The Ivor Novello Award-winning and GRAMMY® Award-nominated legend comes to the Set
Music
Based on an old Russian fable, The Soldier’s Tale tells the story of a soldier who trades his fiddle to the devil in return for untold wealth.
Classical Music
Spoken Word
Ciarán Hinds, Fews Ensemble, Emily Ayers
The Soldier’s Tale
'If this giant visits your city,’ wrote the eminent Australian pianist Roger Woodward, ‘drop everything you are doing and go and see him.'
Classical Music
Alexander Gavryluk (piano) Ukraine/Australia
This unique programme is a wonderful chance to hear the ‘best contralto in the world’ (BR Klassik) singing Bach’s timeless cantatas as you’ve never heard them before.
Classical Music
Nathalie Stutzmann (conductor, contralto), Leon Kosavic (bass)
Phoenix 55, Nathalie Stutzmann France / Croatia
The celebrated international conductor and violinist joins the Irish Chamber Orchestra for this magnificent programme featuring great works by Britten and Beethoven.
Classical Music
Thomas Zehetmair (conductor, violin), Ruth Killius (viola)
Irish Chamber Orchestra-Zehetmair
The Irish Chamber Orchestra kicks the Chamber Music in the Afternoon series with this delightful programme featuring Elgar, Britten and Fennessy.
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Directed by Katherine Hunka (leader)
Irish Chamber Orchestra-Elgar, Britten
We’re delighted to welcome the exciting young chamber music ensemble Musici Ireland to the Festival for this pair of concerts in the Black Abbey.
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Roisin O'Grady (soprano), Sharon Carty (mezzo), Eamonn Mulhall (tenor), Helena Wood, Siun Milne, Beth McNinch, Bill Butt
Musici Ireland - Pärt
Two of Ireland’s most exciting young talents join forces in this mouthwatering programme spanning a century of music.
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Debussy, Ysaÿe, Franck
Patrick Rafter (violin), Michael McHale (piano) Ireland
One of Ireland’s leading classical pianists, celebrated for her monumental multi-concert performances of great piano cycles, explores the work of the Romantic composer and pianist, Clara Schumann.
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Clara Schumann
Fionnuala Moynihan (piano) Ireland
These concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear ‘the world’s leading period-instrument quartet’ performing at the height of its powers.
Quatuor Mosaïques
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Chamber Music in the Afternoon
Quatuor Mosaïques I
These concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear ‘the world’s leading period-instrument quartet’ performing at the height of its powers.
Quatuor Mosaïques
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Chamber Music in the Afternoon
Quatuor Mosaïques II
These concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear ‘the world’s leading period-instrument quartet’ performing at the height of its powers.
Quatuor Mosaïques
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Chamber Music in the Afternoon
Quatuor Mosaïques III
A stellar line-up of international and Irish artists to perform works by a thrillingly wide range of composers including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Buckley, Britten, Elgar, Brahms and Pärt.
Classical Music
Afternoon Concert Series
Harriet MacKenzie , Jane Hackett (violin), Beth McNinch, Andreea Banciu (viola), Bill Butt, Grainne Hope (cello)
Musici Ireland - Brahms
After its sold-out, late-night concerts exploring choral works through the ages, Chamber Choir Ireland returns to the Festival with a radical new approach.
Grete Pedersen (Conductor)
Chamber Choir Ireland
No Kilkenny Arts Festival would be complete without the world-renowned organist, Malcolm Proud.
Classical Music
Bach
Malcolm Proud (organ)
The first of two light shows at this year’s Festival is a multi-sensory spectacular taking place inside St Canice’s Cathedral.
Eat My Noise
fLux Ireland
As night falls, those iconic walls will play host to a spectacular free light show.
Kilkenny Arts Festival in Partnership with the OPW
Light Up The Castle Ireland
This year we’re delighted to welcome back the exuberant duo with a brand new show, Balaklava Blues.
Mark and Marichka Marczyk
Balaklava Blues Ukraine
A collaboration showcasing two of Ireland's finest folk acts.
Double Bill
Sun Collective & I Have A Tribe Ireland
Senegal’s Carlou D's powerful voice and deft guitar playing are wonders to behold, and, backed by a full band featuring acoustic guitars...
Carlou D Senegal
The groundbreaking string quintet performs two of the great albums of the 1990s: Björk’s Homogenic and Radiohead’s Kid A
Homogenic & Kid A
Wooden Elephant International
Famished combines Smyth’s lyrical poems with Bennett’s cinematic score and haunting vocal interventions from Kinsella.
Spoken Word
Cherry Smyth, Ed Bennett, Lauren Kinsella
Famished Ireland
The mighty Crash Ensemble returns to Kilkenny for a series of free pop-up concerts in the atmospheric courtyard of Rothe House.
Song of the Books
Crash Ensemble Ireland
Silva works at the crossroads of movement and sound, forging a style both totally unique and utterly compelling.
Marble City Sessions
With Steve Cooney
Sandy Silva Canada
The Quiet Music Ensemble is renowned for its innovative performances of experimental music, mixing improvisation with live electronics and recorded sounds
Deep Listening Sunday
Quiet Music Ensemble Ireland
The Festival is thrilled to present this exciting double bill featuring two up-and-coming Irish bands.
Rollercoaster Sessions
Sick Love with The Wha Ireland
'If you have yet to discover the melodies and words of David Keenan,’ wrote GoldenPlec, ‘you are in for a rare and wonderful find’.
Rollercoaster Sessions
David Keenan & Band Ireland
Don’t miss this chance to catch a genuinely original talent at the birth of this thrilling new project.
Rollercoaster Sessions
Song of Co-Aklan I & II
Cathal Coughlan Ireland
A musical celebration of the struggle for Civil Rights in Ireland and America
Marble City Sessions
A musical celebration of the struggle for Civil Rights in Ireland and America
Sounds Like Freedom
For this closing concert in the Marble City Sessions, Hayes and Cahill are joined by a line-up of outstanding musicians
Marble City Sessions
Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill
Arborist bring their entrancing brand of Americana to Cleere’s for an evening of low-fi acoustic songs filled with laidback melodies and washed with gorgeous strings.
Rollercoaster Sessions
Support by Patrick M Barrett
Arborist
Fogarty is a kind of anthropologist, a collector of stories and sounds lifted wholesale and tucked into the folds of his songs.
Rollercoaster Sessions
Seamus Fogarty Ireland
This unique event brings together two celebrated pairs of sisters from very different parts of the Irish tradition: Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Louise and Michelle Mulcahy
Marble City Sessions
Louise & Michelle Mulcahy
Maighread & Triona Ni Dhomhnaill Ireland
Martin Hayes makes an eagerly awaited return to St Canice’s with his newest groundbreaking ensemble. This year the quarter is complemented by dancer Sandy Silva
Marble City Sessions
Martin Hayes Quartet Ireland USA
Every day, throughout the Festival, a range of artists offer pop-up performamces in some of Kilkenny's loveliest spaces.
Secret Garden Music International
Cool down on a hot August night with this horror classic featuring a bone-tingling live score
Spoken Word
with live score
Dracula
The experimental jazz-rock trio warms up for Sounds Like Freedom with this free Sofa Session gig