Metropolis festival: everything you need to know

Metropolis, the third indoor winter festival with music/performance/conversation/installation on multiple stages, festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the RDS, Dublin.

Organisers are expecting 3,500 people on Saturday and 8,000 on Sunday to visit its network of seven indoor venues.

Saturday's lineup includes Leftfield (playing Leftism), Laurent Garnier, Death in Vegas, Fjaak and more, while Sunday includes Richie Hawtin, house maestro Todd Terje, Jungle, West Philly legend DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJs Denis Sulta and Mall Grab.

This year Metropolis is working alongside the RDS Visual Art Awards, which showcase the best visual art graduates from end-of-year degree shows; the exhibition will also be on display on Sunday. It will sit next to Red Bull Music Academy Conversations which musicians talk about making music. And the 100 per cent Irish Bulmers Live Stage builds on Metropolis’s mammoth installations by Irish artists which have featured since the festival started in 2015. The installations are visually striking and double up as working bars.

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Metropolis is sold out but here’s the lowdown on all the practical stuff you need to know about the event:

What about timing: On Saturday October 28th the festival runs from 4pm untill 11.30pm; on Sunday, from 3pm untill 11.30pm. Last entry to Metropolis is at 10.15pm on both nights. Ticketmaster and the guest list at the festival entrance close both nights at 10.30pm.

Stage times: Saturday, October 28th
 
Warehouse Stage:

2145-2330 Leftfield Perform Leftism
1915-2115 Laurent Garnier
1800-1900 Death In Vegas
1645-1745 FJAAK (Live)
1600-1645 Jack Dunne
 
Industries Hall
2230-2330 Papa Lou
2130-2230 Bingo Loco
2045-2130 Mango & MathMan
2000-2045 Lakerama
1900-2000 Tara Stewart
1800-1900 Seany B
1700-1800 MiX & Fairbanks
1600-1700 Orange Tree Edits

Stage times: Sunday, October 29th

Main Stage

2200-2330 Todd Terje
2100-2150 Jungle
1940-2030 Bonzai
1800-1920 DJ Jazzy Jeff
1650-1740 Booka Brass
1530-1620 Trinity Orchestra
 
Bulmers Live Stage
2200-2300 Daire Carolan
2100-2200 ELLLL
2000-2100 Hubie Davison
1900-2000 New Jackson
1800-1900 DJ Deece
1700-1745 Mount Alaska
1600-1700 Le Boom
1500-1600 Exit The Void
 
Warehouse Stage

2200-2330 Richie Hawtin
2030-2200 Adam Beyer
 
Red Bull Music Academy Stage
2200-2330 Denis Sulta
2030-2200 Mall Grab
1915-2030 Jeremy Underground
1900-2030 Krystal Klear
1800-1900 Mount Kimbie
1700—1745 KARYYN
1600-1645 Adian Coker
1500-1600 Lui
 
Industries Hall
2230-2330 Colin Perkins
2130-2230 Bingo Loco
2030-2130 Sing Along Social
1900-2015 The Fedz
1810-1900 Jack Thompson
1710-1810 Nialler9
1620-1710 Dan Stritch
1540-1620 Hidden Flux
1500-1540 Sarah Mooney
 
Red Bull Music Academy Stage
2200-2330 Denis Sulta
2030-2200 Mall Grab
1900-2030 Krystal Klear
1730-1900 Peggy Gou
1600-1730 Or:la
1500-1600 Long Island Sound
 
Red Bull Music Academy Conversations
1915-2000 Neil Barnes (Leftfield)
1815-1900 Sarah McBriar (AVA), ELLL, Nialler9 & District Magazine
1700-1745 PFADFINDEREI
1600-1645 DJ Jazzy Jeff 
1515-1555 Richard Feerless

Site map

Each venue has a limited capacity and once it’s full, a one-in/one-out queuing system kicks in – so get to a venue early if there’s a particular performance you really want to catch. Once a venue is full there’s no guarantee of getting in there before the particular performance ends.

Getting there
The festival is in the Main Hall Complex of the RDS on Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; it's close to the city centre so pretty accessible. Public transport is advised as there is limited parking in the area. The transportforireland app or website is a good bet to compare ways to get to the venue.

If you’re travelling to Metropolis before 5pm organisers advise getting the Dart to Sandymount.

Be aware the Dublin Marathon is on Monday 29th, from 9am and there will be traffic disruptions and closed roads. Metropolis organisers suggest checking dublinbus.ie for information on routing issues. The Irish Times will have good overview of how the marathon affects travel and getting about in the city on irishtimes.com.

By car: Limited parking in the Simmonscourt area of the RDS (pre-book parking for €6 per day via parkbytext, but you need to print off your confirmation as proof.

Drop Offs and collection: on Anglesea Road or Simmonscourt Road. Dropping off and pick up are not allowed on Merrion Road.

By bus: From the city centre (stop 405 on Nassau Street opposite Kilkenny shop), Dublin Bus routes 4, 7, and 7A go roughly every five-10mins to the RDS, journey time is 15minutes. These routes stop outside the festival entrance on Merrion Road. Buses to Donnybrook Bus station, a five minute walk to the festival entrance, include the 84x, 145, 46a and 145. Dublin Bus servicing RDS: dublinbus.ie

By Dart: Sandymount Dart station is five minutes' walk from the Metropolis entrance. Details of arrivals and departures at: irishrail.ie

Accessibility: Parking for mobility impaired festival goers is from the Merrion Road gate B (please display mobility impaired parking sticker). The organisers say a possible vehicle curfew may cause delay at the end of the show.

Getting away
Bus: Dublin Bus will run a direct service from outside the RDS on Merrion Road to city centre directly after the show. Fare €2; Leap cards accepted.

Taxi: There will be a taxi rank on Anglesea Road. (Exit RDS on Merrion Road, turn right, Taxis 20m down on the right).

On foot: City Centre is about a 20 minute walk from the RDS.

Dart: Normal Dart services will run on both nights. Closest station is Sandymount – but be aware the last Darts in both directions depart around 11.30pm (yes, ridiculously early for a capital city, etcetera). See train times at  irishrail.ie

What about the afterparties? Metropolis ticket holders can keep the party going in a bunch of city centre venues after the festival wraps at the RDS each night. Afterparty tickets are available at the RDS exclusively festival goers (there are very limited tickets on the door at venues – you'll need to show your festival ticket or wristband for entry). The 13 afterparties include DJ sets from Laurent Garnier (headlining on Saturday night at the Button Factory), Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas, Saturday at the Wah Wah Club). Krystal Klear is at Tengu; Peggy Gou and DJ Deece at Wigwam on Sunday.

Saturday

• Button Factory: Laurent Garnier + eve
• Hangar: Mix & Fairbanks + Orange Tree Edits + Long Island Sound
• Tengu: Krystal Klear (all night long)
• Wigwam: ELLLLL + Tommy Holohan + Jake Nolan
• Wah Wah Club: Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas)
• Chelsea Drug Store: Special guest

Sunday

• Button Factory: special guests
• Hang: Adam Beyer + Jack Dunne
• Wigwam: Peggy Gou + DJ Deece
• The Grand Social: Jeremy Underground & Hubie Davison
• Wah Wah Club: Or:la + Jack Thompson
• Chelsea Drug Store: Tara Williams
• Xico: Bingo Loco

The Metropolis rules: Yes, they're as you might guess: strictly over 18s; ID checks at entrance (Garda ID and passports only). No re-entry with day tickets; your ticket is proof of entry so keep it on you.

No rucksacks, small bags only – “no bigger than A4 size”. There will be security searches and bag checks at entry.

No liquids or food (they have to make a buck, poor souls). There will be bars (photo ID may be requested, presumably in case they didn’t rat under-18s out at the checks on the way in), catering and drinking water available.

No fireworks, drones, professional recording equipment, or animals.

No smoking indoors; use dedicated smoking areas.

Dress appropriately; there are outside areas at the RDS.

What do I need to bring with me? Your ticket, obviously. Plus over-18 ID. Money (Visa contactless available throughout the venue). Weekend ticket holders get wristbands at the entrance but should keep their tickets with them anyway.

Other stuff: There will be a first aid tent and ambulance at the festival. Lost property during the festival will be art the Info Point (Industries Hall). Afterwards lost property will be photographed and put online; if you see your lost stuff, you can collect by appointment (email metrolostandfound@gmail.com) on Tuesday and Wednesday, 4-7pm from the Metropolis Office in Dublin city. After that all lost property will be sent to Donnybrook Garda station for collection.

The organisers warn that “overexposure to loud and excessive music may be damaging to your hearing”, and there may be “pyrotechnics, lasers, smoke machines, strobe lighting/special effects during performances”. We hope.

The RDS is wheelchair accessible; viewing platforms are in the Main Hall and Warehouse for mobility impaired people and companions only. Accessible toilets all over. Guide dogs allowed.

The weekend is sold out, and the organisers warn against buying tickets from third parties or other sources – as you should know, tickets may be at inflated prices and could be counterfeit anyway.

Twitter: @metro_festival FB: @metropolisfest