It’s time to dive in and explore all Kilkenny Arts Festival has to offer!

Festival Time is like no other. The city explodes with energy and we come together to celebrate and offer that famous Kilkenny hospitality to artists and visitors from all over the world.

Kilkenny Arts Festival is now in to its second half-century, and there’s tonnes to do over the next 10 days - with world and Irish premieres, drama-made-operatic, gigs galore, theatre, visual art, a very special photographic exhibition, classical music with twists imbedded all over, installations, and lots for families to enjoy together.

Ireland’s much admired national opera company, INO, return to Kilkenny with the European premieres of Emma O’Halloran’s double bill operas – Trade / Mary Motorhead - these two operas are based on plays by the award-winning writer Mark O’Halloran.

Martin ‘Beanz’ Warde brings his very moving play, The Dead House to Cleere’s Theatre for three performances, and our great partners Rough Magic will be in situ working on Peter Hanly’s new play, What Are you Afraid Of?’ which will be premiered in 2025 – a sneak peek to whet the appetite!

Tom Creed directs a new staged project from Niall Vallely, 78 Revolutions, at the Watergate – with video installation, dance, live and electronic music – a true festival show.

The opening weekend also sees the Irish premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Drone Mass in the very special setting of St Canice’s Cathedral – a real coup for Kilkenny to hear this incredible work live for the first time. Fintan O’Toole delivers the Annual Hubert Butler Lecture; and Butler Gallery hosts a brand new exhibition from Liane Lang – Deep Time Dip – which will provoke many questions about our changing landscapes.

Not to be missed are a photographic exhibition of work from the much-missed Kilkenny photographer, Ross Costigan – on screens around Kilkenny, at the Gallery at the Watergate Theatre, and a few surprise locations around the city.
A trip out to Jerpoint Glass Studio is a must, to see a very intimate and personal exhibition of sketches and notes from the studio of Helen Comerford.

Light and magic

Before Kilkenny Castle explodes with light and magic later in the festival with ‘Light Up the Castle’ – prepare to see the world anew, with two afternoons on the first weekend with the Swiss outfit, Panoramic Kino – a joyful, and sometimes hilarious experience for families and park visitors – all free!

At St John’s Priory, the Carducci String Quartet open the chamber music series, and include one of our featured composers, Philip Glass – a composer who transcends ‘classical’ music and featured later in the week by the brilliant Crash Ensemble, Lavinia Meijer and Máire Carroll in solo recitals and Norwegian violin sensation, Mari Samuelsen. The Carduccis also perform a special once-off performance of Steve Reich’s incredible Different Trains at the Set Theatre promises to be a highlight of the festival.

Pianists are given pride of place for the middle of the festival where Finghin Collins, Máire Carroll, Pavel Kaleshnikov and Samson Tsoy will brings us everything from Bach to Stravinsky!

I’m especially excited about the Ros Tapestry Suite – a unique survey of short works from Irish composers, all reflecting one of the tapestries currently in exhibition at Kilkenny Castle. They have never all been performed together as a suite of works. KAF Orchestra in residence, Irish Chamber Orchestra perform a programme of Mozart and Vaughan Williams along with an Irish premiere of Errollyn Wallen.

Local legendary musicians Malcolm Proud and Laoise O’Brien close out the chamber series with a gorgeous programme of baroque and early gems at the Priory and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra will broadcast live on Lyric fm from St Canice’s Cathedral on the last night of the festival with soloist Mari Samuelsen - including the mesmerising Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter.

The Marble City Sessions is bookended by Aoife Ní Bhriain and Liam Byrne at the Parade Tower and Martin Hayes hosting the much-loved MCS Finale concert near the end of the festival. In between, our own brilliant Mick McAuley and John Doyle and the trio of Niall Vallely, Liz Knowles and Niwel Tsumbu at the Set, Cleek Schrey’s Appalachian Trio at Cleere’s, and a very special gathering at St Canice’s Cathedral on Tuesday, August 13 where concertina-maestro Cormac Begley will be joined by a stellar string line-up of Aoife, Liz, Cleek, Liam and KAF legend/cellist, Kate Ellis.

Folk and roots influenced singer/songwriters are featured heavily - This is the Kit, Richard Dawson, Lisa O’Neill, Bassekou Kouyate, Mick Flannery, are all in town, along with the brilliant Rollercoaster Sessions.

Barnstorm Theatre presents a brilliant series for younger audiences, including work from Brú Theatre and Branar Theatre’s brilliant work based on Joyce’s Ulysses.

Poets Martina Evans and Paul Muldoon arrive for the closing weekend to read from, and talk about their new works, and along with ‘Light up the Castle’, there are two very special installations from Elaine McCague (Loosysmokes) and Musici Ireland’s very moving piece A Mother’s Voice.

There’s a packed programme. Dive in, explore it, enjoy it and take a leap!