The 2022 Bloomsday Festival

It’s been three years since our last Bloomsday on Delancey Place  a little Irish weather won’t stop us! The forecast says clear skies are on the way and Bloomsday is being held outdoors as planned.

ReJoyce! Bloomsday returns to Delancey Place on Thursday, June 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Every year, the world celebrates Bloomsday on June 16, the day that James Joyce’s Ulysses is set in 1904. Nowhere celebrates quite like The Rosenbach, home of Joyce’s manuscript. Ulysses was published 100 years ago in 1922, and after two years, the in-person festival returns, just in time for the centennial.

Bloomsday is a day-long public reading with musical performances that bring the epic novel to life. Joyce enthusiasts and novices alike can drop by any time to listen to the reading, relax in the beer garden with local food trucks, and enjoy free admission to The Rosenbach to view portions of the manuscript in our new exhibition, 18 Reasons to Read UlyssesPlease be aware that proof of vaccination and masks are required to enter the museumFind a list of Bloomsday FAQs here.

Register for Bloomsday

Reader & performer schedule

In the event of rain, Bloomsday will be moved to Trinity Memorial Church at 22nd and Spruce StreetsCan’t make it to Delancey Place? The Bloomsday festival will be livestreamed on our Facebook page

 

Special thanks to our generous Bloomsday sponsors

Lenore H. Steiner and Perry A. Lerner

Alix Gerz and George Matysik

New Jersey Celtic Society

Irish American Business Chamber & Network

 

Thanks to our Bloomsday vendors and community partners

A Novel Idea
Irish American Business Chamber and Network
Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center 
The Library Company of Philadelphia 
Elfreth’s Alley Museum
The Kelly Writers House
Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks 
The Science History Institute

 

 


Other upcoming Bloomsday events and exhibitions

18 Reasons to Read Ulysses: A Centennial Celebration

This year marks a century since the publication of Ulysses. The Rosenbach has the only complete manuscript of the novel and will celebrate the centenary with an exhibition that offers a thematic experience of the novel’s 18 episodes. The exhibition challenges the novel’s reputation as a difficult book to read, presenting 18 highlights from the manuscript, each representing a single theme—nationhood, food, literature, music, identity, love, and more. In addition to Joyce’s manuscript and other objects in The Rosenbach’s collection, over 100 paintings by contemporary artist Heather Ryan Kelley inspired by Ulysses will be on view. On view: June 1 – September 18, 2022.

In Conversation with Daniel Mulhall, Ulysses: A Reader’s Odyssey (in-person) on Monday, June 13

We’re opening up the last session of Ambassador Daniel Mulhall’s Ulysses course to everyone for a talk about the last chapter of Joyce’s novel. ‘Molly’ is an appropriate note on which to finish an analysis of Ulysses, for not only does she have the last word in the novel (in Episode 18), but her soliloquy returns to many of the themes that have arisen during her husband’s day of wandering around Dublin.  Throughout the novel, Molly is never far from Bloom’s mind and there are frequent references to her by the novel’s minor characters, but Molly has her say in the end. Register.

Partner Programs

Screening of In Bed With Ulysses at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on June 9

The 1922 publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses stirred controversy and revolutionized literature. Using theatrical readings, archival footage, and visits to the book’s Dublin locations, this playful literary doc explores the saga of Joyce’s modernist masterpiece, from the autobiographical roots to the obscenity trial of its original publishers to its enduring legacy. Get warmed up for Bloomsday and join us to celebrate the novel’s centennial anniversary. This screening will be introduced by Rowan University Lecturer Ted Howell, Ph.D., who will stay with us for a post-screening conversation. Rosenbach members can receive discounted admission! Email [email protected] for more information. Learn more.


Volunteer at Bloomsday

The Rosenbach is seeking volunteers for Bloomsday on Thursday, June 16. You do not need to have read Ulysses to help out! Volunteer responsibilities will include welcoming people and helping with set up and clean up. We are scheduling volunteers between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.. If you are interested in volunteering, you can help out for an hour or five. Any amount of time you can spare will be much appreciated! As a thank you, you will have our profound gratitude, a free Bloomsday t-shirt, and meals and snacks throughout the day. If you are interested in helping us out, please email Emilie Parker at [email protected].

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Photos from our last Bloomsday festival before in the pandemic in 2019.