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Dublin: Irish Music and Dance Show with Dance Lesson 2026
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From €25 per person
If you want to get under the skin of Irish culture rather than just look at it from the outside, this is about as good as it gets. The show runs upstairs at The Merchant’s Arch bar in Temple Bar - a beautiful historic building that looks straight out over the River Liffey and the Ha’penny Bridge - and it combines a proper live performance with a hands-on dance lesson that gets the whole room involved.
The performers are award-winning professional dancers backed by live musicians playing traditional instruments. In an intimate room like this, you get to see the speed, precision and sheer athleticism of Irish dancing up close in a way that no stadium show can match. Reels and jigs fill the space and the energy is genuinely electric.
Then comes the part everyone talks about afterwards. The instructor walks you through the basic steps of traditional Irish dance in a way that’s easy to follow even if you’ve never tried anything like it before. Nobody’s judging, everyone’s laughing, and before you realise what’s happening you’re out on the floor giving it a go. You’ve got a reserved table throughout the evening, so you can settle in with a drink - a pint of Guinness is available to order at the bar - and enjoy it all at your own pace.
It’s two hours that’ll feel nothing like two hours.
Get there a few minutes before showtime. The Merchant’s Arch is easy to find - it’s right at the entrance to Temple Bar from the quays, just across from the Ha’penny Bridge. Walk in, head upstairs, and claim your reserved table before things get going. A pint in hand before the dancers take the floor makes the whole thing feel properly Irish.
Temple Bar is your oyster afterwards. The neighbourhood is dense with pubs, restaurants and late-night spots, so there’s no need to plan what happens next - just wander and see what appeals. If you want to keep hearing traditional music, the area has some of the best live sessions in Dublin on any given night of the week.
Wear comfortable shoes if you’re keen to join in properly. The dance lesson is designed for beginners and nobody expects technique, but flat shoes make it easier to get the footwork right. You’re in a warm pub, so layers are sensible too.
This is a genuinely intimate setting. The room above The Merchant’s Arch isn’t a theatre or a function hall - it’s a real bar space, which means the performance feels personal rather than staged. The dancers are close, the musicians are close, and the whole atmosphere is far warmer than anything you’d get in a purpose-built venue.
The Ha’penny Bridge view is worth a moment on your way in or out. Standing on it at night with Temple Bar lit up on one side and the quays stretching away on both sides is one of those Dublin moments that sticks.