We’ve put together a list of the best spots to enjoy Dublin’s sparkling holiday lights and soak up the festive atmosphere.
Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo’s Wild Lights event returns this year with the theme, A Journey Through Time, featuring vibrant lantern displays of dinosaurs, prehistoric megafauna, and Renaissance art.
Running until January 5, the lights offer an immersive experience for all ages, running daily from 6pm to 10pm, excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and St Stephen’s Day.
Tickets, priced from €20 to €25, must be pre-booked online. Children under three and carers can attend for free with a pre-booked ticket.
Wonderlights at Malahide Castle
Wonderlights at Malahide Castle and Marlay Park
Wonderlights returns to Malahide Castle & Gardens from November 7 to January 4.
Running from 5pm to 8pm, it features stunning light displays, immersive projections, and specially composed music. Suitable for all ages and fully accessible, tickets are €23.50.
Wonderlights at Marlay Park
Wonderlights is also coming to south Dublin under the name Marlay Park by Night from November 14, showcasing the park’s beauty after dark.
The Wicklow Way Wildlife installation will feature golden sculptures of rabbits, foxes, and brown bears. The Night Sky will be projected onto a 30-metre hydro screen, displaying the moon, Northern Lights, and nocturnal wildlife.
Visitors can also enjoy panoramic views from a 35-metre-high observation wheel.
Winter Lights at the GPO on O’Connell Street
Dublin Winter Lights
This year’s Dublin Winter Lights festival will transform the city with vibrant light displays across iconic locations.
Visitors can experience stunning projections at the National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks (November 29 to December 15), interactive lighting at Merrion Square Park (November 29 to December 23), and digital graphics at the GPO.
O’Connell Street and the Millennium Bridge will be lit with neon LEDs and colourful rainbow projections, while the Trinity College façade and The Spire will showcase unique light installations.
New additions include the Liffey Boardwalk, with 300 metres of dynamic lighting, and James Joyce Bridge featuring a colour-changing light installation.
The festival also includes special experiences like the Mansion House’s starry winter wonderland and Constellations at George’s Dock (December 11 to 15).
Samuel Beckett Bridge will be transformed by light and sound visuals, and the Ha’penny Bridge will feature colour-changing lights.
Other highlights include projections at Newcomen Bank, Palace Street Building, and St Stephen’s Green.
