Summer is well and truly over, festival season is finished, the kids are back to school and the grand stretch is ebbing away before our very eyes. At least there’s a jam-packed season of culture ahead to keep us entertained.
Here’s the best of what’s happening in Ireland this autumn…
Matilda the Musical – Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin | September 15th to October 18th
15 years after its West End debut, the musical of Roald Dahl’s timeless yarn about a young girl with telekinetic abilities – complete with stellar songs by Tim Minchin – is still phenomenal.
Sounds from a Safe Harbour: Sirens on tour – Sept 24th – 27th (Irish dates)
The inimitable Lisa Hannigan will host a series of female-centric gigs under the banner of Cork’s SFSH festival this autumn, with three of them on Irish shores (Inis Óirr, the NCH and Cork Opera House).
Louise Kennedy – Stations | September 24th
How do you follow up a phenomenon? Trespasses author Louise Kennedy does her damndest with Stations, a novel set between 1980s Ireland and London, and the unexpected twists that life takes for main characters Róisín and Red.
Louise Kennedy returns with Stations
Up Close with Oprah Winfrey – 3Arena, Dublin | September 14th
For one night only, one of the most iconoclastic broadcasters of the 20th century comes to Dublin for an ‘intimate’ conversation – well, as intimate as you can get in the 3Arena.
Gilla Band – Pugnello | September 25th
One of the most compelling Irish bands of their generation are back with album number four; another unpredictable rollercoaster of noise-rock and experimental sounds, with references to Power Rangers thrown in for good measure.
Eric Cantona: The King | Cork Opera House, Sept 24th
The King is back. One of the most iconic footballers of the 20th century (since turned actor and crooner) will “share the magical moments, unforgettable memories and stories about his incredible career” in a live interview.
Ye Vagabonds meet the NSOI at the NCH (Pic: Rich Gilligan)
Ye Vagabonds with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland – National Concert Hall | September 25th
They’re Paul Mescal’s favourite band and they’ve become one of the most revered Irish folk acts of the last decade; Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn’s songs ought to sound very special indeed with the backing of an orchestra.
Gurriers – Nobody’s Coming to Save You | September 25th
Gilla Band aren’t the only vital Irish act releasing an album on September 25th; very exciting Dublin post-punk band Gurriers release their second album after a huge couple of years on the live touring circuit.
Animals – Abbey Theatre, Dublin – Sept 23 | Nov 7th
Blindboy Boatclub’s short fiction has been adapted for the stage by theatremaker Dan Colley in this world premiere production that features John Doran, Pat Shortt and Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle amongst its cast. Except something “riotous and kaleidoscopic” with a healthy dose of surrealism.
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Louise O’Neill – A Bigger Life | September 24th
The memoir of the Cork-born author of Only Ever Yours and Asking For It was inspired by the rebuilding of her life following the end of her long-term relationship at 38. O’Neill’s work is always worth reading.
Fontaines DC – Dopamine Chamber | October 16th
The biggest Irish band of their generation follow up the phenomenal Romance with their fifth album. Expect a move away from guitars into something altogether more experimental and synthetic.
The Lost Children of Tuam | September 25th
Directed by Frank Berry (Michael Inside, Aisha), this dramatised account of the story of Catherine Corless, the local historian who uncovered the horrifying truth behind Tuam’s Mother & Baby Home won Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Baboró 2026 – Galway | October 9th – 18th
Ireland’s flagship arts festival for children, families and schools celebrates its 30th year with a jam-packed programme of theatre, dance, music, literature and more across ten days.
Muldoon’s Picnic – National Concert Hall, Dublin | October 6th
Paul Muldoon has been hosting his cultural Picnics for over a decade in New York, but now the acclaimed Irish poet brings the collision of “poetry, prose and music” to Dublin for one night only with guests Iarla Ó Lionáird, Paul Brady, Neil Jordan and writer Anne Enright.
Digger | October 2nd
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Tom Cruise in a non-blockbuster role, but in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s new dark comedy he plays Digger Rockwell: an eccentric oil tycoon desperate to convince the world of his merits after causing a major environmental disaster.
Jazzy’s debut album is finally here
Jazzy – Peace & Patience | October 23rd
She is already an international name thanks to hits like Giving Me and collaborations with artists like Calvin Harris, Sonny Fodera and Chris Lorenzo; now Dublin’s house-dance-pop star Jazzy is set to go stratospheric with her debut album.
Kin | RTÉ, autumn tbc
It’s only taken three years, but the third season of this superb Irish crime drama finally returns this autumn. Amanda is now the de facto leader of the family, while their rivalry with the Turkish Batuk family continues…
James McClean – The Walls | October 22nd
Much has been said and written about James McClean over the years. Now, the Irish footballer will get to tell his story in his own words – which will discuss his upbringing in Derry, his club and international career, his stance on wearing the poppy, his family life and his ASD diagnosis.
James McClean tells his story
The Social Reckoning | October 9th
Kendall Roy in an Aaron Sorkin movie? We’re in. Jeremy Strong (who plays Mark Zuckerberg) is just one of the selling points of this follow-up of sorts to The Social Network, examining the more nefarious impact of social media on society in the wake of the 2021 Facebook leak.
Christy Moore – Vicar Street | November
Any opportunity to see this 81-year-old living legend in an intimate setting should be grabbed with both hands. Alongside the hits, Christy will play songs from his most recent album A Terrible Beauty on five nights throughout November.
Kevin & PJ: Obsessed | RTE, December
The loveably roguish I’m Grand Mam hosts take to our screens this autumn to meet people and communities with unusual obsessions or hobbies, filtered via their own wry perspectives.
Kevin & PJ make the leap to TV
Other Mommy | November 6th
Spooky season is upon us – and this film, shot in Dublin last summer, certainly fits the bill. Directed by Rob Savage (Host, Dashcam) and based on a book by Josh Malerman (Bird Box), Jessica Chastain plays a mother desperate to protect her child from a supernatural entity that looks just like her.
The Undertones 50th Anniversary Tour | November/December
U2 aren’t the only Irish band celebrating a significant birthday this year: Derry’s finest are also marking their half-century with a nationwide tour throughout November and December. After 50 years, they’re still an incendiary prospect live, and their back catalogue speaks for itself.
Haunted Dancehall – National Concert Hall | October 24th & 25th
This year’s line-up of the offbeat late-night music festival programmed by Foggy Notions includes alt-R&B star Kelela, a live score of Nosferatu by Circuit des Yeux and electronic musicians Voice Actor and Proc Fiskal.
Tall Tales & Murder | RTÉ One, autumn tbc
Created by Stuart Carolan (Love/Hate) and based on the decidedly-different ‘Dublin Trilogy’ series of novels by Caimh McDonnell, Aidan Gillen stars alongside Philippa Dunne in this “dark-comedy crime drama” that’s part-gangster caper, part-treasure hunt – albeit with a distinctly Irish streak.
Wild Horse Nine | November 6th
Martin McDonagh’s follow-up to The Banshees of Inisherin (no pressure) stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents who have been dispatched to the remote Easter Island shortly before the Chilean coup of 1973. Needless to say, their mission soon goes awry and their past comes back to haunt them in a variety of ways.
Shamtown: The Saw Doctors Musical – The Mick Lally Theatre, Galway | November 15th – 29th
They’ve been one of the most enduring forces in Irish music for four decades, so it’s only right that The Saw Doctors’ story is told in musical form. Shamtown, written by their longtime manager Ollie Jennings and featuring some of their biggest hits, debuts in Galway in November.
Joanne McNally makes history at the 3Arena
I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning | December 4th
Written by Enda Walsh (adapted from Keiran Goddard’s book of the same name), Anthony Boyle, Daryl McCormack and Lola Petticrew co-star in this story about five childhood friends in a working-class housing estate Birmingham as they grapple with their realities.
Joanne McNally – 3Arena | December 4th and 5th
The brilliant Joanne McNally’s extraordinary ascent continues (and is set to have an injection of rocket fuel with her forthcoming Celebrity Traitors appearance). The Dubliner will make history as the first female comic to headline the 3Arena in December with her show Pinotphile.
Dune: Part Three | December 18th
The third installment in Denis Villeneuve’s epic trilogy is set almost twenty years after the previous film. The plucky Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has taken control of the Imperium and is now a ruthless leader – but his victory has come at a cost, as he faces rebellion and conspiracy. It’s set to be a darker, more psychological affair than its predecessors, but worth seeing on a big screen? You bet.