The Cooler

The Cooler is a landmark collaboration between Improvised Music Company and multi-disciplinary arts venue The Complex.

A former Fyffes banana-ripening unit in The Complex building, amidst the fruit and vegetable market area of Dublin’s North inner city, The Cooler has been redeveloped as a new home for jazz and improvised music in the heart of Dublin 7.

Open since January as a community-driven creative space for rehearsal, development and professional workshops, The Cooler launched as an intimate, small-capacity, club-style performance space in July 2023.

Check out our Events Page for all details on upcoming performances and other events at The Cooler

For artists, check out Create at The Cooler to find out more about using the rehearsal/development space

Create at The Cooler is an artist support programme at The Cooler which provides a dedicated space for jazz/creative improvising artists to develop collaborative work, without the financial burden of renting their own premises.

Weekly Jazz at The Cooler

Thursdays, doors 7:30pm, music 8pm

October 2025 at The Cooler

October 30th - No event

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November 2025 at The Cooler

November 13th - No event

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December 2025 at The Cooler

December 4th - No event

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Where we are

The Cooler is located upstairs at The Complex Arts Centre, 12 Mary's Abbey Dublin 7. The entrance to The Cooler is through the same door as The Depot at The Complex, on the Mary's Abbey side of the building, where the LUAS tracks run. The building has a red wall on the left hand side of a front plaza that has a sign reading 'The Complex', and a blue wall facing the front plaza that has a sign reading 'The Complex - Art Lives Here'.

The plaza in front of The Complex is used by the surrounding businesses and during the day is often full of fruits, vegetables or delivery vehicles. You can still access The Cooler at these times.

Above the blue door, you'll see a painted sign for The Depot. The Cooler is marked by a small sign between the main glass doors (sometimes covered by blue shutters) and a blue artist's door. The glass doors will be open for performances from door times (usually 7:30pm).

The Cooler cannot be accessed from the Arran St East side of The Complex - this is the entry for the Gallery and artist studios only. If you have any trouble locating the Cooler please give Caitriona a call on 087 783 3391.

To find the Cooler Google Maps, search for The Cooler or The Depot at The Complex (the main performance space downstairs at The Complex). If you find the address for just The Complex, it will generally will bring you to the gallery on Arran St East.

Public Transport & Parking

The red line of the LUAS runs very close to The Cooler, taking the stop at Jervis St (if travelling towards Saggart/Tallaght) or at Four Courts (if travelling towards Connolly/The Point). Many different bus lines run to Ormond Quay, Inns Quay, or Church Street, which are all a couple of streets away from The Cooler.

During the day, a small gated Dublin City Council car park can be accessed on Marys' Lane around the corner, at standard rates, but closes at 9pm. Jervis Shopping Centre Car Park is also close by, with varying opening hours, often closing at 9pm. Some street parking is available nearby, often free after 7pm - days and rates vary, please check signs.

The Cooler Bar

The Cooler bar is upstairs, just outside the main performance space. You will go through the bar to reach the performance space. For performances, The Cooler bar is open at door time (usually 30 minutes before the start of the performance), and during intervals. To make finding a seat and getting your drink a comfortable experience, please ensure you have enough time before the music starts!

Minors at The Cooler

Children under the age of 18 are welcome to attend events at The Cooler but must be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian. The Cooler is a music venue with relatively loud amplified music, which may be overwhelming for some children.

Alcohol is served in The Cooler bar under a Publican's Ordinary Licence (Theatre), and may be consumed by adults in the venue space. Under the terms of the Intoxicating Liquor Act (2003), children under the age of 15 are permitted to be in The Cooler bar area with the supervision of a parent/guardian between 10:30am (12:30pm Sundays) and 9pm. Children between the age of 15-18 may be in the bar area between 10:30am (12:30pm Sundays) until 9pm without parent/guardian supervision. Outside of those hours, children are permitted to pass through the bar area to access The Cooler, but are not otherwise permitted in the bar.

Access notes

The performance space is upstairs and may be difficult to access for patrons with mobility issues. Unfortunately, due to the age of the building, there is no lift available. Access to The Cooler is through the foyer of The Complex at 12 Mary's Abbey. From here, there is a corridor with 7 steps at the end, up to the main ground floor level of The Complex. From the ground floor, there is a first flight of 12 steps, a turning landing, and a second flight of 8 steps up to The Cooler door. The toilets are a further 4 steps up from the level of The Cooler. All steps in The Complex have secure bannisters on both sides of the stairs.

If you require additional time to negotiate stairs, please let us know and we'll do our best to arrange early access. Images of access to The Cooler are available here for reference. You can also find a video of the access route here.

The plaza outside The Complex is used by the surrounding businesses and has some uneven surfaces, care is advised. If it's helpful for a member of our staff to guide you from the footpath to the foyer, please let us know.

The Cooler is fully seated. If you need to reserve a seat in a particular part of the room for access reasons, e.g. close to the door, further from speakers etc, please email us and we'll do our best to help you.

Gender-neutral toilet facilities are available outside the door and up a few steps up from the level of The Cooler. Baby-changing facilities are available at The Gallery, downstairs at The Complex (near the Arran St entrance). Please ask any of our team for directions.

Guide dogs and service animals are welcome, please notify us if you will be attending with a guide dog.

For those with sensory needs, we can sometimes offer seats in the bar area of The Cooler, outside the main venue space. This space is suitable for those who need to move around or engage in other activities during the concert, without disrupting other audience members. The music will not be quite as audible outside in the bar as inside the main space, and the bar can be colder in cool weather, however if this meets your needs better, please contact us at admin @ improvised music . ie and we'll do our best to make this available for you.

If you have any other queries regarding accessibility or require any accommodations for seating etc, please contact us at admin @ improvisedmusic . ie and we will do our best to assist you.