Dublin’s World AIDS Day Festival returns from 26 November to 2 December 2026, bringing a week of remembrance, queer culture and HIV awareness to the city. Organised by Poz Vibe Tribe and GCN, the programme spans community gatherings, drag, film, music and a live podcast, with proceeds supporting GCN, Ireland’s free independent LGBTQ+ media.
Essential Takeaways
- Seven days of events: The festival runs from Thursday 26 November to Wednesday 2 December across Dublin venues.
- A thoughtful opening: Friends Remembering Friends is a free remembrance gathering at St Andrew’s Community Centre.
- Culture meets awareness: The programme includes a fashion show, film double-bill, bingo, club nights and a live podcast.
- World AIDS Day spotlight: On 1 December, Trinity College will light the front of its historic buildings red.
- Community support: Proceeds from selected events will support GCN.
A festival that holds remembrance and celebration together
The week begins with Friends Remembering Friends at St Andrew’s Community Centre in Rialto on 26 November. Hosted by the Quilts Group, the free gathering offers space to remember people lost to AIDS, with music, refreshments and community at its heart. It’s a quiet but important start to a programme that makes room for grief without asking the community to put joy aside. According to GCN, the event starts at midday.
The festival’s launch party follows at Street 66 on 27 November, with DJ Manwelli and the unveiling of three new U=U T-shirt designs by queer creators Mundo Moo, Queer Myths and Kiki Na Art. The shirts are printed by Spailpín, a queer-owned Connemara Gaeltacht business. That mix of creative work and community-led enterprise gives the opening night more to say than simply “the party starts here”. (GCN)
Queer pop, drag and fashion take centre stage
Saturday 28 November offers two distinct ways to spend the evening. At Pennylane, 99 Red Balloons brings Panti Bliss and DJ Dizzy together for a night of queer pop, while Lost Lane hosts It’s Giving… Head, a fashion show centred on DJ Glamo’s custom costumes and headpieces. The show features work by a line-up of queer creatives, and the ticket includes entry to the club afterwards. (GCN)
On 29 November, Sunday bingo at The George gets a special World AIDS Day Festival edition. Shirley Temple Bar hosts with Veda and guest Belfast drag performer Tailor Maid Colby, turning a familiar night out into an opportunity to raise awareness and challenge HIV stigma. Bingo may be a game of chance, but this one has a clear purpose. (GCN)
Film and conversation offer a slower beat
The programme shifts towards film and discussion on 30 November at the Irish Film Institute. GCN, Poz Vibe Tribe and Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin will present the documentary TOPS by Ames Pennington alongside the animation Placeholder by Elisa Beli Borrelli. A panel afterwards brings the directors together with photographer Jesse Glazzard, artist Mar Dias and activist Ollie Bell to discuss community, art and activism. Tickets are listed at €5. (GCN)
It’s a useful reminder that awareness isn’t only built on a stage or dance floor. Film can give people a different way into conversations about identity, solidarity and the lives of people living with HIV, especially when the discussion continues after the credits. The screening is supported by Queer Spectrum Film Festival and The Studio by Mar Dias. (GCN)
World AIDS Day brings the programme together
On Tuesday 1 December, Poz Vibe Tribe and GCN will host a live podcast at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, with special guests Panti Bliss and Charity Kase. Hosted by Veda Lady and Dr Robbie Lawlor, the event is set to explore life with HIV and the continuing work of challenging stigma. DJ Manwelli will play before the discussion, and Trinity College plans to light the front of its historic buildings red in solidarity. (GCN)
The conversation can continue afterwards at Street 66, where the podcast afterparty begins at 9pm. The festival closes on 2 December with Space N Veda, a recovery party at The George featuring Veda Lady and special guest Regina George. It’s an upbeat finish to a week that moves between reflection, information and celebration without pretending those things are separate. (GCN)
Plan ahead for the Dublin festival
If you’re thinking of attending, check the event details before setting out: some gatherings are free, while others are ticketed, and the festival listing says tickets for the film event will be available soon. The live podcast is also ticketed, with proceeds supporting GCN. For the busiest nights, it’s sensible to confirm venue access and ticket availability directly with the organisers. (GCN)
The festival is supported by organisations including Man2Man, Gay Health Network, ACET Ireland and The Studio by Mar Dias, alongside the LGBTQI+ Community Services Fund 2026. Together, the varied events offer several ways to take part, whether you’re drawn to a memorial gathering, a film screening or a late-night dance floor. (GCN)
Closing Line
From a moment of remembrance to a night on the dance floor, Dublin’s festival makes space for the whole community.
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