Entertaining weekend film, shows and festival fun

THE WEATHER forecast may be uninspiring but there’s plenty to get excited about over the coming days with the Dublin Darklight…

THE WEATHER forecast may be uninspiring but there’s plenty to get excited about over the coming days with the Dublin Darklight Festival, the Over 50s Show at the RDS and the Waterford Imagine Arts Festival among the attractions. Not forgetting the Wexford Opera Festival, which opened last night.

Now in its 13th year, the Darklight Festival, which celebrates the best in independent film, will include the debut of Ireland's first 3D live action short film Clockhead. A three-day exhibition entitled Pricks and Mortarby controversial street artist ADW is on at South Studios, New Row South in the Coombe area of Dublin while Surface Tension, a new exhibition focusing on the future of water is on at the Science Gallery on Pearse Street.

Also in Dublin, the RDS is host to both the Over 50s Show and the Back to the Past genealogy event this weekend.

The International Puppet Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year opened yesterday and continues until next weekend with shows taking place in venues in Monkstown, Dún Laoghaire, Bray and Dublin City Centre.

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The 23rd All-Ireland Open Festival of Dancing Championships are on in Gort, Co Galway, this weekend while the Ulster Bank Theatre Festival continues in Belfast. In Waterford, the Imagine Arts Festival, which promises the best in theatre, music, literature, comedy, visual arts, dance and film, gets underway.

On the music front, singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow is at the Olympia Theatre tonight, while former Oasis star Noel Gallagher brings his High Flying Birds to the same venue tomorrow evening.

As many as 300 people are expected to take part in the inaugural Southcoast Adventure Race in Skibbereen, Co Cork today. The race includes hill running, cycling and kayaking.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist