SLAMOVISION 2025

All eyes are on Dublin City of Literature as SLAMOVISION, the international slam poetry competition for UNESCO cities of literature across the world, takes place this week on Thursday 6 November from 7pm to 9pm GMT at Windmill Town Hall, Windmill Lane, in the heart of the city. 

Celebrating 15 years as a UNESCO city of literature, Dublin is getting ready to host the SLAMOVISION Grand Finale’s 7th year. It will be the biggest slam poetry competition yet featuring 17 poets from Melbourne to Reykjavik and in between. For the first time ever, poets from Kozhikode, India and Odesa, Ukraine will be participating in this eagerly awaited contest. 

While many poets will be performing online, Dublin will welcome poets from Bremen, Manchester, Reykjavik, Odesa, Vilnius, Exeter and Nottingham performing live to an audience of loyal slam poet enthusiasts during this year’s Dublin Book Festival. 

Rousing the audience and hosting this celebration of world slam poetry are Rising Tide, a trio of slam poetry curators who have been central to the local Dublin slam scene for many years. 

UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature use creativity and culture to promote social, economic and cultural development of their cities. Slam poets are known for responding to many of life’s big questions and this year’s participants in SLAMOVISION are no exception. During the evening, we will hear about language and identity, war and retribution, climate change, and artificial intelligence. 

Last year’s winner, Dubliner and bilingual poet, Cormac Mac Gearailt will lead the event and well-known slam champion, Cat Brogan, will represent Dublin with her poem ‘The House Martins’. 

The 17 cities participating in this 7th Grand Finale are Bremen (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Exeter (UK), Gothenburg (Sweden), Heidelberg (Germany), Iowa City (US), Kozhikode (India), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Manchester (UK), Melbourne (Australia), Nottingham (UK), Odesa (Ukraine), Québec City (Canada), Reykjavík (Iceland), Tartu (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), and Wrocław (Poland). 

Many cities are performing in their mother tongue.

Anne-Marie Kelly, Dublin UNESCO City of Literature says: 

“Dubliners are natural poets in their daily use of language, finding the most colourful way to communicate. A new collection of poetry is regularly launched at city bookstores each week while poetry enthusiasts anticipate the opening of Poetry Ireland’s renovated centre on Parnell Square. 

“Our slam poetry scene is thriving across the city and it’s not unusual to see poets in full flow performing to captivated audiences. We are thrilled to host this year’s SLAMOVISION and hope you can tune in for an unforgettable evening on Thursday 6 November.”