Cork City Council Brings First Fridays to Life in the City Centre

Cork City Council has launched First Fridays, a new monthly evening initiative designed to animate the city centre with markets, cultural events, and extended venue openings on the first Friday of each month from April to September.

Inspired by the success of Culture Night, the initiative invites residents and visitors to explore Cork city's cultural offerings after dark, with the first event taking place this Friday, 3 April.

Fiona Collins, Night Time Economy Advisor with Cork City Council, said the council is delighted to pilot the initiative over the coming months.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to give people a chance to explore Cork city and everything it has to offer after 6pm. Our city is vibrant and full of life, and we want everyone to experience that," she said.

First Fridays is delivered through Cork City Council's City Centre Directorate and supported by the Night Time Economy Programme, which is funded through the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. Fáilte Ireland is also supporting the initiative.

Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Valerie O'Sullivan, encouraged people to embrace the initiative and experience the city centre beyond traditional daytime hours.

"By extending this kind of activity into the evening, we are creating more opportunities for people to live, work, visit and enjoy the city centre," she said. "This initiative is another example of our commitment to a renewed focus on the city centre — strengthening footfall, animating our streets throughout the day and night, and reimagining how the city functions after dark, fostering a welcoming atmosphere, and ensuring the city centre remains a dynamic and attractive place for everyone day and night."

This Friday's inaugural programme includes a night market on Cornmarket Street, extended evening opening at Elizabeth Fort until 8pm, and Blackrock Castle Observatory remaining open until 8pm.

The Butter Museum in Shandon will also extend its hours until 7pm, with the highlight being the Butter Supper Club - a traditional butter making demonstration and tasting at 6pm, featuring Cuthbert's brown soda bread. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the museum, with no online booking available due to limited capacity.

Ms Collins confirmed that more events are planned for the May programme, with further details to be announced in the coming weeks. Cork City Council has invited businesses and cultural institutions with ideas for after-dark events to get in touch about potential collaboration.

Full details on events taking place across Cork city are available at purecork.ie.