Your guide to Bloomsday 2025

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. On the same day, Dublin historian Terry Fagan leads the Joyce’s Nighttown: The Monto Walking Tour from the James Joyce statue, exploring the seedy underbelly of Dublin's former red light district, how it played a role in the lives of Joyce's characters, as well as the life of the author himself. 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 daily throughout the festival from the James Joyce Centre.

Media captionFollow in the footsteps of the man himself.

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 two of Joyce's pieces for their event "Counterparts and a Little Cloud,"  both of which delve into 20th century Ireland's hunger for change through a satirical lens (June 2-16). 

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 and dazzling language and in 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'c fictional world (June 15).

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, actor and poet Nicole Rourke and guitarist and composer Benjamin Dwyer are coming together on June 12 at the James Joyce Centre     for Strings in the Earth and Air: The Musical World of James Joyce. The 90-minute performance journeys through Joyce's early poetry, the melancholic stories of Dubliners and the interweaving narratives of Ulysses to showcase his deep obsession with music. This duo performed to a sold-out audience last year so, be sure to snag tickets while you still can.   

On June 12, 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 soprano Donna Malone. 

On June 15, cmusician Emer Kenny, concert harpist Rosie Murphy and spoken word poet Mikey Cullen join forces for Bloomsday Belles – a multi-disciplinary performance inspired by the female characters of Ulysses. The next evening, the bells of Christ Church Taney in Dundrum will ring out “Heigho! Heigho!” as featured in the novel. 

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

Joyce's words have not only inspired fellow writers but also artists of all types of media. Part of a permanent exhibition, visual artist Suzanne Freeman takes over a section of the James Joyce Centre with her work that delves into the motifs, themes and characters showcased in Ulysses. In a series of 18 display cases, Freeman recreates each episode of the novel through simple, everyday objects, calling attention to the weight they carried in the telling of the story. 

Media captionDiscover and enjoy the James Joyce Centre on Bloomsday.

Meanwhile, the Hugh Lane Gallery are hosting an illustrated Bloomsday lecture on June 14. With the help of guide Yseult O'Driscoll, A Portrait of the Artist and his Novels explores portraits of Joyce, alongside different iterations of his book covers and artistic takes on his body of work. 

Many neighbourhoods have their own celebrations, with theatrical trails and community events celebrating their locality’s link to Ulysses or Joyce himself. Rathgar, the birthplace of the man himself, will be celebrating the occasion with their own Bloomsday Festival, free of charge. The village square will be 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 are putting together a series of events throughout the festival, all of which are free. Join the Ringsend and Docklands Walking Tour, enjoy a boogey at the Bloomsday Folk & Ballad Session and dine in your Joycean get-up at the Bloomsday Brunch.

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.