Dublin’s new Liffey Festival set to make a splash with jetpacks

Taking place on the weekend of September 12 - 13 from 12 noon to 6pm daily, Dublin City Council Liffey Festival will stretch from Sir John Rogerson’s Quay across to Custom House Quay and George’s Dock and onto the River Liffey itself

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 16:46, 27 Aug 2026 View 2 Images Dublin City Council Liffey Festival jetpack performance

A new two-day festival invites Dubliners to experience everything from Viking history to jetpack displays at the River Liffey.

The River Liffey will take centre stage this September as the Dublin City Council Liffey Festival transforms the river and its quays into one continuous waterside celebration. With activities for all ages, an incredible variety of exciting events take place on the weekend of September 12 - 13 from 12 noon to 6pm daily.

Over one jam-packed weekend, the public can get out on the water, try a new sport, step aboard visiting ships, follow the historic Liffey Swim, join walking tours, discover the stories of the river, watch spectacular aerial and jet pack displays, enjoy live music and street performance, and gather along the quays for Sunday’s Dublin City Council Liffey Festival Flotilla.

Lord Mayor Daryl Barron is encouraging residents and visitors alike to get involved for the inaugural celebrations exploring how the River Liffey has shaped Dublin’s history, culture and communities. “This festival is about reconnecting people with Dublin’s river and showcasing everything it offers today,” he said.

The story of Dublin is inseparable from the Liffey. From Viking settlement and trading port to the development of the quays, docklands and maritime industries, the river has shaped the city for centuries. Dublin City Council Liffey Festival invites a new generation to experience that story for themselves, not simply from the banks, but on, beside and along the river.

View 2 Images Hydrobike at Dublin City Council Liffey Festival

One of Dublin’s great sporting traditions will open Dublin City Council Liffey Festival on Saturday as the 106th Dublin City Council Dublin City Liffey Swim takes to the water. First held in 1920, the race will begin at Rory O’More Bridge, where the Lord Mayor and President of Swim Ireland Joe McCarthy will mark the start with a rendition of Dublin’s unofficial anthem, Molly Malone. Swimmers will then race through the heart of the city to the finish at the steps of Custom House Quay, where the medal ceremony will take place.

For those who want to experience the river themselves, HQ2O Watersports will offer discounted pre-booked opportunities to try katakanus, currachs and hydrobikes. Across the weekend, the water will feature a variety of paddle activities in conjunction with Canoeing Ireland, along with various water displays and spectacular jet pack performances.

Dublin’s maritime heritage will sail directly into Dublin City Council Liffey Festival at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, where the impressive Class A Tall Ship Pelican of London and the RCC Cosaint, the Revenue Commissioners brand new cutter which patrols Ireland’s coastline, will be among the visiting vessels. Festivalgoers will be able to step aboard selected ships for free public visits, while performances, talks and activity will bring the quayside to life. Further visiting vessels will be announced ahead of the festival.

The public can delve deeper into the stories of the river at Live at the Liffey, a dedicated stage on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay bringing together history, heritage and storytelling inspired by the Liffey and Dublin’s Docklands.

A varied programme of talks will explore the many layers of the river’s story, from Dublin’s maritime and archaeological heritage to the lives and memories of its dock workers and the social history of the city.

Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director at Dublin Port Company, will present Dublin Port: Unlocking Our Maritime Heritage - Fostering Inspiration and Innovation, while archaeologist Dr Niall Brady, Director of the Archaeological Diving Company, will explore the archaeology of the river and estuary. Declan Byrne of the Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society and John Miley Walsh will share stories and memories of Dublin’s dock-working communities.

Renowned Dublin historian and tour guide Pat Liddy will present The Liffey: The River that Made Dublin, while historian, author and broadcaster Donal Fallon will present Hidden Histories of Dublin’s Docklands: Diving Bells and Dockers and Dublin and the Great Hunger: The Jeanie Johnston and Other Stories.

The programme will also bring the past to life through storytelling with Candlelit Tales, alongside further sessions exploring themes including the biodiversity of the Liffey and Dublin’s Viking heritage.

At George’s Dock, guided tours will take the story beyond the stage and onto the waterfront. The Liffey Waterfront: From Boom to Decline and Back Again will reveal the characters, landmarks and hidden histories that have shaped the river and its quays.

Throughout the weekend, the quays will become festival spaces in their own right, with live music, street theatre, craft workshops, all ages activities, face painting, food and drink and fairground attractions, giving visitors plenty to discover as they move between the different festival hubs.

Custom House Quay will host the Liffey Swim finish on Saturday alongside entertainment and on-water spectacle, before paddle activities with Canoeing Ireland, aerial performances and jet pack displays take over the river on Sunday.

Across the water, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay will combine visiting vessels with live performances, talks, workshops, street entertainment, food and fairground attractions, creating a second major waterside festival hub.

On Sunday, everyone is invited to line the quays for a fitting finale as the river becomes the main stage for the Dublin City Council Liffey Festival Flotilla. Local boats, rowing clubs and community vessels will gather at Custom House Quay before travelling together along the Liffey towards Dublin Port, with Glasshouse Ensemble providing an eight-piece orchestral and vocal backdrop as citizens gather along the Quays in celebration of the communities who use, enjoy and care for Dublin’s River Liffey today.

Dublin City Council Liffey Festival takes place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026, from 12 noon to 6pm daily, across Custom House Quay, George’s Dock, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and the River Liffey. The festival is free for all to attend, with a small number of paid activities, some of which can be booked in advance at dublinliffeyfestival.ie

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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