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arts · Friday 18 September 2026 · 4:00pm - Late 
Culture Night: Free Arts and Culture Celebrations Across Laois
At Multiple venues across Laois · Various locations, Co. Laois
At Multiple venues across Laois · Various locations, Co. Laois
Once a year, on a Friday evening in September, arts venues and community spaces across Ireland open their doors for free - and in Laois, that night has grown into one of the county’s best-attended cultural occasions. Culture Night 2026 runs on Friday 18 September from 4pm until late, with no tickets needed and no charge for any of it. It suits anyone who has ever wanted to pop into an art exhibition, catch a live performance, or simply see what goes on behind the doors of a venue they pass every day - and never quite made it inside.
Events spread across multiple towns and villages in Co. Laois, with Portlaoise typically hosting the largest concentration of activity. In past years, the Dunamaise Arts Centre on Church Street has been the focal point for the town - a 238-seat arts venue with a gallery, café and workshop spaces that puts on drop-in events from early evening. Previous programmes have included gallery exhibitions with artists in attendance, live music concerts, poetry readings, and craft demonstrations. Venues in Abbeyleix, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Stradbally and Rathdowney have also featured, with local libraries, heritage buildings and community spaces joining in alongside the main arts venues.
The full 2026 Laois programme will be published closer to the date by Laois County Council and on the national Culture Night website. It is worth checking both in the week before, as specific events, timings and booking requirements vary - some performances are drop-in, others need a free ticket reserved in advance.
Portlaoise is on the M7 motorway, roughly 80km south-west of Dublin, and is one of the most accessible towns in the midlands by both road and rail. Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise takes under an hour on the Dublin-Cork or Dublin-Limerick intercity line, with regular evening services. Parking in Portlaoise town centre is available at Lyster Square and on Church Street, with on-street spaces throughout the main shopping area.
If you are coming from elsewhere in Laois for events in other towns on the night, check the Culture Night website for the full venue list and plan routes between stops - many people treat it as a relaxed evening crawl across a few locations.
Culture Night is a good excuse to arrive a little early and walk the town before the evening programme begins. The Rock of Dunamase, a dramatic hilltop ruin a few kilometres outside town, is worth a look if you have time before dusk. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Multiple venues across Laois in Portlaoise? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Portlaoise area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.