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seasonal · Friday 18 September 2026 · 4:00pm 
Culture Night Sligo
At The Model · The Mall, Sligo, Co. Sligo
At The Model · The Mall, Sligo, Co. Sligo
Culture Night is the third Friday in September’s all-island celebration of arts and culture, and Sligo takes part with a county-wide programme of free events coordinated by Sligo County Council’s Arts Service. The 2026 date is confirmed as Friday 18 September, running from 4pm into the evening, with a “Culture Night Late” extension from 9pm delivered in partnership with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Sligo BID. It is free, open to all ages, and spread across venues in Sligo town and the wider county rather than concentrated in one place.
The evening typically brings together museums, galleries, libraries and community groups opening their doors for free performances, exhibitions, workshops and hands-on activities. The Model arts centre on The Mall has been a flagship participating venue in past years, running programming that has included live music, food, exhibitions and children’s activities as part of the wider night. Sligo County Council opened applications earlier in the year for three funding strands covering Flagship Events, Featured Events and Culture-Wide Events, worth up to €20,000 in total, which funds artists, groups and organisations delivering their own Culture Night events around the county - meaning the full 2026 venue list builds up from a wide range of community applicants rather than one central programme. Full listings are published on sligoarts.ie as the night approaches.
The Model is a short walk from Sligo town centre and Sligo Bus Station on Lord Edward Street. Culture Night venues elsewhere in the county vary by year, so check individual venue listings on sligoarts.ie for specific directions once the 2026 venue list is confirmed.
Culture Night is a good excuse to see more than one corner of Sligo town in an evening - the Garavogue riverside walk connects several town-centre venues on foot. There is more to see in Sligo and across Co. Sligo.
Heading to The Model in Sligo? Sligo has plenty more to see. Read the Sligo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.