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

Custom of the Coast, exploring the life of Savita Halappanavar (Pic: Pic: Irish Times)

Opera based on the life of Savita Halappanavar for Kilkenny Fest

Kilkenny Arts Festival has announced the premiere of a new opera, Custom of the Coast, exploring the lives of Savita Halappanavar and Anne Bonny.

Opera • 26 Mar

Architects of Air return to this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival

Culture 5 - your cultural highlights for the next seven days

Hear the Culture 5 every Friday on Aedín in the Afternoon on RTÉ lyric fm, from 1pm

Culture 5 • 04 Aug 23

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

Tonic in Kilkenny - inside Rough Magic's new comedy musical

RTÉ Arena • 06 Aug 21

Composer Brian Irvine: 'Real skateboards just didn't exist in Ireland then, so we nailed our roller skates to planks and off we went...'

Get your skates on - Dumbworld comes to Kilkenny Arts Festival

visual arts • 04 Aug 21

Giselle Allen as Elektra in Irish National Opera's new production for Kilkenny Arts Festival (Pic: Ruth Medjber)

Kilkenny Arts Festival comes alive

Festivals • 30 Jul 21

Stanley Townsend in Solar Bones - watch the acclaimed play

For 24 hours only, watch the acclaimed Kilkenny Arts Festival and Rough Magic production of Solar Bones starring Stanley Townsend...

Kilkenny Arts Festival • 06 Nov 20

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

For folk's sake: Richard Thompson talks to RTÉ Arena

Folk-rock legend Richard Thompson, who will be appearing at the upcoming Kilkenny Arts Festival as part of his Irish tour, spoke to Sean Rocks on RTÉ Arena - listen to their interview.

RTÉ Radio 1 • 30 Jul 19

Clare Barrett stars in Rough Magic's new production of Much Ado About Nothing (Pics: Ste Murray)

Rough Magic's Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare goes country

Director Ronan Phelan tells Culture why Rough Magic's new production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, is set in a deluxe mobile home on the Irish coast and how women hold the power in this production, which premieres in Kilkenny this August.

Theatre • 05 Nov 19

Irish summer arts festivals 2018 - your one-stop guide

With summer stretching out tantalisingly in front of us, it's not just music fans who'll have calendars with dates circled in red over the course of the next few months.

Festivals • 19 May 18

Poet Paula Meehan's postcard from the Kilkenny Arts Festival

Paula Meehan is the Poet in Residence at this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival, which runs until this Sunday, August 20th. Here, she sends RTÉ Culture a vivid snapshot from the festival front lines.

Books • 17 Aug 17

Painter Mick O'Dea pictured with subjects at the Kilkenny Arts Festival in 2016 - his Open Studio returns this year.

Mick O'Dea's Open Studio returns to the Kilkenny Arts Festival

In 2015, the portrait painter and Royal Hibernian Academy president Mick O'Dea signed up for the job of Artist-In-Residence at the Kilkenny Arts Festival.

visual arts • 16 Aug 17

Mr Handel's adventures in Ireland - the man behind Messiah

Kilkenny Arts Festival preview: Acclaimed Irish bassoonist, harpsichordist and conductor Peter Whelan will lead Ensemble Marsyas in a series of three concerts that tells the remarkable story of Handel's stay in Ireland

Music • 10 Aug 17

Stephen Rea - coming to this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival

Stephen Rea to go Wilde at Kilkenny Arts Festival

A new version of Oscar Wilde's epic poem De Profundis, to be performed by actor Stephen Rea, is among the highlights at this year's Kilkenny Arts Festival, which runs from 11-20 August.

Culture • 21 Mar 17

Kilkenny Arts Festival