive food workshop at the Ulster Folk Museum, Co. Down on Saturday 23rd Nov with Erin from The Edible Flower! They'll start off making a couple of mincemeat jars using unusual ingredients like quince and carrot plus the classic apple and dried fruits.

🫖 Belfast Castle provides the perfect setting for Frock Around The Clock: Vintage & Handmade Fair this weekend 23 & 24 Nov. Visit the Christmas Fair for handmade gifts and vintage treasures. The fair will have 30 stalls each day with 60 makers and vintage-sellers spread over two days.

🎅 Mission Santa: An Immersive Christmas Experience - It's a real Code Red! Join our E.L.F. crew on Mission Santa and blast off on a Christmas adventure. Your out-of-this-world adventure will include: Admission to a full-dome show, a visit to see Santa, a present for each child and a printed family photograph. Running from 23 Nov to 23 Dec in County Armagh.

💃 After the resounding success of last year's event, Can You Dance? is set to return to the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Co. Antrim on Sunday, November 24th.

3. Connacht

🎻 Music Network presents international classical music stars violinist Francisco Fullana and pianist Alba Ventura performing together in Ireland for the first time. They are performing at the Station House Theatre, Clifden, Co. Galway on 23 Nov.

🏄 The Irish Surf Film Festival will showcase the immense talent that is on offer both in terms of wave riding and the documenting of wave riding in Ireland. It’s a two day event in the Pálás cinema in Galway on November 23rd/24th.

🎻 The Banbha Quartet brings together four of Ireland’s finest musicians and is one of a new generation of string quartets nurtured by the National String Quartet Foundation and building a following amongst audiences. They will be in Co. Leitrim on Nov

🌳 Rewilding the Mind: Reconnecting to the Spirit of the Land. In this 70-minute talk Manchán explores the rising connection people are having with the spirit and the lore of the land of Ireland, taking place on Sun Nov 24th Hawk's Well Theatre, Co. Sligo.

4. Leinster

☃️ Winterfest Christmas Experience 2024 will take place in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath from Friday 22 November to Sunday 5 January 2025.

🎼 Wexford Studio presents The Line Up! A fabulous evening of exceptional music, hilarious comedy and gripping drama with a beautiful mix of new and classic writing. Included in The Line Up! are virtuoso musicians Shane Kenny and Brendan Keane performing songs from their recent solo albums.

🍀 Christmas Willow Wreath Weaving Workshops start on 23 Nov and run until 14 Dec. Weave your way into the festive season as you weave your own one of a kind willow wreath & have fun decorating it with natural foliage you gather during a relaxing walk in our beautiful nature reserve. Includes mince pies and mulled wine! Co. Wicklow.

5. Munster

🎻 Quiet Lights presents Aoife Ní Bhrían & Cormac McCarthy at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, on Friday 22 November. Two of Ireland's most exciting artists give a glimpse of the material that will make up their 2025 album and tour.

🧝 Magic Elf Garden Trail is on from 23 November - 31 December. The elves are up to no good! Follow the Magic Garden Trail to try and discover their secret hiding places! It’s the season of merriment at Mount Congreve Gardens, Co. Waterford, where the cheeky garden elves have sprung to life from their autumn slumber!

🎨 Grace Haynes Residency at Triskel Arts Centre, 18 November - 15 December. Grace consolidates her eco-centric body of work in a multidisciplinary context, by creating a series of dioramas with Lauren McClean helping her make a soundscape.

Congratulations to the subscriber who won last week’s competition 🏆

Competition of the week

We’ve a pair of tickets to giveaway thanks to Christmas in the Park, the newest Christmas festival taking place in Dún Laoghaire from the 5th – 7th of December! ☃️ To be in with a chance to win, answer the following question:

This competition is exclusively for newsletter subscribers and runs until 9am Sunday 24 November! Good luck 💚