Friday 18th September 2026
Location: Various venues
Culture Night Kilkenny/Oíche Chultúir returns on Friday, 18th September 2026, inviting people of all ages to discover, celebrate and experience the rich artistic and cultural life of our city and county. As part of Ireland’s national Culture Night programme, audiences are encouraged to explore the extraordinary creativity, heritage and artistic talent that make up Kilkenny’s cultural landscape through a diverse programme of free events taking place from late afternoon into the evening. This year’s programme offers opportunities to explore visual arts exhibitions and participatory workshops, discover Kilkenny’s public art through guided walking tours, enjoy literature, theatre and storytelling events, and take part in hands-on creative experiences including ceramics, weaving and lantern-making workshops. Among the highlights is Culture for All on The Parade, featuring live music, family-friendly activities and a vibrant collaboration between Maracatu Ireland and the Global Dance Club. Visitors can also spend a fascinating evening at the Medieval Mile Museum, learning about medieval textiles while contributing to a collaborative artistic project. As well as this, St Canice’s Cathedral & Round Tower will be the venue for RTÉ’s Culture Night Live this year. On Culture Night, RTÉ will celebrate the very best of Irish culture across television, radio and online, with Culture Night Live, supported by the Arts Council, bringing viewers a vibrant mix of live performances from the historic Cathedral here in Kilkenny, as well as celebrations in Killarney and events taking place right across the country. And this year, the Cathedral will have a very special backdrop. Peter Walker’s spectacular Peace Doves installation, featuring thousands of handcrafted paper doves, will fill the Cathedral as the setting for this very special live event – bringing together art, music and heritage live from Kilkenny’s oldest site. Click here to view the full programme of Culture Night events in Kilkenny.
Organisers Website
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