This October, RTÉ is delighted to support Wexford Festival Opera, Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Open House Dublin and 36 other arts and cultural events across the country.
Wexford Festival Opera will run from 17th October - 1st November and will explore the theme of myths and legends. It promises 16 days of captivating performances, rare operas and new discoveries. In Galway, Baboró International Arts Festival for Children dedicated to children and their families will take place over ten days, while Open House Dublin, the free festival of architecture will host guided tours and events across the city and county this month.
There will also be plenty more festivals to enjoy such as Imagine Arts Festival in Waterford, Kildare Readers Festival, and the Red Line Book Festival and Bram Stoker Festival, both in Dublin. The Galway Cartoon Festival will also take place, as well as the IndieCork Festival and the ISLA Literary Festival. In addition, the Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival will host events throughout the country.
Theatre lovers will not be disappointed this month either, as the best of Irish and international theatre will be brought to audiences at the Dublin Theatre Festival. In Limerick's historic Theatre Royal, Connie is an immersive theatrical event that reimagines the incredible life of Limerick-born Hollywood actress Constance Smith. Boyfriends and The Land of a Hundred Little Hills will also tour nationwide.
In Dublin, Poor at the Gate Theatre charts Katriona O'Sullivan’s extraordinary journey as she emerges from her childhood marked by poverty, addiction and homelessness to inspire a generation through her writing, teaching and speaking. In the Abbey Theatre, the Ireland New York Project will mark the 100th anniversary of The New Yorker with an evening exploring and celebrating the story of the magazine’s relationship with generations of leading Irish authors.
There are several film festivals taking place this month including Kerry International Film Festival, Clones Film Festival, Disappear Here Film Festival in Donegal and Short Shorts with screenings in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork.
Also not to be missed this month, Harp Ireland will celebrate their annual Lá na Cruite | Harp Day on Saturday 18th October, Chamber Choir Ireland will perform Echoes of the Divine in Dublin and Belfast and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann will present Cairdeas featuring some of Ireland’s best traditional musicians, singers and dancers in different venues. The National String Quartet Foundation Autumn concert season will take place and Fingal Chamber Music will bring audiences its International Perspectives Chamber Music Series. Music for Wexford Autumn Series will also continue its recitals by both Irish and international musicians.
Finally, there are also several exhibitions to enjoy including Picasso: From the Studio in the National Gallery, Scribendi: Irish Writers 1985-2025 in Photo Museum Ireland, the reopening of the Shackleton Experience in Athy, and Headway, brain injury services and support, will host Connections, a unique art exhibition in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre featuring over 100 artists, each with an acquired brain injury.
For more information about the events RTÉ are supporting this month, see below:
WEXFORD Wexford Festival Opera
WEXFORD Music for Wexford Summer/Autumn Series
WATERFORD Imagine Arts Festival
DUBLIN Picasso: From the Studio
DUBLIN Dublin Theatre Festival
NATIONWIDE Boyfriends by Oisin Pringle on tour
GALWAY Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
LIMERICK Connie
DUBLIN Bram Stoker Festival
NATIONWIDE The Land of a Hundred Little Hills on tour
NATIONWIDE Short Shorts
KILDARE Kildare Readers Festival
CORK IndieCork Festival
KERRY Kerry International Film Festival
DUBLIN Poor at the Gate Theatre
DUBLIN Open House Dublin
DUBLIN Scribendi: Irish Writers 1985-2025
NATIONWIDE Cairdeas
MONAGHAN Clones Film Festival
DUBLIN A Century of The New Yorker's Irish Writers
DUBLIN Fingal Chamber Music: International Perpectives Chamber Music Series
NATIONWIDE National String Quartet Foundation Autumn Concert Season
DUBLIN ISLA Festival
GALWAY Galway Cartoon Festival
DUBLIN Red Line Book Festival
KILDARE Shackleton Experience Athy
DONEGAL Disappear Here Film Festival
NATIONWIDE Irish Arts and Human Rights Festival
DUBLIN Connections
BELFAST Echoes of the Divine
INTERNATIONAL Lá na Cruite | Harp Day
DUBLIN IMMA Collection: Art as Agency
LIMERICK 41st EVA International
LIMERICK From 'Dickie to Richard’ – Richard Harris: Role of a Lifetime
DUBLIN Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe
DUBLIN Changing Ireland @ Collins Barracks
DUBLIN Dead Zoo at Large @ Collins Barracks
DUBLIN Irish National Opera
DUBLIN Abbey Theatre
Every year, RTÉ supports 170 arts and cultural events all over Ireland through the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme. Spanning film, music, dance, opera, festivals, literature, theatre and exhibitions, and with dedicated promotion on RTÉ's television, radio and digital services, and extensive support across RTÉ's social channels, the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme is a lifeline to Ireland's creative and cultural sectors.
To find out more information about RTÉ Supporting the Arts and to apply go here
