Dublin Fringe Festival 2022: What to see and do

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This September, Dublin welcomes its 28th Dublin Fringe Festival, the biggest since 2019, the programme will see 430 artists express, perform and play for 16 days and nights this September. Festivities are set to kick off on Saturday 10th September and will continue until Sunday 25th September. 

This year’s festival is set to explore big questions, push boundaries and celebrate the weird, the wonderful and everything else in between. From gigs, clubs, botanic gardens and your own home the festival is set to occupy the city and, according to this year’s programme, the brightest new talent will be on show – more than half of the artists are presenting work for the first time. 

With 586 performances across 27 venues, including 50 world premieres and 15 Dublin premieres, there’s plenty to choose from and to avoid any indecision overwhelm we have curated a guide for what to see and do depending on what you’re in the mood for and we’re hoping you’ll come away inspired, entertained, connected and having reflected on some big truths. 

Read on to discover what the Festival has to offer and make sure to add it to your calendar.

So, what’s happening in Dublin Fringe Festival 2022? Here are some events taking place across Dublin. 

• THIRST TRAP

Who: Ray Young | What: Remote Art Experience | Where: At Home | When: 10th – 25th September 2022

Part-narrative and part-meditation, this is a 30-minute sound piece for audiences to listen to in the bath along with an experience pack of resources to change their physical environment, connecting closely with their personal atmosphere and relationship with their bodies. Delving into the possible outcomes of rising temperatures and the correlation between social and climate justice, this performance experience continues Young’s investigation into water as a key character in our collective conversations on climate justice. More…

• WHODUNNIT? THE GREAT ART ROBBERY!

Who: SUPER PAUA. Presented by axis: Ballymun | What: A Live Digital Performance | Where: At Home | When: 10th & 11th September 2022

SACRÉ BLEU! DIA ÁR SÁBHÁIL! How could it be? A self-portrait of our national treasure- Ireland’s most notorious pigeon – STOLEN. You! Yes… all twelve of you are suspects. Fán anseo. You’re going NOWHERE until we figure out… whodunnit? Play a character, protect your secrets, and use your detective skills to catch the thief in this online multilingual mystery game for young people aged 8-12 years. So…was it YOU? Co-presented by Dublin Fringe Festival and Melbourne Fringe Festival. Funded by Foras Na Gaeilge. Supported by The Digital Hub, Official Digital Partner of Dublin Fringe Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival’s Dream On bursary and The Ombudsman for Children’s Office. More…

• OOPS, THIS IS TOXIC

Who: Julie Jay | What: Comedy | Where: Smock Alley Theatre – Boys’ School | When: 11th – 15th & 17th September 2022

This Britney Spears love letter is a dark comedy nostalgia-fest for anyone who has ever dropped to that ‘Hit Me Baby’ beat and who came of age against the backdrop of 90s/00s misogyny. From the Bill Clinton scandal to celebrity arson to the terrifying lows of noughties reality TV, ‘Oops’ is a celebration not just of Britney, but of everyone who survived an era where Justin Timberlakes flew high while Janet Jacksons got grounded. Developed at Scene+Heard. The Lisa Richards Agency. More… Please Note: Contains references to mental health, suicide and sexual violence. 

• AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL FRY & KILLIAN SUNDERMANN

Who: Michael Fry & Killian Sundermann / The Collaborations Agency | What: Comedy | Where: Smock Alley Theatre – 1662 | When: 12th – 14th September 2022

Experience a unique night of laughter from Ireland’s favourite internet comedians Michael Fry and Killian Sundermann, bringing their jokes, sketches and tunes live on stage. See the guys trade in the safety of standing behind the smartphone for an up close and personal performance that will leave you trawling through their social archives for more. Please Note: Contains loud noise and references to mental health and violence. More…

• OF BLUEBELLS & BUTTERFLIES

Who: Graffiti Theatre Company | What: Interactive Dance Theatre | Where: Smock Alley Theatre | When: 22nd September 2022

A fantastical garden full of wondrous creatures blossoms to life in our imagination, inviting the audience to playfully engage through song, gentle movement, touch and fingerplay. This interactive dance theatre performance for babies (0-12 months) and 2 adults fuses movement, sound, music and set design to create an immersive, multi-sensory, interactive experience. A TRACKS co-commission from Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Dublin Fringe Festival and Cork Midsummer Festival. Funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, HSE South, Cork City Council Arts Office and Cork County Arts Office. Developed in partnership with Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. Supported by The Ombudsman for Children’s Office. More…

• RISING TIDE

Who: CRACKING LIGHT PRODUCTIONS | What: Film / Installation | Where: Smock Alley Theatre – Banquet Hall | When: 19th – 24th September 2022

An interactive exhibition showcasing the voices of young environmental artists living in high flood risk counties including Dublin, Cork and Clare. They have conjured up alternate futures, ripe with possibility, change and the ultimate hope that a rising tide will lift all boats. Funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Developed at FRINGE LAB, in partnership with axis: Ballymun, The Everyman Theatre (Cork) and Glór Arts Centre (Clare) with support from the Arts Council’s YPCE Fund. More…

• REMNANT ECOLOGIES

Who: Jony Easterby | What: Outdoor Installation | Where: National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin | When: 21st – 25th September

An exclusive night-time adventure in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. This meditative and immersive night-walk will guide you through a series of light and sound installations, exploring Dublin’s iconic Botanic Gardens as you have never seen them before. Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival in partnership with National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and axis: Ballymun. With support from the Welsh Government Office in Ireland. More… Please Note: This experience takes place outside and is unseated, please dress appropriately.

• COOKING THE VEGAN SALMON OF KNOWLEDGE

Who: BRADÁN | What: Theatre | Where: The New Theatre | When: 16th & 17th September

This isn’t the first ecological catastrophe we’ve created. 10,000 years ago, human societies across the world changed from hunter-gathering to agricultural lifestyles. We’d hunted our food off the face of the earth. We’re making another catastrophe now. Join the artist as they cook a vegan version of smoked salmon, using the ingredients to have a conversation about the history of food, and human impact on the environment in deep time. With live cooking and live music. Directed by Kate Bauer. This event features optional food consumption. Key allergens in the recipe are gluten, soya, garlic and citrus (lemon). More…

• WITHOUT SIN

Who: Unqualified Design Studio | What: Audio experience / Design / Interactive / Installation | Where: Dublin Castle – Outside The Printworks | When: 10th & 11th & 12th-15th September 2022

You enter a private booth, alone. Someone else enters next door. Guided by light, sound, and a shared hymn sheet, you make a story together about change, loss, and redemption. A contemporary confessional for the modern sinner, this immersive one-to-one experience cultivates a space for intimate conversations among friends and strangers, rethreading the seams of a frayed social fabric one good yarn at a time. Created by an award-winning international team of designers and theatre makers, WITHOUT SIN is a space to listen and be heard, look and be seen, away from the digital divide.  Linked via headphones, participants are guided into conversation with each other, using a half-remembered script to create their story together. Before departing, each participant leaves a written message, adding to an archive of healing and hope. More… Please note: Contains references to mental health and religious themes. 

• FRIGID

Who: BUMP & GRIND THEATRE COMPANY | What: Theatre | Where: Project Arts Centre – Cube | When: 15th & 16th September 2022

Are you still a fridget? Because Niamh O’Reilly is and at 14, she’d want to hurry up. Lucky for Niamh that’s about to change, because tonight her girl gang are on a mission to get her to score – whether she wants to or not. Set in 2007 – when feminism wasn’t hip and consent was just a form you got your parents to sign to get you out of PE – this is a coming of age comedy about frenemies, first times and figuring it out. Lash on some SunShimmer, pop your collar and pucker up for a nerve wrecking trip down memory lane. More…

• LIVE PODCAST: CATCH UP WITH LOUISE MCSHARRY

Who: Louise McSharry | What: Live Podcast | Where: Project Arts Centre – Space Upstairs | When: 18th  September 2022

Louise McSharry takes her Catch Up podcast live with a show covering all the topics you’re chatting about in your WhatsApp groups. Expect to think and laugh in equal amounts. There might even be a musical guest! More…

Want to see more events? Check out the Dublin Fringe Festival website with full list here: Home | Fringe Festival

Dublin Fringe Festival is a platform for the best new, emerging Irish arts companies and a showcase for the finest international contemporary performing arts. For artists, Fringe facilitates opportunities to innovate, to cross boundaries and strengthen the conditions in which they work. For audiences, Fringe is the place to discover meaningful, exciting and unforgettable cultural experiences.

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