RTÉ is proud to support an exciting month of arts and cultural events taking place across Ireland and beyond.
RTÉ Supporting the Arts is committed to supporting artists, audiences and cultural organisations across the country, helping to bring the arts to wider communities.
This month offers a rich array of literary celebration and discovery. Galway hosts the internationally acclaimed Cúirt International Festival of Literature, and Poetry Day Ireland invites readers and writers nationwide to engage with the spoken and written word. The prestigious Dublin Literary Award 2026 will announce its much-anticipated shortlist, while the Irish Writers Centre opens submissions globally for its International Debut Novel Competition, with the final event taking place in Dublin.
Music lovers are well catered for with an outstanding range of performances and festivals. Dublin also welcomes the Wigmore Series Dublin presented by the Royal Irish Academy of Music, while New Music Dublin continues to champion innovative contemporary composition. Cutting-edge sounds also take centre stage at the Music Current Festival in Dublin. Beyond the capital, choral excellence shines in Cork with the Cork International Choral Festival, and jazz fans can celebrate 20 years of vibrant improvisation at the Ballydehob Jazz Festival 2026. Nationwide, Ball Nights - A Celebration of West Kerry Music tours traditional sounds to audiences across Ireland and Chamber Choir Ireland continues its Spring–Summer 2026 season. Meanwhile, the New Ross Piano Festival – 20th Anniversary Concert marks a landmark celebration in Wexford.
Theatre and performance art continue to push boundaries across the country. The Gate Theatre stages Poor by Katriona O'Sullivan, and the Pavilion Theatre presents The House Must Win, a gripping new work blending drama with social commentary. Continuing nationwide, CISEACH | An Embodied Manifesto brings powerful dance and movement to audiences across Ireland. The Five Lamps Arts Festival also returns to Dublin, igniting the city with theatre, visual arts, music, and community celebration.
Visual art takes centre-stage across several major platforms this month. In Dublin, Photography Museum Ireland presents the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize, showcasing exceptional portrait photography from across the island. The National Gallery of Ireland invites visitors into the imaginative world of William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy. Supporting artists directly, the Incognito Art Sale for Jack and Jill brings together Irish and international creators in a unique online fundraising exhibition.
Events supported by the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme this April:
DUBLIN Wigmore Series Dublin
DUBLIN Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize
NATIONWIDE Ball Nights - A Celebration of West Kerry Music
DUBLIN Poor by Katriona O'Sullivan at The Gate
WEXFORD New Ross Piano Festival - 20th Anniversary Concert
GALWAY Cúirt International Festival of Literature Galway
DUBLIN New Music Dublin
NATIONWIDE Dublin Literary Award 2026 Shortlist
NATIONWIDE Incognito Art Sale for Jack and Jill Ireland
DUBLIN Music Current Festival
DUBLIN The House Must Win at The Pavillion
NATIONWIDE Chamber Choir Ireland Spring-Summer 2026 Season
INTERNATIONAL Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition
DUBLIN William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy at NGI
NATIONWIDE CISEACH | An Embodied Manifesto - National Tour
DUBLIN Five Lamps Arts Festival
LIMERICK Catalyst International Film Festival 2026
NATIONWIDE Poetry Day Ireland
CORK Ballydehob Jazz Festival 2026 - 20th Anniversary Edition
