As part of the Bram Stoker Festival, a unique light and sound show will bring the magic of the Northern Lights to Dublin.

The Irish premiere of BOREALIS, an artwork by internationally renowned Swiss artist Dan Acher, which creates a mesmerising illusion of the Northern Lights, has been announced for the Bram Stoker Festival (28 –31 October).

The free event will run each night of the festival in the atmospheric setting of the Upper Courtyard of Dublin Castle, where Stoker himself once worked.

BOREALIS is an immersive light and sound experience, with a custom soundtrack by Guillaume Desbois. It has wowed hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, captivating audiences with its re-creation of one of the planet’s most beautiful and elusive natural phenomena.

Throughout the ages, the aurora borealis has fascinated humans, who have attributed all kinds of superstitions to its appearance and often interpreted it as a sign of doom.

Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula contains multiple references to dark clouds and strange weather phenomena and even to the aurora borealis itself, making BOREALIS a fitting highlight of the festival.

The event is a sparkling addition to the festival programme which promises to deliver vampire-related mischief and entertainment right across the city as it celebrates the story of Dracula and the Dublin-born author who created it.

This year, the Bram Stoker Festival celebrates the 125th anniversary of the publication of Dracula.

As ever, fans of the dark tale will grab the opportunity to dress up in vampire garb and take part in the many events across the city. These will include film screenings, discussions, theatre, art, music, drama and comedy.

There will be walking tours of Dublin’s dark side and the chance to visit the buildings that fired Stoker’s imagination including Trinity College, which Stoker attended, Marsh’s Library, the oldest public library in Ireland, and St Michan’s Church, which houses mummified remains in its vaults.

The full festival programme is still under wraps and will be announced in early October.

Before then, vampire fans can enjoy some fiendishly good vampire entertainment on Bram Stoker Festival at Home Treats.  The podcasts, articles, videos and audio content delve into the influence of Stoker’s novel on modern culture and feature exclusive content about the author and his creation. 

Featured image David Solm, Novatech

ARTCILE C/O www.ireland.com