The hills of Cork are alive – with the sound of music, theatre, poetry, fireworks, laughter and conversation, as thousands of people descended on the city for this year’s eagerly anticipated Culture Night.

The celebratory evening introduced an eager audience to a vast array of events that were held in venues, streets and public spaces across the city and county.

Visitors arrived in their droves over the course of the evening to soak up the atmosphere on one of the most magical nights of the year, during which Cork officially ‘wrapped up in culture’ as the revelry continued well after dark. 

But as always, younger culture vultures were also well catered for before the night owls hit the town, with storytelling, face painting, creative workshops and puppet shows on offer throughout the day.

With so much to be explored on Culture Night across the entire city, which now incorporates areas within the new city bounds such as Ballincollig and Glanmire, Bus Éireann once again came up trumps this year, providing free Culture Buses during peak activity time. 

The dedicated bus service, which featured live music while in transit, began at 7pm on the night and operates until 10pm, with buses leaving approximately every 20 minutes from the three Culture Stops at City Hall, ensuring those visiting the city covered maximum ground on their cultural trail.