Kilkenny’s Toil & Trouble Festival

Step back in time to 1324 and uncover the chilling tale of Ireland’s first Witchcraft Trial during Kilkenny’s newest festival, running from October 28th to November 3rd, 2024.

Discover the spells cast on society as we delve into the infamous Kilkenny Witch Trials. Join us in commemorating the 700th anniversary of these dark events. Through this festival, we will explore the societal fears, power struggles, and personal stories that shaped this notorious trial.

Kilkenomics

Kilkenomics is the largest economics festival in the world. Over the past decade or so we’ve been bringing people together, in cosy environments in Kilkenny City to listen to and exchange ideas; and crucially have the craic. See you in November!

Kilkenomics brings together some of the world’s leading economists, including the odd Nobel prize winner, financial analysts and media commentators with some of our funniest, sharpest stand-up comedians.

The aim of Kilkenomics has always been to take economics out of the conference room and academia and make it accessible to ordinary people’s lives.

Subtitle European Film Festival

SUB­TI­TLE: WHERE CIN­EMA SPEAKS ONE LANGUAGE
We couldn’t be hap­pier to be back in Kilkenny – it’s been 5 years!

Novem­ber 17th 2024 sees the twelfth edi­tion of Ireland’s only film fes­ti­val of pop­u­lar sub­ti­tled Euro­pean films – and a fan­tas­tic lineup of film-​makers and stars cel­e­brated on Sat­ur­day night at the Angela Awards, hosted by Pauline McLynn and the Camem­bert Quartet.

Sub­ti­tle brings together a selec­tion of Euro­pean films that invites you to see cin­ema in a whole new way. Many of the films at the 2024 fes­ti­val have never been screened the­atri­cally in Ire­land and a num­ber of them are Irish premieres.

Yulefest 2024

Yulefest Bandstand on the Parade

Celebrate Christmas in Kilkenny with Yulefest! Showcasing festive events across the county from November to January. Join us for Santa’s official arrival to the city on Saturday 30th of November to launch the 2024 Yulefest Christmas Market!  

Visitors to the festival can expect festive treats, creative crafts, live music and family entertainment each weekend, along with a Christmas light trail and special events each week. 

David McSavage: McSavage Rules

The Set Theatre

MCSAVAGE RULES

An unhelpful masterpiece for regaining integrity –

Having lived a life of burning bridges and telling everyone in authority to fuck off, this is McSavage’s area of expertise.

THE RULES:

When you’re young, fail at everything.
Ensure people around you think you’re shit.
Build up seething resentments towards these people for decades.
Drink a lot.
Use aforementioned resentments as motivation for creativity and drive.
Never become too successful.

This hilarious show will help you learn how to be an outsider, own nothing, be poor and hated, but if nothing else, you will have integrity.

€27.50

Des Bishop: Lately

The Set Theatre

Des Bishop is back with his new show Lately. The world has changed, Ireland has changed and Des’s life has changed…A LOT. Lately is an hilarious, in your face standup show that talks about all this and more as Des tried to make sense of all the changes in his life and all our lives.

€30

Chris Kent: Offline

The Set Theatre

Cork’s own Chris Kent returns with a brand new show ‘Offline’. He tries to give up the internet and navigate life without asking his phone what to eat, where to go or how to get home. He longs for a simpler time of playing ‘Snake’ and constructing emojis himself. Now that he has hit 40 years of age, he wonders if he can ever go back to thinking for himself. Join him on a journey that will either make him or break him.

€25

Neil Delamere: Achilles Neil

The Set Theatre

Our comedy hero is back on the road with a brand new epic standup show.

Join one of Ireland’s favourite comics as he takes on life’s absurdities in his own inimitable way. A celebration of the altogether too frequent weaknesses that make us human.

Don’t miss the hilarious Achilles Neil.

*Does not contain any actual Greek mythology

€30

Jarlath Regan: In Bits

The Set Theatre

The Brand New Standup Comedy Show From “Yer Man” Off Instagram.

After 2 years of making us laugh out loud into our phones, hundreds of millions of views, thousands of seats filled across America, Ireland and the U.K. – Jarlath Regan is back with a totally new barnstorming standup show like nothing you’ve ever seen before. “The jewel in the Irish comedy crown” (The Examiner) In a world of relentlessly bleak news and constant negativity, take a break and make space for laughter and watch “a master at work”(Patrick Kielty). You’ve watched his clips on Instagram, you’ve shared his standup with your friends and family on TikTok, now it’s time to see Jarlath Regan’s funny bits live and in person.

€30

Jason Byrne: No Show

The Set Theatre

In 1935 Erwin Schrodinger placed comedian Jason Byrne in a venue with an audience and closed the doors. Was there a show or NO SHOW. For those outside without tickets there was simultaneously a show and NO SHOW.
Don’t be outside. Get a ticket and watch the master of comic creativity and audience interaction create a show from NO SHOW.

“The Outright King of Live Comedy” – The Times

“There is nobody else on the planet who makes me laugh like that. Your world will be a better place after seeing Jason live”. – The Newcastle Chronicle.

€28

Kilkenny Roots Festival 2025

Since 1998, Kilkenny Roots Festival has attracted some of the finest names in the Americana/Roots canon, including Calexico, Giant Sand, Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Alejandro Escovedo, Guy Clark, Chuck Prophet, Ray LaMontagne, Richmond Fontaine, Rodney Crowell, Phosphorescent, Sturgill Simpson and Alabama Shakes.

Audiences wind their way through the medieval streets sampling the huge range of music in the 30 plus venues, hosting over 40 Irish and international acts, with over 90 ticketed and free shows from early afternoon until late into the night.

There’s a mixture of old and new acts on the free pub gig trail and all styles are catered for, from swing to bluegrass, rockabilly to cajun, folk, blues and beyond.

Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage

The Set Theatre

Gearóid Farrelly: Gearóid Rage

Gearóid Farrelly follows his mammoth Glamour Hammer tour with a hilarious new stand up show touching on the many, many, MANY things that make his blood boil. 

“Gearóid Farrelly is Bloody Hilarious” Sarah Millican
“My Absolute Favourite” Joanne McNally
To be in Farrelly’s crowd is a joy. Each joke landed perfectly… impeccable comic timing” ★★★★★ Broadway Baby

€22