Bram Stoker Festival 2014
More than 42,000 people attended the third annual Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin this weekend to experience the re-awakening of Dublin’s Gothic heart.
A Dublin City Council initiative in association with Fáilte Ireland, the festival is inspired by the heritage of world famous Dublin horror novelist Bram Stoker and his notorious novel Dracula. From large-scale spectacle to intimate performances in unusual spaces and a whole range of sell-out film and literary events the festival delivered a range of events for Gothic believers young and old.
The 2014 festival saved its largest Gothic outpouring for last, releasing MACNAS: The Summoning onto the city streets to whistle from the shadows a haunted air heralding in the slumbering descent of countless souls as they closed the night upon the city like a trap door.
The Bram Stoker Festival has infiltrated the very crevices of the city, awakening the dormant gothic in the heart of Dublin City. An extra-ordinary range of events catered to audiences of all ages, adventure seekers zipped across the city-centre on the VampWire, hoards of zombies and gangs of Goths collided for the Zombie V Goth dance-off and fabulous, glamorous creatures descended on Kilmainham Gaol and danced the night away at the Body&Soul Shapeshifters Ball in association with The Bram Stoker Festival.
Known for its eclectic combination of events the Bram Stoker Festival 2014 delivered a show-stopping combination including; the Literary Death Match, a comedic battle of brilliant minds, Goth Karaoke, for musical dark hearts and Blood and Earth, a horrifying cookery class by the Domestic Godless. The Sinister Screenings strand, attended by members of My Bloody Valentine, offered the Irish premiere of Beautiful Noise and an open air showing of the Cure in Orange at a packed Meeting House Square. Theatre show Near Gone moved hearts whilst a vampire opera in St. Anne’s Park Clontarf almost stopped them, and official festival clubs echoed long into the night.
Ray Yeates, Dublin City Arts Officer said the 2014 festival, “Dublin City Council highly values its partnership with Fáilte Ireland for The Bram Stoker Festival. This year many new events and creative programming such as the Zombie Vs Goth Dance off have made Dublin a real destination for the Halloween season and thrilled Dubliners and visitors alike.”
Orla Carroll, Director Dublin Programme, Fáilte Ireland highlighted: “Our aim in supporting Bram Stoker Festival is simple, it allows us present Dublin as a fun, creative, dynamic, surprising and exciting city break destination to international visitors. Bram Stoker Festival has gone from strength to strength over the last three years and this year the festival has reached new heights with a varied and eclectic programme over four days. Dublin’s creative heart has been showcased both to visitors to the city and also through greatly increased social media activity that carries the message of the Bram Stoker Festival to the world.”
Bram Stoker Festival 2014 is brought to you by Dublin City Council in partnership with Fáilte Ireland. Bram Stoker Festival 2014 is supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, DublinTown.ie, Dublin Festival Season,98fm, Irish Rail, Dublin Bus, LUAS and Entertainment.ie. Festival accommodation partners – The Conrad Dublin Hotel and Generator Hostel Dublin.
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