Temple Bar's flagship festival, Diversions, returns on Saturday, June 14th. As in previous years, it will consist of free events scattered about the public spaces.

During the festival, Meeting House Square will once again host movies each Saturday night, including The Big Lebowski and Some Like It Hot. It will also incorporate the Short Film Award, with a prize of €5,000.

The Sessions (in association with The Ark For Children) will feature a week of traditional music, story-telling and dance. There will also be more of the Family Fun series, which this year includes the clownish noise-specialists 7 En Si as well as contemporary flamenco company Al Badulake. This year will also see a busy six-day dance programme in mid-August, the highlight of which will be "Crutchmaster", featuring Bill Shannon performing on crutches and skateboard. "Dance works well in this environment," says Diversions programme manager Grainne Millar. "Meeting House Square is an unusual venue that challenges artists and compels them to break the boundaries of their art."

An Italian season will bring Diversions to a close with a retrospective of films by Italian director Lina Wertmüller. The closing event will be a jazz homage to Ennio Morricone, featuring Italian jazz pianist Enrico Pieranunzi with Dublin's Ronan and Conor Guilfoyle.

Diversions remains a free programme, although Millar admits thought was given to charging for the first time. The event is reliant on sponsorship and the generosity of major performers willing to drop their fees. It has applied for, but never received, public funding. "This year has been very tight. Stella Artois came in late and it has forced us into thinking about how we're going to approach it in future." For those concerned about the Irish weather, by the way, there are plenty of outdoor heaters provided this year.

Diversions runs from June 14th to August 31st. All events are free, but tickets are required. See www.temple-bar.ie for full programme