Everything you need to know about Bloomsday 2023

Bloomsday 2023 is just around the corner and Dublin is rising for the occasion.

From the 12th to the 18th of July, Dublin celebrates the festival that is known as Bloomsday. Not to be confused with Bloom, which also took place earlier in the month, Bloomsday celebrates something else entirely.

What is Bloomsday?

According to the official Bloomsday website, it celebrates the 16th June 1904, which is the day James Joyce’s world renowned Ulysses is set. The central character, Leopold Bloom, is where the day gets its name.

If you haven’t read Ulysses (hey, I did an English degree and I haven’t quite battled that particular beast yet) it essentially follows Leopold as he embarks on a day in Dublin on the 16th June, visiting important places and coming into contact with a series of interesting people.

What’s on in Dublin for Bloomsday 2023?

We’re in for a jam-packed week of Bloomsday activities – there really is no shortage of ways you can get involved, whether you’re into film, theatre, exhibitions, history. There’s even an afternoon tea inspired by Ulysses if you’re into the finer things in life (and hey, who could blame you).

You can check out the full list of events taking place for Bloomsday 2023 on their website, but these are our personal top picks.

Blooming Ulysses

For those, like me, who have never gotten around to tackling Ulysses, Blooming Ulysses is a wonderful introduction to the story. It’s a one-man stage adaptation by Gerry Farrell that invites the audience to accompany Leopold Bloom on his wanderings around Dublin, full of humour and energetic performance that has been acclaimed by theatre goers and academics alike.

This comic adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses takes place at Bewley’s on Grafton Street and will have multiple showings through the coming week. 

 

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Bloomsday Film Festival

Film buffs are in for a jam-packed week of celebrations with a focus on cinema, literature, and artistic innovation, inspired by the long reaching arm of Ireland’s patriarch of modernism, James Joyce. There are events taking place at the Irish Film Institute, as well as the James Joyce Centre, and Lighthouse Cinema.

You can find the times and places of the various film events on the Bloomsday website. 

 

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Footsteps of Leopold Bloom Walking Tour

One of the best ways to get involved with Bloomsday is by going on a walking tour, following Leopold Bloom’s footsteps through Dublin on the day Ulysses is set. You will start the tour at the James Joyce Centre on Great George’s Street North and finish up by the National Museum on Kildare Street.