More than 160,000 people are expected in Dún Laoghaire over the weekend for the fifth annual Festival of World Cultures, which includes some 160 acts from 50 countries around the globe.
As Ireland has become more culturally diverse in recent years, the popularity of the festival has risen accordingly. In the last five years the number of spectators has grown to seven times the original figure and now more than 40 venues are used for an event that is largely free to the public.
"The diverse programme is packed full of music, theatre, dance, club nights, markets, exhibitions, workshops and activities for children," said spokesman Nik Quaife.
The three-day festival opens tonight with the world premiere of the English-language version of Intrigues in the Qing Imperial Court, an opera performed by the Chinese Theatre Circle at the Pavilion Theatre.
Other highlights of the weekend programme include a Turkish Sufi musician, Senegalese hip-hop artists and a themed Bollywood night with the queen of Indian pop, Usha Uthup.
There will also be plenty of homegrown talent, including sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, Declan O'Rourke and Kíla, who will perform with Japanese-Ainu musician Oki.
Organisers say 70 per cent of the events are free, with the open-air Newtownsmith stage in the park being the main location for bigger acts such as Ojos de Brujo of Barcelona, Fun "Da" Mental and the Mighty Zulu Nation.
The weekend has been described as "Ireland's most family-friendly festival" and there is plenty to do away from the main stage, such as Islamic paper making, henna tattooing and African drumming.
Iarnród Éireann has suspended its upgrading works on the Dart line for the weekend and will operate a normal service to cater for the thousands of people expected to attend the festival.