THE SOCIAL NETWORK:Some of the big events on the social calendar for next year
JANUARY
The Turner watercolour exhibition opens in the National Gallery of Ireland tomorrow and Dr Ciarán Woods will give a free public lecture on Romanticism in Blake, Constable and Turner at 3pm.
On Monday, Gary Barlow and special guests are due to take to the stage in the Olympia. While on Wednesday, budding scientists will descend on Ballsbridge for this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS.
The Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition takes place from January 25th to January 31st at the National Concert Hall. The triennial operatic competition has four rounds with a total prize fund of more than €30,000.
FEBRUARY
The supermodel Erin O’Connor will judge the Hennessy Best Dressed Lady competition during the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 9th.
Italian composer Dario Marianelli, who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his score for the film Atonement, will introduce a concert of his work in the National Concert Hall on February 19th. He will be in Ireland as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, which runs from February 14th to 24th. Marianelli has composed the music for a range of acclaimed films such as Jane Eyre, Pride Prejudice, The Brothers Grimm, V for Vendetta and, most recently, Anna Karenina.
Meanwhile, across town at the O2, the global platinum selling megastar Justin Bieber will perform on February 17th and 18th.
MARCH
One Direction at the O2 will go head-to-head with Swan Lake on Ice at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on March 5th. The Imperial Ice Stars’ performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic will continue until March 9th.
Across the water, the Cheltenham racing festival kicks off on March 12th and runs until March 15th, while Easter at Fairyhouse starts here on March 31st.
APRIL
The Punchestown Festival in Co Kildare takes place from Tuesday, April 23rd to Saturday, April 27th. The five-day National Hunt festival is regarded as an Irish version of Cheltenham. There is a total of 11 Grade 1 contests taking place.
MAY
The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival opens on the May bank holiday (May 6th) and continues until May 19th.
Bloom, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family event is taking place in the Phoenix Park Dublin over the June bank holiday weekend. It kicks off on Thursday, May 30th. Last year, Bloom attracted almost 80,000 visitors to the 70-acre site at the Visitor’s Centre in the Phoenix Park, Dublin
JUNE
The KBC Great Music in Irish Houses, which brings chamber musicians from all over the world to Ireland, will open on June 11th.
Taste of Dublin has become one of the highlights of June and will take place over four days in the Iveagh Gardens. Last year’s event featured Jamie Oliver, Valentine Warner and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Bon Jovi take to the stage at Slane Castle on June 15th, as part of their Because We Can tour.
JULY
Oxegen, like Glastonbury, took a year off in 2012 but will be back with a bang this July.
Vertiginous heels, spaghetti straps and fake tan will be at the ready for the Galway Races, which take place this year from Monday July 29th to August 4th.
AUGUST
Many people from all over the world will be trotting to Ballsbridge for the 2013 Dublin Horse Show, which will take place from August 7th to 11th at the RDS. This is one of the central events of the 2013 Gathering and is Ireland’s largest equestrian event.
Eminem, who has sold 100 million records worldwide, is due to perform at Slane in mid August.
Meanwhile in Stradbally, Co Laois, Electric Picnic, the annual boutique arts-and-music festival – assuming it goes ahead – is due to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.
SEPTEMBER
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd will bring The Wall back to Dublin, at the Aviva Stadium on September 18th. He last played at the O2 in May 2011.
OCTOBER
Due to extended recording commitments, Jessie J’s sold-out March 2013 arena tour was rescheduled until the autumn. She performs at the O2 on October 16th.
NOVEMBER
The Dublin Beatles Festival will take place from November 7th to 10th, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles concert in the Adelphi Cinema on Middle Abbey Street (now Arnotts’s car park) on Thursday, November 7th, 1963.
DECEMBER
JLS have confirmed they will play Dublin as part of their Evolution tour on December 2nd, 2013. Over the last four years the band have sold more than six million records.
