Your guide to Bloomsday 2026

Set in 1904, the epic novel, Ulysses, follows the life of Leopold Bloom, his wife Molly and the people he meets as he goes about his business, hawking advertising space for a daily newspaper, the Freeman’s Journal.

The day is June 16. Fifty years later in 1954, Irish writers Patrick Kavanagh, Flann O’Brien and Anthony Cronin decided to honour the anniversary by visiting some key locations in the masterpiece. These included the Martello Tower at Sandycove, now a museum to Joyce’s life and work, and Davy Byrne’s pub in the heart of Dublin where Bloom dined on kidneys and offal. Along the way they peppered the journey with readings and references. What had been intended as a once-off outing has become a much-loved literary tradition and one that has spread far beyond the capital, with recitals, performances, re-enactments and other events taking place on this day around the globe. In Dublin itself, Bloomsday is now marked by annual festivities that have been curated and organised since 1994 by the James Joyce Centre. 

This year’s Bloomsday Festival runs from June 11 to June 16 and offers plenty of opportunities to indulge in a little Joycean culture. There are exhibitions, dramas, strolls, re-enactments and theatrical experiences, some ticketed, others free. Some are even running through the summer months beyond the festival itself.

Media captionGet involved in the festivities at The James Joyce Centre.

One of the festival's most popular events is a guided Bloomsday walk on June 16, following the paths that Leopold Bloom took through his Dublin on that fateful day. Beginning at the Gate Theatre, Pat Liddy’s lively two-hour guided Bloomsday Walk offers a fun and simplified introduction to the story. For a deeper dive, other expert guided walks delve into specific episodes and locations of Ulysses. There’s the Footsteps of Leopold Bloom walking tour and Introducing Joyce’s Dublin Walking tour, both running from June 11 to 13 from the James Joyce Centre. 

June 2026 also marks another special milestone – the 100th birthday of the late Marilyn Monroe. Connect the dots between the Hollywood heroine and Joyce's fictional females on a guided walking tour with actress Leonor Bethencourt. Starting from McDowells Jewellers, follow your guide across the city as she highlights the unlikely connectons between Monroe, Molly Bloom in Ulysses, Gretta Conroy in 'The Dead' and Irish history.

If you want to see the sights in comfort, you can hop onboard the Vintage Tea Trips bus for their Bloomsday Bus Tour. With a perfectly brewed cup of tea in one hand and a jam-slathered scone in the other, listen to passages from Joyce's novel while admiring the locations that inspired his writing. Attendees are encouraged to arrive in Joycean attire, so start piecing together your best Edwardian garb. 

Media captionFollow in the footsteps of the man himself.

Start your day with a hit of Joyce at the James Joyce Museum. Each morning from June 10 to 15, the Volta Theatre Company will put on Telemachus, the opening episode of Ulysses. On June 11, the museum will open its doors for an intimate performance of Molly's Soliloquy. Led by artist and actress Caitríona Ní Threasaigh, the hour-long show follows Molly as she contemplates her life and marriage to Leopold Bloom.

In Dalkey Castle, the Dalkey Schoolroom scene comes to life with a guided walk of the Nestor episode. Aficionados will know that Sweny’s Pharmacy in Lincoln Place is where Leopold Bloom bought his wife a cake of lemon soap for fourpence. It's a tad more expensive these days but you may be treated to a reading or an Edwardian melody if you visit any day throughout the festival. 

Media captionCatch a reading in Sweny's Pharmacy.

One of the many things Joyce did well was tackle difficult topics with a sense of wit, which is brilliantly shown in his short stories. Bewley's Café on Grafton Street is taking on the twelfth episode of Ulysses, 'Cyclops' (June 1-16). Adapted and directed by Liam Hourican, the performance follows Leopold Bloom's tense interaction with Barney Kieran. With live period music and nods to sketch comedy, the evening will showcase Irish pub culture and Joyce's humorous take on the political discourse of the day.

Another popular venue that is getting in on the action is the Smock Alley Theatre. From June 15 to 20, Liam Hourican and Irish actor Jim Roche are bringing their show, Stories from Dubliners, to the main stage. The evening of music and theatre will explore three of Joyce's celebrated short stories from the collection: 'Two Gallants', 'A Little Cloud' and 'Counterparts.'

Many lifelong fans of Joyce’s Ulysses have never read the book, but that doesn’t stop them wanting to immerse themselves in its befuddling, dazzling language and the myriad of themes through readings or theatrical performances. For a simplified, yet entertaining, telling of the famous tale, make your way to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) on Bloomsday for Robert Gogan's Strolling Through Ulysses, a comical tour through the events and characters of Joyce's fictional world (June 16).

Media captionCelebrate Bloomsday at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).

Movie buffs will find an eclectic programme of Joycean themed shorts, feature films and documentaries at Ireland’s most literary film festival, Bloomsday Film Festival. Running from June 11 to 16, it takes place at the James Joyce Centre and the Irish Film Institute, as well as online.

Building momentum for Bloomsday, writer and researcher David Collard is welcoming Joyce enthusiasts to the James Joyce Centre on June 11 for Dada Deux: a Joycean Cabaret. Alongside talks and readings with polymath Gerry Fialka and Rónán Hession, there will also be musical performances by Belfast-born soprano Suzanne Savage and composer David Bremner, all in celebration of Joyce's connection to Zürich, the birthplace of Ulysses. 

Over in the James Joyce Museum, actor Val O'Donnell and his fellow performers from the JoyceStagers Theatre Company are coming together on June 12 for Ulysses Ballads. The performance weaves through  the musical references in Ulysses and those that inspired Joyce.

Media captionSee unique pieces from Joyce's life at the James Joyce Tower and Museum.

Come back to the James Joyce Museum the following day for Ulysses aWake. With the help of 18 performers, this free show recreates Joyce's world and its quirks through performance, music and movement. 

On June 15, you can enjoy A Joycean Evening at Dalkey Castle, where a troupe of actors will perform extracts from Ulysses, Dubliners, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and more. They’ll be joined by baritone Simon Morgan and fellow singers Josh Johnston, Sinéad Murphy and Darina Gallagher.

Then on June 16, Belvedere College is back with their annual Bloomsday Breakfast. Set on the grounds of Joyce's former schoolhouse, the morning will include a lively collection of songs, readings, guest speakers and recreations from Ulysses, not to mention a full Irish breakfast. Over in Dundrum, the bells of Christ Church Taney will ring out “Heigho! Heigho!” as featured in the novel. Later that evening, make your way to the James Joyce Centre for Songs of ReJoycing. Listen along as talented performers such as Mark O'Regan, Barbara Galvin and Brian Gilligan belt out six original songs, each based on scenes from Joyce's famous novel. 

Joyce's words have not only inspired fellow writers but also artists across disciplines. Throughout the six-day festival, visual artist Jo Hamill will take over a section of the James Joyce Centre with her exhibition Gutter Words. Her work delves into the sculptural space of language and the book as a form. She breaks down the pages of Ulysses on the physical walls inside the centre, only displaying those in the central margin of the book, also known as the gutter, to expose the architecture of the language and breathe new meaning into Joyce's words.  

Some say dance is a form of language – on June 13 in the James Joyce Centre, American dance company Danse Lumière will set out to prove just that with originally choreographed pieces inspired by Joyce's work. Watch on as dancer Jonatan Lujan and actor Russell Murphy join forces to dive deep into Joyce's portfolio and its connection to the arts.

Media captionDiscover and enjoy the James Joyce Centre on Bloomsday.

On June 16, artist Clare McLaughlin invites you to beautiful Sandymount Strand for Shut Your Eyes and See – a sensory exploration of certain passages from the beloved novel. Listen to the waves and breathe in the sea air as McLaughlin showcases how Joyce's own visual impairment informed his work. The free event is only 20 minutes long so you have plenty of time to take in the many other Bloomsday events going on in the capital. 

Many neighbourhoods have their own celebrations, with theatrical trails and community events celebrating their locality’s link to Ulysses or Joyce himself. Certain event information is still under wraps, but if last year's programme is anything to go by there will plenty of fun to be had. Rathgar, the birthplace of the man himself, typically celebrates the occasion with their own Bloomsday Festival, free of charge. The village square is filled with people donning their best Joycean attire as well as readings of Ulysses, live jazz music, food stalls and face painting for the kids.

Other villages proud to show off their Joycean roots are Ringsend and Irishtown – the former being the chosen setting of Joyce and Nora Barnacle's first date in 1904. To commemorate the occasion, the Ringsend and District Historical Society, the Dublin City Council's South East Area Community Team and the Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre put together a series of events throughout the festival, all of which are free. While the full 2026 programme is yet to be announced, this year's festival will kick off with their annual Bloomsday Writers Event on June 11 where people in the community come together to share stories and poetry that reflect their experience living in the area. As more details are shared, be sure to keep an eye out for event details that may pique your interest. 

Over on the northside of the city, Drumcondra are pulling out all the stops for their Joycean Jaunt on June 16. Come along and follow a designated trail dotted with locations mentioned in Ulysses before taking in a series of readings, songs, stories and poetry inspired by Joyce himself. 

Not in town for Bloomsday? There’s always next June – or you can build your own literary experience of the city with our guide to Joyce’s Dublin.