Curtain falls on a truly fantastic 51st Kilkenny Arts Festival

Thousands of visitors from all over the world enjoyed the 51st Kilkenny Arts Festival which ran over the last 10 days in venues across the city.

The festival programme once again showed Kilkenny at the forefront of presenting and developing new work with established as well as developing artists. The festival has played host to more than 250 artists, performing in some of the most stunning locations including St Canice’s Cathedral, Rothe House and St John's Priory.

The festival opened on August 8 by An Taoiseach, Simon Harris and ran until Sunday (August 18) with a performance by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Norwegian virtuoso violinist Mari Samuelsen, bringing to a conclusion a sensational 11 days in the Marble City. The city itself has been the backdrop of some extraordinary events including the spectacular Light Up The Castle – a site-specific night time installation showing Kilkenny Castle in a mesmerising new light, while some of the city’s beautiful outdoor spaces have hosted thrilling collaborations between visiting Festival artists in the hugely popular Secret Garden Music Series. Collaborations between visiting artists have also been a mainstay in this year’s Marble City Sessions co-curated by Martin Hayes, with special guest appearances a common feature in many of the concerts.

New work and premieres formed a core part of the Festival programme this year, including:

- European Premiere of Irish National Opera's productions of Emma O’Halloran’s double presentation  operas -   Trade/Mary Motorhead

- Irish Premiere of Jóhann Jóhannsson's Drone Mass with Chamber Choir Ireland and Crash Ensemble

-Light Up The Castle: SIX SIDES SAWN - new work from Jack Phelan commissioned by Kilkenny Arts Festival in association with the OPW

- Irish Chamber Orchestra performed the Irish premiere of their co-commissioned Dances for Orchestra- from multi-award winning composer Errollyn Wallen.

- Caimin Gilmore, Kate Ellis & Lavinia Meijer’s performance of Gilmore's new composition BlackGate and Flinches by Amanda Feery

- Crash Ensemble premiered  short new works from seven young and diverse composers as part of their Postcards series during an Festival Open House at the Shee Almshouse in the middle of the city

- Niall Vallely’s full staging of his new work, 78 Revolutions was presented with a stellar cast of musicians and dancer Sibéal Davit

- Obelisk Strings - a one off, all-star string band featuring Aoife Ní Bhriain, Cleek Shrey, Liz Knowles, Kate Ellis and Liam Byrne performing contemporary folk and new music, including new composition from Cleek Shrey

- Paul Muldoon's libretto for Custom of the Coast which will receive its world premiere at the 2025 Festival

- Rough Magic and Peter Hanly showing of What Are You Afraid Of? at a packed Watergate Theatre in anticipation of a full production at next year's Festival.

- Brú Theatre and Branar Theatre’s presentations of new work for younger audiences as part of Barnstorm Theatre’s Stormfest programme.

Festival Director ,Olga Barry said, ‘it is enriching to be surrounded by such a wellspring of creativity for these 11 days in Kilkenny each August – it has as much to do with the mission all year round – to embrace and encourage ideas and experiments, to take that leap with artists. Work is often dreamt up around the edges of the Festival, and is nurtured into being in the following years. We’re thrilled that our fantastic audiences took that leap with us once again, and joined us for some truly mesmeric moments in the Marble City’.

Kilkenny Arts Festival is grateful for the continued support from funders, particularly its principal funder, the Arts Council; Kilkenny County Council and Fáilte Ireland. 

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