Purple Flag

Dublin City Comes ‘Alive After Five’ to Celebrate Purple Flag Win

**UPDATE – CHANGE TO FREE MOVIE SCREEN DAY NOW Saturday instead of Sunday!!

DublinTown reschedule outdoor screening of ‘Ghostbusters’ this weekend to Saturday Night due to Weather Warnings

Due to weather conditions, DublinTown in association with Dublin City Council have made the decision to bring the screening of much loved ‘Ghostbusters’ from this Sunday to Saturday 22nd October. The venue for the screening of the 1985’s movie classic, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver will stay the same, Capel Street at 6pm (event starts from 5pm). The decision had to be made based on bad weather conditions being predicted for all day Sunday.

Clyde Carroll, Director of Marketing & Communications, DublinTown said of the date change, “Our first priority is always that of the safety for the families and friends of Dublinattending any of the celebrations over the weekend secondly, we really want everyone to enjoy watching this all-timefavourite, ‘Ghostbusters’ outdoors. We are advising anyone who wishes to attend to arrive early to ensure a good spot and perhaps support local business by buying some movie treats enroute.”

Events planned for the weekend of fun are to celebrate Dublin City‘s Purple Flag status and people are invited to come eat, drink, and enjoy all that the capital has to offer.

The Purple Flag Celebration is brought to you by DublinTownin association with Dublin City Council.

Two Main Events To Attend:

• Thursday 20th Oct 6pm Drury Street, local business stall, shops and businesses opening late, special offers, live busker performances street entertainment and much more
• Now Saturday 23rd Oct 5pm Capel Street, local business stall and a FREE outdoor movie screening of the original Ghostbusters Movie (seats on a first come first serve basis and movie starts at 6pm)

DublinTown in association with Dublin City Council have announced a four day celebration of Dublin City‘s Purple Flag status kicking off on October 20th each night between 5pm and 10pm.  The four day celebration will be packed with free events on both sides of the city showcasing the best in culture, food, and music that Dublin has to offer. From cooking demonstrations on Drury Street, live performances from the city’s beloved buskers, and an outdoor cinema on Capel Street, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Caroline Conroy said: “Dublin city centre has a vibrant and diverse evening and night-time economy. There’s so much choice, from the great restaurants and bars to the wonderful theatre and cinema options. There’s so much for people to enjoy. The purple flag award is for excellence in the evening and night-time economy. I’m not surprised that Dublin city centre has been awarded the international purple flag award.”

Like the Blue Flag given to Ireland’s finest beaches and the Green Flag that flies in the most eco-friendly schools, the Purple Flag is an international accreditation scheme that honours excellence in the appeal and management of a town or city centre area after 5pm. Dublin is just one of 40 cities in Europe to be given the badge of honour.

DublinTown’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Guiney said: “Vibrant, night-time economies do not happen by accident. Innovation, curation, planning and partnership are all key elements to creating a destination that can enage users after dark. It has been a collective and valiant effort across all Dublin stakeholders to not only win the award but also to work continuously to maintain the standards achieved.”

Dublin City Centre’s Purple Flag is a cooperative process between DublinTown (and their member businesses), Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, Fáilte Ireland, the Local Community Safety Partnership and city transport providers including Dublin Bus.

Taking place across two of Dublin’s most sought-after streets, the four-day celebration’s programme will invite people to experience the best the city has to offer.

FOOD & DRINK

The Asia Market is set to be a real highlight of Thursday evening (20^th October) on Drury Street, with a host of tasty activities inside and outside. Step up to the food truck and get sampling some delicious free dumplings, snacks and drinks. Wash it all down with a complimentary sake tasting of over ten different types. Learn how to replicate the culinary experience in your own home with an in store Chinese cooking demonstration.

Alongside the traditional grub, the market will also be a hotspot for brand exclusives. Coke Zero have chosen the occasion to collaborate and a ‘Spin Wheel Event’ will be on-site, with prizes including keyrings, pens, goodie bags and vouchers from Asia Market up for grabs.

Want to drive into town so you don’t have to worry about walking after all that food? Parkrite Drury Street multistorey car park have a special offer for Thursday night’s celebrations of €5.00 evening rate from 5pm to 2am. To make use of this offer, be sure to book your spot online.

CULTURE

Illuminating the town with costumes, buskers and light-up shop fronts, the city will be a hive of exciting activity.  Filling the air with glorious tunes, our local buskers will be taking centre stage and sharing with the streets their material. On Drury Street, come and listen to Indo-Dutch Musician/singer/songwriter/street musician Jacob Koopman, who recently performed on Grafton Street with Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi. 18 year old Irish musician and busker (usually on Grafton Street), Kylabelle and the well-known Dublin singer Mick The Busker will also be on the roster, alongside a host of other home-grown talent.

Perhaps one of Dublin’s most iconic spots, George’s Arcade welcomes everyone until 10pm specially for the evening for live music and an atmosphere. The stunning location with its ornate ceilings will shine purple in honour of the city centre’s flag.

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES

Dubliners and visitors can use the occasion to get in some late-night shopping – or better yet, start ticking off the Christmas shopping list early, or even book in that trim you’ve been meaning to get for ages. A list of local businesses will keep their lights on and continue to welcome shoppers into their stores well after the shutters would normally have come down.  Sam’s Barbers will be styling the streets with Pomp & Co products, and Om Diva, Costume, Charlie Cullen, TBD, Loose Cannon and Tales for Tadpoles, Rare and Nutty Delights will all open after normal hours to showcase what they do best and why we all deserve to fly the purple flag for our vibrant city centre.

Fancy grabbing a bite while you rediscover the streets? On Thursday a host of eateries will keep their kitchens ablaze after hours offer sumptuous dishes and treats. These include Kaph, Loose Cannon, Drury Buildings, Fade Street Social, Grogan’s, La Maison, Smoking Bones, GBK and Fallon & Byrne.

The Purple Flag Celebration is brought to you by DublinTown in asscoacation with Dublin City Council. Find the full schedule of events on the Dublin Town website.

DublinTown’s membership area is delighted to have been recognised with the award of Purple Flag status. The Purple Flag was conferred in October 2022 for the City Centre business district stretching from Parnell Street on the northside to Stephen’s Green on the southside.

Purple Flag accreditation means the area has been recognised as an ‘area of excellence, especially in the evening economy’ – making it the ideal place to explore possibilities.

It’s kind of like the Blue Flag for beaches and the Green Flag for schools – but the purple means it’s an area recognised as a place to go ‘for a better night out’ – and we do love a good night out! The area offers the highest quality in shopping, dining, pubs and entertainment, ensuring that we have all we need for a great evening out in Dublin, sure we always knew it!

Purple Flag is a partnership involving key local stakeholders and includes DublinTown, Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, Fáilte Ireland, the Local Community Safety Partnership, transport partners including Dublin Bus and the NTA as well as local businesses. The award is judged and presented by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM).

Plans for events celebrating the city’s Purple Flag status are underway and there will be a series of city centre activations between October 20th -23rd, 2022. Keep on eye here and on our social media channels for more information over the coming days.