THERE IS an eclectic mix of events on this weekend, from music and food fairs to gay parades and faith festivals. Neil Diamond returns to vaguely familiar surroundings this evening for his show at the Aviva Stadium
.Diamond played the old Lansdowne Road stadium three times in the last decade. He visited the new Aviva Stadium three weeks ago in advance of the concert to do a reconnaissance.
Tonight's concert, which features support from Mary Byrne, has created a stir online because of the radio adverts. So ubiquitous have they been they were trending on Twitter all week, with one tweet suggesting remote tribes in the Amazon know Diamond is playing the Aviva tonight. Tickets are still available for the concert, which has an all-seater capacity of 40,000. One fan who will definitely be there is Ambrose O'Shea, who has seen Diamond on each of the 24 dates he has played in Ireland.
Whatever your sexual orientation, organisers of today's Dublin Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender pride parade are encouraging people to come along and "celebrate diversity".
The event saw up to 125,000 people march or watch last year. Featuring a rainbow of colourful characters and creative floats, it will begin at the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm, passing down O'Connell Street, D'Olier Street and Dame Street.
There will be a post-parade party at Wood Quay at 3.30pm where Crystal Swing and Niamh Kavanagh will perform and Senator David Norris will speak.
Meanwhile, Catholic youth workers in Knock are expecting an inpouring of fellow religious souls for the four-day Oxegen-style camping festival at the Marian shrine. The event overlaps with an All-Ireland Catholic congress at the shrine to mark the countdown to next year's 50th International Eucharistic Congress.
Theological talks with leading Catholic thinkers, prayer workshops, candlelit processions and healing ceremonies will fill the bill, say the organisers.
Cork's annual Tastefest fair continues for another two days in the city's Fitzgerald Park.
Top chefs, restaurants and food and wine specialists from all over the county will bring together the very best in food and wine. The event takes place from noon to 4pm today and tomorrow.
The west Cork seven-day chamber music festival also begins in Bantry this weekend. Topping the bill tonight is the main evening concert at Bantry House featuring pieces from composer-in-residence Brett Dean and the Auryn Quartet.
Tomorrow morning, pianist and flautist Evelyn Grant will be in conversation with Brett Dean at Zimmermann's Coffeehouse. In the afternoon, violinist Tai Murray and pianist Gilles Vonsattel will play music from Stravinsky, Ravel and Bartók at St Brendan's Church.