Dry January events, top tier theatre and exceptional comedy sets are among our top picks of what’s happening across Ireland throughout the month ahead.
Dry January Festival
1-31 January, Dublin, more info here
Throughout January, there are 120+ (and counting) events designed to help people stay social, meet new people, and have fun without alcohol being at the centre. The events take place in a mix of spaces. Some are held in pubs, others in art studios, pottery studios, venues and even outdoors. They include hikes, art classes, charity shop crawls, pottery, speed friending, and lots more. People are not forced to avoid alcohol at these events and can have a drink if they choose. The aim is simply to encourage people to socialise sober, or at least without alcohol being the main focus.
Robin and Dawn
5-31 January, Bewley’s Cafe Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Musician Robin journeys home late from gigs each night. He drives through the wild terrain of the West Kerry mountains, arriving home as dawn is breaking, when Dawn, his partner, is beginning her day. After twenty years together, they are ships passing in the night. But when Dawn awakes one morning to find Robin deeply shaken, they are left with no choice but to communicate. Will what he just encountered on the dark mountain road haunt him further, or could it be the awakening they both so desperately need?
First Fortnight Festival
6-17 January, various venues, more info here
A festival celebrating the arts as a powerful catalyst for sparking unscripted conversations around mental ill health, First Fortnight serves to challenge the stigma associated with mental ill health through its line-up of great events, including live music performances, comedy sets, theatrical performances and more.
Midwinter: An Evening with Michael Harding
9 January, National Concert Hall, Dublin, more info here
Join Michael Harding as he takes to the stage for an evening of reflection, humour, and storytelling. Drawing on themes of love, loss, memory, and renewal, he invites the audience to journey with him through the quiet beauty and challenges of winter, and the enduring power of human connection. With his signature warmth and lyrical honesty, Harding blends laughter and contemplation in equal measure, offering a performance that is both deeply moving and gently uplifting, a perfect way to begin the new year in the company of one of Ireland’s most beloved voices.
Joanne McNally’s Pinotphile
Dates throughout January in venues across Ireland, more info here
Joanne McNally’s hilarious stand-up show Pinotphile returns to the stage of the 3Olympia in Dublin before heading to Waterfront Hall in Belfast and Cork Opera House later this month. Since her smash hit show, The Prosecco Express, McNally has been keeping herself busy by ruining men’s lives (and her own) and now she’s back; still single, still unfertilised, and laden with irreverent, ridiculous and hilarious war stories.
Keith Barry Unhinged – 25 Years Inside Your Mind
Dates throughout January in venues across Ireland, more info here
Keith Barry launches his explosive new tour celebrating 25 years of mind-blowing magic, hypnosis, and brain hacking. Get ready, because Keith Barry is about to get inside your head like never before with his most unpredictable, jaw-dropping, and hilarious live show yet.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Until 11 January, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Enter a world of splendour, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Winner of ten Tony awards, Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. A celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and – above all – love! Moulin Rouge is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.
Never Going Back There
24 January, The Everyman Theatre, Cork, more info here
Never Going Back There depicts the story of a powerful Irish woman who would not allow religion, or the Magdalene laundries, to define her. She chose her own path of success and independence. Based on a true story, it exposes the stranglehold that religion had on Irish people in the ‘60s and ‘70s. But it also shows the determination and resilience of one young woman to break that hold and set out on her own path of success and independence in another country and to vow that she will “never go back there”. Her depiction of her incarceration is raw, real and emotional, and her ability to rise above all that is highly inspirational.
Prima Facie
27-31 January, The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Jodie Comer returns to her acclaimed, Olivier and Tony Award-winning performance in Suzie Miller’s multi-award-winning play, Prima Facie at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre for five days only. Playing the role of Tessa, the gripping, one-person play takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game. Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister who loves to win. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to be at the top of her game; prosecuting, cross-examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.
Dublin Gothic
Until 31 January, Abbey Theatre, Dublin, more info here
Full of wit and warmth, Dublin Gothic celebrates the glory and the grime of Dublin. In this spectacular production, more than a hundred unforgettable characters will dance through time as they make their way through life in the 20th century. The play features 19 actors, 158 characters, 4 different eras as the epic of everyday plays out on stage.
Féile na mBan
30 January — 2 February, Bundoran, Donegal, more info here
A weekend dedicated to showcasing women in all walks of life, Féile na mBan celebrates women-led artistry and discussion. This year’s line-up includes Irish film screenings, wellness events, outdoor activities, craft markets and food fairs, trad sessions, art exhibitions and lots of live music, including performances from Niamh Regan and Gliondar an Earraigh.
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