What’s On in Dublin: April 2026 | A Guide for International Students

April in Dublin is pretty low-key. With spring finally in full bloom, most of us are sprawled out on a picnic blanket in St Stephen’s Green rather than checking events listings online.

In fact, we recommend logging off right now, throwing your phone aside, and setting up at the nearest park. Awaken only when Easter arrives on April 2nd – to scoff a chocolate egg, of course.

For the slightly more proactive, there’s still plenty to pin on the calendar. Think colourful Easter egg hunts, experimental music festivals, and headline artists passing through the city. With the weather warming up, it’s also the perfect time to venture beyond Dublin and explore its surroundings.

Or, if you’d rather ditch the April showers altogether, cosy up indoors with Dublin’s city-wide book club read – an easy way to level up your English. Whatever you decide to do, don’t forget to seek out the cherry blossoms brightening up the city this month.

Here’s our pick of the best things to do in Dublin 🌸

📚 CULTURAL SPOTLIGHT: UNESCO City of Literature

Did you know Ireland is home to some of the most avid readers in Europe? A 2022 study found that Irish people read the most books in a year, with 26% reading 10 or more.

This is hardly surprising: Dublin has been a UNESCO City of Literature since 2010, a special status held by cities with a strong literary heritage, education, and culture.

In fact, the Twin English Centre is just across the road from the James Joyce Centre, one of Ireland’s four Nobel Prize winners in Literature.

There are tonnes more literary landmarks dotted throughout Dublin, from Trinity College’s famous medieval Book of Kells to Ireland’s Museum of Literature. Learn more in our blog for bookworms.

Every year, the city council selects a book connected to Dublin for the whole city to read. This year, it’s Christine Falls by John Banville, a classic crime novel set in 1950s Dublin.

Check out the City of Literature Website for One Dublin, One Book events

🏛️ WHAT’S ON

• Music Current Festival at the Project Arts Centre, April 4th to 11th – Explore experimental and atmospheric new music by Irish and international artists.
• New Music Dublin, April 15th to 19th – Another contemporary music festival showcasing modern composers.
• Based Festival, April 7th – The Button Factory is back with its groovy lineup of indie artists. Note: alcohol free.
• One Dublin One Book, April – Welcome to the city-wide book club. Read along with the rest of Dublin and attend workshops, walking tours, and talks happening across the city.
• Liffey Water Sports Centre Opening – The new water sports centre is finally open for kayaking, rowing, paddle boarding, and hydro biking along Dublin’s iconic river.

🎤 CONCERTS

Major artists coming to the city this month:

• Gorillaz at 3 Arena – April 1st and 2nd
• Yungblud at 3 Arena – April 15th
• The Prodigy at 3 Arena – April 28th
• Big Thief at 3 Arena – April 29th
• Louis Tominson at 3 Arena – April 30th
• We Are Scientists at The Button Factory – April 8th 

🌍 WORTH THE TRIP

Brighter days call for bigger day trips:

• Wander Wild Festival in Killarney, April 17th to 19th – Catch a direct train from Dublin to Killarney for three days of outdoor adventure. Take a yoga class by a stunning lake, embrace sauna and cold-water swimming, or go mountain climbing in Killarney’s National Parkland.
• Waterford Festival of Food, April 24th to 26th – A two-hour train journey from Dublin takes you to Dungarvan’s delicious weekend of artisan markets, talks, and tastings. It’s Ireland’s longest-running food festival in a charming harbour town.

🐰 EASTER EVENTS

Your mini guide to Easter:

• Easter at Dublin Zoo, until April 12th – Dublin Zoo goes all out every year with a cracking Easter special: expect live entertainment, competitions, and real Easter bunnies.
• Easter Brunch – Easter Sunday calls for roast lamb and mint sauce. Plenty of restaurants and pubs will spin their own take on the classic, so book ahead.
• A Wicked Easter at Malahide Castle, April 3rd to 4th – Malahide Castle’s Wicked x Easter collab will blend pretty garden trails with bold theatrical performances. If you haven’t already visited Malahide Castle, this is your chance.

🎭 DUBLIN THEATRE

• Mirandolina at the Abbey Theatre, until Sept – Performed in Italian with English subtitles, Mirandolina is inspired by an 18th-century Italian heroine.
• The Plough and the Stars at the Abbey Theatre, until April 30th – One hundred years after its original premiere at the same theatre, this powerful story of the Easter Rising returns to the stage.
• The Shawshank Redemption at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, April 21st to 25th – Watch Stephen King’s classic tale come to life with Joe McFadden and Ben Onwukwe.
• Do You Come from Gomorrah? at the Abbey Theatre, April 10th to May 9th – A thought-provoking drama about identity and belonging in 1970s Ulster.

🚀 Study English in Dublin with Twin

Ready to take your English to the next level? Study with Twin in the heart of Dublin. With flexible, tailored English tuition, a focus on real communication, and a packed social programme, you’ll make rapid progress while fully immersing yourself in Irish culture.

Study English in London, Eastbourne, or Dublin — and make 2026 your year of adventure.