Culture | Books, Music, Theatre, Film & The Arts

Marble-ous! Kilkenny Arts Festival announces 2025 programme

Kilkenny Arts Festival Director Olga Barry introduces this year's KAF programme, which brings arts happenings of every imaginable shape and size to the Marble City from August 7th - 17th.

Festivals • 18 Jun

Mari Samuelsen will close this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival in style
(Pic: Jonathan Vivaas Kise)

Marble City magic - inside this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival

Fresh from an illuminating chat with RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor (listen below), Kilkenny Arts Festival Director Olga Barry introduces this year's bumper festival programme...

Festivals • 31 Jul 24

Up the cats! Vincent Woods, Laura Roberts of Cuibhreann Cattery and Rudy

County Measure explores Kilkenny's kinetic culture and identity

Join writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods this May Bank Holiday Monday, as The County Measure uncovers the vibrant arts, history, heritage, sport, and diverse communities of Co. Kilkenny.

The County Measure • 07 May 24

A kind of magic - Kilkenny Arts Festival turns 50

Festival Producer Marjie Kaley celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, as the epic arts shindig descends upon the Mable county this August...

Festivals • 02 Aug 23

Cartoon Saloon's latest animated feature My Father's Dragon

Kilkenny Animated festival returns with cartoons and comics

Animation • 16 Sep 22

Eleanor Methven in The Tempest, from Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival

Kilkenny Arts Festival uncovered - Marble City magic in August

Festivals • 26 Jul 22

In The Picture: New Irish Painting at the Butler Gallery

visual arts • 16 May 22

The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny, originally the Savoy

100 Buildings: a palace of dreams in Kilkenny

Architecture • 04 Dec 21

In The Picture: The Still Lifes of Blaise Smith at Butler Gallery

visual arts • 14 Oct 21

Watch: Wolfwalkers at Butler Gallery

Anna O'Sullivan, Director of Kilkenny's Butler Gallery, writes for Culture about the South East's newest art museum and heritage site, currently playing home to an exhibition celebrating Cartoon Saloon's latest animated feature, WolfWalkers...

RTE Supporting The Arts • 08 Jan 21

Wolfwalkers - inside Cartoon Saloon's latest movie

Tomm Moore and Ross Stuart of Kilkenny's Cartoon Saloon are the directors of the new animated film WolfWalkers - they talk to RTÉ Arena.

RTÉ Arena • 08 Oct 20

Anna O'Sullivan, Butler Gallery Director and photographer Amelia Stein. Picture: Dylan Vaughan

In The Picture: Kilkenny's new art gallery

Butler Gallery, previously located at Kilkenny Castle, has moved to Evans' Home, on John's Quay, in the centre of Kilkenny City.

visual arts • 17 Aug 20

Gun crazy - the cast of Devious Theatre's The Roaring Banshees

Roaring Banshees - Irish rebels take on the Chicago underworld

Peter McGann & John Morton from Kilkenny company Devious Theatre write for Culture about their latest historical epic, 'blood-soaked rise-and-fall gangster yarn' The Roaring Banshees, which opens at Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre on August 12th.

Theatre • 08 Aug 19

Rough Magic's Cleft - coming to Kilkenny 2019

Why the Kilkenny Arts Festival matters

As its 46th edition kicks off on August 8th, Olga Barry, Festival Director of Kilkenny Arts Festival, writes for Culture about an event that celebrates 'darkness and light, in some cases literally, but more truly in the emotional sense'.

Festivals • 30 Jul 19

Kilkenny