‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’ switched on!
Published on 1st December 2023
Dublin City Council is delighted to announce that the dazzling ‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’ have now been officially switched on!
For the month of December, locations all over the city centre have been transformed with colourful projections and lighting displays, including for the first time, Bank of Ireland College Green and the Central Plaza.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithi de Roiste says, “As the dark winter nights close in, the ‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’ illuminate the city centre each December. This year promises to be even better than before and I’m really looking forward to seeing the full programme of locations. I know the projections and illuminations have been worked on by some of the best artists from Ireland and around the globe. So come on into town in December and enjoy seeing the city in all its sparkling glory!”
Simon Clarke, from Dublin City Council’s Events section says, “To reduce our carbon footprint even more no generators will be used on the streets of Dublin to power projectors. Instead mains power will be used and using the latest laser and LED technology our projections will have low power requirements. All the projections and installations in Merrion Square Park will be powered using hydrotreated vegetable oil and localised battery storage which will charge during off peak hours.
The power used to light the GPO is comparable to that used in six kettles, a domestic iron uses the same power as we’re using on the Central Plaza projections, the power used to light the Bank of Ireland projections is the equivalent use of two domestic ovens, while the statues will be illuminated using the same amount of power as a vacuum cleaner”.
Artists from all over the world were invited to submit applications for their work to feature on the GPO and Custom House buildings, as part of this year’s ‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’ programme. The winning artwork on each building will be announced next week after consideration by an esteemed panel of internationally-recognised judges.
1. Birgit Zander (Festival Director, Berlin Festival of Lights)
2. Juliette Bibasse and Joanie Lemercier (Studio Joanie Lemercier)
3. Tribe Inc. (production designers for the American Super Bowl Half-Time shows)
-Bruce Rodgers President, Production Designer and Creative Director
-Shelley Rodgers Production Designer, Art Director and CEO
The winning artists will each be awarded a prize of €15,000.
After 50,000 people attended the event last year, ‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’ at Merrion Sq Park has also officially opened today. Tickets have been selling fast, but there are still some left. There is a €2 euro per adult booking charge. Each adult ticket admits two children. All tickets can be purchased at www.dublinwinterlights.ie
Tickets are limited to a maximum of 4 adult tickets per person. Entry will start from 5pm each evening, with the last admissions at 9pm.
5pm to 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday evenings will be reserved for Relaxed Viewing Tickets. This time slot is designed to welcome people who will benefit from a more relaxed environment, including those who identify as neurodiverse. During this slot, no music will be played, people will have more space to move around and there will be a designated sensory unit away from the lights and sounds. For more information and ticket enquiries for relaxed performances, please e-mail [email protected]
A Children’s Art Competition for Primary School Children has also taken place as part of ‘Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights’. Over 370 artworks were received and every artwork will be projected onto Barnardo Square beside Dublin Castle. The 3 winning children last night received a prize from the Lord Mayor and their artwork will be used on the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Cards this year.