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festivals · Monday 27 July 2026 · Various 
Dublin Docklands Festival 2026
At Dublin Docklands · North Wall, Dublin 1
At Dublin Docklands · North Wall, Dublin 1
The Dublin Docklands Festival brings a week of free outdoor activity to one of the city’s most dramatically transformed stretches of waterfront. Running from the 27th of July through to the 2nd of August, it draws families, neighbours and curious visitors alike to the quays around North Wall for a mix of live music, street performance, water sports and community celebrations. If you have never spent proper time in the Docklands outside of a commute, this is a good reason to slow down and look around.
The festival takes the Liffey and its surrounding quays as its stage. Expect open-air music across several days, street performers on the plazas, food stalls serving everything from locally sourced street food to international flavours, and water-based activity on the river and dock basins. Past editions of the Docklands Summer Festival have included kayaking and paddleboarding taster sessions, wakeboarding demonstrations, dragon boat displays, and skills workshops covering urban disciplines like skateboarding and parkour. There are art and craft elements too, with activity aimed squarely at families as well as adults looking for a relaxed afternoon on the water’s edge. With free admission across the programme, it suits anyone who wants a full day out without planning too far ahead. As ever with outdoor waterfront events, layers are sensible - Dublin in late July can deliver sunshine and a sharp Liffey breeze within the same afternoon.
North Wall is about a 15-minute walk from O’Connell Street - head east along the quays and the Docklands opens up around you. The DART stops at Connolly Station (a 10-minute walk through the IFSC) or Pearse Station on the south side. Numerous city bus routes serve the area, including routes along Custom House Quay and along Sheriff Street. Luas Red Line stops at Spencer Dock, which puts you directly into the heart of the Docklands in minutes from the city centre or Heuston Station. Driving is possible but parking in the Docklands is limited and expensive on event days - public transport is the easier option by some distance.
The Docklands reward a wander even before the festival kicks off. The Samuel Beckett Bridge arcs across the Liffey just to the south, the Famine Memorial statues stand along Custom House Quay, and the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum occupies the vaulted cellars of the historic CHQ building nearby. There is more to see in North Wall and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Dublin Docklands in North Wall? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the North Wall area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.