Latest Events in Dublin(May Updated)

Founded in 2017 by Matthew Melis and The Comics Lab, part of the Stray Lines comic book group, DCAF aims to showcase the work of local comic book creators and celebrate the diverse appeal of Irish comic book art. For years, Ireland's small-scale comic book publishing industry has flourished, but Irish comic book creators often have to travel the world to participate in comic book festivals to exhibit their work. The Dublin Comic Book Festival (DCAF) is a series of quarterly comic book art events held in Dublin, Ireland. The 2026 event will take place on April 19, July 12, October 18, and November 29.

Ireland's premier dance festival brings together artists and choreographers from around the world to Dublin, offering a vibrant array of contemporary dance activities. International choreographers and dance companies will perform alongside emerging and established Irish artists, with performances, workshops, seminars, symposia, exhibitions, and film screenings taking place throughout Dublin. Street activities are also plentiful, with a highlight being the dance and entertainment events for all ages at Merion Square Park. In addition, there are many activities specifically designed for children, especially at the Ark Centre in Dublin's Temple Pub district.

William Blake was a visionary artist and poet, and one of the leading figures of Romanticism. His imaginative and unconventional works continue to inspire. This exhibition, co-curated by Tate Modern and the National Gallery of Ireland, showcases some of Blake's most representative artworks, as well as paintings and drawings by his contemporaries. Blake's world is filled with fantasy, imagination, and an ancient feel, with fantastical creatures and underworld scenes vividly depicted through various media. This exhibition places Blake within the context of the artists he admired and inspired, providing an in-depth analysis of that extraordinary period of originality and innovation in the art world from the late 18th to the early 19th century.

To celebrate Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union, the National Gallery of Ireland is presenting a special exhibition showcasing approximately fifty exquisite works on paper by European artists. The exhibition encompasses drawings, prints, watercolors, and photographs by European artists from the 15th century to the present day. It explores the diverse themes and styles that have shaped European art over the centuries, reflecting the evolution of artistic taste and techniques, and demonstrating the gallery's strength in collecting various art forms.

Hilma Av Klint is widely recognized as one of Europe's most important abstract painters and one of Sweden's most celebrated modern artists. This exhibition, presented in collaboration with the Hilma Av Klint Foundation, showcases her oil paintings, drawings, and watercolors, marking the first major exhibition of Av Klint's work in Ireland. Av Klint's art is deeply influenced by spirituality and her explorations of the Rosicrucians, Theosophy, and Anthroposophy. Like many of her contemporaries, she sought to understand and interpret the modern world. Drawing inspiration from nature, science, and religion, Av Klint developed a visionary style of abstract painting—full of tension in emotion, spirit, and color. Although portraiture and illustration brought in income for Hilma Av Klint, her spiritual paintings—those considered “great works”—were rarely exhibited outside her circle of friends and family. A large portion of her work remained sealed away until the 1980s, and remained largely unknown outside of Sweden. This exhibition aims to explore the era, place, and context that shaped her unique artistic vision. It will feature important spiritual works such as *The Swan* (1914–1915) and *Altarpiece* (1915), as well as botanical studies, early portraits, and landscapes, some of which have never been publicly exhibited before.

This exhibition delves into John Minihan's more than sixty-year photographic career, tracing his experience as a photojournalist for the Daily Mail from the age of 16. This experience led him to Samuel Beckett, ultimately prompting him to leave media work and dedicate himself to a more personal creative pursuit. From the beginning of his career, Minihan focused on photographing "things that might be overlooked" and yearned to uncover the poetry in everyday life, which formed the core of his photographic practice.