Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival which celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. The festival is run by Age & Opportunity, the leading national development organisation working to enable the best possible quality of life for us all as we age. This year Age & Opportunity unveils an all-new festival theme, ‘Lust for Life’, which reflects a familiar experience for many older people. To celebrate the theme Bealtaine Festival has commissioned a new essay, ‘Lust of Life’, by writer, former Labour TD and Bealtaine Festival ambassador, Liz McManus, which explores the n

Celebrating 150 Years : The Dublin Painting and Sketching Club For a century and a half, "Dublin: Then and Now" has been a subject often visited for artistic inspiration by members of the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club. This theme will once again be explored in the latest exhibition, taking place at the Cowshed Gallery, Farmleigh from the 4th to the 19th of May 2024. "Dublin: Then and Now" will exhibit over 70 works from Club Members that capture the evolving essence and enduring charm of Dublin and its environs. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to engage with the artists

Four young people, one an Olympic champion. Tangled relationships. Forbidden love, twice over. An unsuccessful assassination. An execution avoided. And a royal father who has to accept his children as they are. Irish National Opera continues its award-winning exploration of Vivaldi’s operas with the work which started the 20th-Century revival of the composer's works for the stage. L’Olimpiade brims with opportunities for all seven characters, showing their personalities and feelings through arias that range from the explosive and almost instrumentally virtuosic, to the slow explorati

The Dublin Gay Theatre Festival is an annual event, celebrating contribution of gay people to theatre, past and present. The Festival was founded in 2004 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde, in his native city. With an emphasis on new or recent international and Irish works with a broadly gay theme or relevance, the Festival has grown to become the largest event of its type in the world. The Festival creates new opportunities for visibility and affirmation for existing and emerging gay artists and theatrical works. The Festival’s criteria for inclusion into the prog

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE MOUSETRAP is the world’s longest-running play. This thrilling West End production is THE genre-defining murder mystery from the best-selling novelist of all time… case closed! As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve this world-famous mystery for yourself? Now celebrating 70 years, and returning

Karl is part of a self-help group. He's still getting over a break-up. Thirty years later. He has to care for his elderly mother. Can things get any worse? You bet. He wants to try stand-up comedy again. A show about an ailing Irish mother. American movie stars. Group therapy over failed show business dreams and the prospect of a second chance... • Wednesday May 8th at 1pm • Thursday May 9th at 7.30pm Presented as part of Bealtaine, Celebrating Arts & Creativity As We Age *Lunchtime tickets include tea/coffee Galway-born Karl MacDermott is a comedy performer and h

Phizzfest is a vibrant community arts festival which brings the little urban village of Phibsborough alive each year. It was established to develop an annual celebration of artistic life around Phibsborough, to highlight the rich diversity of culture within our community and to provide a showcase for local talent. Phizzfest was established in 2009 as a local community response to the recession, with the aim of uniting the community through the creative arts and restoring pride of place in Phibsborough, an area that had been neglected for years. It is an award-winning festival that has been

MC Panti Bliss will host this evening featuring performances from deadly young bands from The RECO - Ballymun, Amir Abu Alrob & Sorcha Fox, Talha Alali, Catherine Ann Cullen, Ele (Zapho) + X Collective Band, NIYL, Tobi Balogun, SIVE, Jess Kavanagh, Chloë Agnew & the X Collective, Robbie Blake with Tonnta, Teo del Norte and SING ALONG SOCIAL. With Speakers Zoe Lawlor - Chair of IPSC, Karma Shawa - Jordanian - Palestinian Visual Artist and Clare Daly - MEP. Shine on Palestine: The Alternative Eurovision From shore to shore is a TWO venue event with AXIS Ballymun on the East Coast

VIXEN, written by Helen Casey and performed by Rose Henderson, is a compelling psychological drama of one woman’s resilience, determination and desperation to name the love that was hers, but belonged to another. Both haunting and mesmerizing, it is a visceral exploration of love, unspoken loss and uncomfortable truths. As we are drawn further into Angie’s world, the emotional rollercoaster plunges from the frothy highs to a much darker terrain filled with suspense and a gnawing grief. Tis better to have loved and lost…or is it? It is the first anniversary of Martin’s death. Angie�