Step into the Dublin of James Joyce through the eclectic mix of over 100 events that make up the world-famous Bloomsday Festival, a highlight of Dublin’s cultural calendar.

Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin

Bloomsday, which runs from 11 - 16 June, is a festival like no other, celebrating the genius of James Joyce and his beloved city of Dublin. Named after Leopold Bloom, the lead character in Joyce’s seminal novel Ulysses, the festival commemorates Bloom’s experiences in Dublin city on 16 June 1904.

Dublin is a UNESCO City of Literature and James Joyce is one of the city’s literary giants whose influence on modern literature was profound. Every year, thousands of literary enthusiasts and fans of Joyce’s work flock to Dublin for the festival, but even those who have not read Ulysses can enjoy the events which span readings, music, theatre, walking tours, films and a host of other festivities.

Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin

There is a deep connection between Dublin’s landscape and Ulysses and one of the best ways to appreciate it is on a walking tour. Bloomsday Ulysses Walking Tour: James Joyce's Dublin is a great introduction to the places and characters in the novel while those who want a more in-depth Joycean experience can book the Footsteps of Leopold Bloom Walking Tour.

A fun way to get into the spirit of the festival is to dress up, and the streets will be full of Dubliners and visitors alike in Edwardian costume. Across key Ulysses-related sites in the city, street theatre performances will recreate famous scenes from the book. Among these locations is Sweny’s Pharmacy, dating from 1847, which will welcome people to enjoy a cup of tea, buy a bar of lemony soap, as Bloom did, and get involved in a reading.

Bloomsday at Davy Byrne’s in Dublin

Food and drink feature strongly in the novel, in particular Bloom’s breakfast, and this is recreated in special Bloomsday Breakfast events in Belvedere College, in the very rooms where Joyce studied from 1893 to 1898. The meal is accompanied by dramatic readings, songs and performances from Ulysses. Bloom’s famous lunchtime gorgonzola sandwich and glass of burgundy, which he ate in Davy Byrne’s, can be enjoyed in this famous pub on festival days.

The villages outside Dublin will also stage a number of events including Ulysses aWake – a play that combines drama, comedy, and music – in Blackrock, and readings, music, performances, walking tours and more in Ringsend, Sandymount, Ballsbridge, Portobello and Ranelagh.

The festival is spearheaded by the James Joyce Centre in Dublin, where events and exhibitions run all year round with special exhibitions added during Bloomsday. Fans of Joyce can also visit the Martello Tower in Sandycove, which featured in chapter one of Ulysses and is now open to the public as a museum featuring memorabilia from the author’s life.

Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin

And to raise a glass to the great writer there are no better places than Mulligan’s, one of the oldest pubs in Dublin which dates back to 1782, and nearby Kennedy’s on Westland Row, which was established in 1850. Both watering holes were frequented by Joyce in his writerly heyday.

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, said: “James Joyce is one of Dublin’s most famous sons and Bloomsday celebrates the life and work of this literary genius. No matter how much or how little you know about his work, this is a fantastic event which brings Dublin’s past to life.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to the Bloomsday Festival in Dublin in 2026, as part of a tailor-made cultural tour of Ireland, please do contact our friendly team.