‘Dance at the Dáil’ peaceful protest taking place tonight to eradicate SEOs

Dublin's newest nightlife hotspot.

There's a peaceful protest taking place this evening, Friday November 3rd, outside the Dáil to call for the end of Special Exemption Orders (SEOs). These orders means that late-night venues who open until 2:30am/3am have to pay for doing so, which has been detrimental to the Irish nightlife scene. The 'Dance at the Dáil' peaceful protest hopes that the government might remove SEOs, particularly with the possibility of bars and clubs staying open until 6am fast approaching in summer 2024. SEOs do not exist in other European countries, which is perhaps why nightlife in said countries is much bigger than it is in Ireland. During Covid, SEOs were lifted temporarily to help nightlife recover, but since 2000, 80% of Irish clubs have shut down, proving it is in need of more drastic help. This same protest group held a similar event in 2021 when nightlife guidelines were at their strictest. The protest will see DJ performances from Rory Sweeney, Nebulah, Julia Louise Knifefist, Ayolxi, Sleepless Beauty, Hello Clitty, and Panda Drey. 'Dance at the Dáil' kicks off at 6pm and goes on until 10:30pm tonight at the William Plunket statue. Header image via Flickr & Getty READ ON:  - 3 openers and 3 closures to be aware of in Dublin right now - North Dublin family farm end turkey farming ahead of Christmas after 30 years - Dublin charity opens new café providing work for city's homeless