From the Gaiety to An Grianán: 41 pantos and other Christmas shows around Ireland this festive season

Pantomimes and Theatre

Belfast

Aladdin

Waterfront Hall, Nov 25-Dec 31, £17-£19, 048-90334455, waterfront.co.uk

A pop-culture panto from GBL Productions takes inspiration from the Arabian Nights.

Cinderella: The Midnight Princess

The Mac, Nov 30-Jan 8, £12.50-£25, 048-90235053, themaclive.com

Cahoots NI bring their trademark twist to their fairy tale pantomime, directed by Paul Bosco McEnaney, with Corrie Early as the transformed servant girl.

Cinderella

Grand Opera House, Dec 3-Jan 15, £20.75-£32.25, 048-90241919, goh.co.uk

Kia-Paris Walcott goes to the ball in the title role of this traditional panto, starring Grand Opera House regular Mae McFettridge as the great dame.

The Snow Queen

Lyric Theatre, Nov 25-Dec 31, £12.50-£28, 048-9038 1081, lyrictheatre.co.uk

Paul Boyd works his magic on Hans Christian Andersen’s traditional seasonal tale. Starring Ruby Campbell as the eponymous villain and Calla Hughes as girl-saviour Gerda.

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Clare

Sleeping Beauty

Glór, Ennis, Dec 23-Jan 1, €15, 065-6843103, glor.ie

Local panto from Pantaloons, with seasonal sparkle from Sparks Dance School.

Cork

Cinderella

Everyman Palace, Dec 3-Jan 15, €26-€31, 021-4501673, everymancork.com

Bibiddi-bobbidi-boo! Catherine Mahon-Buckley is back to direct the annual Everyman spectacular.

Sleeping Beauty

Cork Opera House, Dec 1-Jan 22, €30-€37.50, 021-4270022, corkoperahouse.ie

Once upon a time in pantoland, Nanny Nellie battled against Maleficent to set Sleeping Beauty free.

Derry

Cinderella

Millennium Forum, Dec 1-Jan 2, £11-£23, 048-71264455, millenniumforum.co.uk

Michael Gallen is Buttons in this inclusive panto, featuring signed Christmas carols.

Dublin

Aladdin

Liberty Hall, Dec 21-30, €28, 01-6877066, libertypanto.com

The annual Liberty Hall panto presents Jake Carter as the hero with the magic lamp.

A Christmas Carol

Pavilion Theatre, Dec 18, €8-€10, 01-2312929, paviliontheatre.ie

Stylish storytelling from Bryan Burroughs and Aaron Monaghan, who magically bring the classic Dickensian tale to life.

Hansel and Gretel

The Helix, Dublin City University, Nov 25-Jan 15, €24-€28, 01-7007000, thehelix.ie

TheatreworX’s annual extravaganza leads audiences on a breadcrumb trail through the forest of popular entertainment.

Little Red Riding Hood

Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Dec 8-Jan 8, €20-€22, 01-2969340, milltheatre.ie

A 60-minute panto from Geoff O’Keefe, perfect for first-time Christmas panto-goers.

Peter Pan

Axis, Ballymun, Jan 5-29, €10, 01-8832100, www.axisballymun.ie

Dame Stuffy flies into Ballymun to banish the January blues in this local panto.

Olly, Polly and the Beanstalk

Olympia Theatre, Dec 21-Jan 8, €21.50-€37, ticketmaster.ie

Magic beanstalks and dancing cows with Ryan Andrews, Maclean Burke and James Patrice.

Orson Welles’ Christmas Carol

Smock Alley Theatre, Dec 6-17, €16-€18, 01-6770014, smockalley.com

A 45-minute telling of Dickens’ tale in 1930s radio-style, for older family audiences. Based on a true story.

Polar Bear and Penguin

The Ark, Dec 1-18, €12.50-€15, 01-6707788, ark.ie

John Currivan and Paul Curley bring two unlikely creatures together in this original show for little ones aged five and older.

Sleeping Beauty

Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dec 7-Jan 8, €18-€20, 01-4627477, civictheatre.ie

Fair City’s Sorcha Furlong is the glamorous baddy bewitching Keila Ana Whelan as the sleeping princess.

Sleeping Beauty

Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Jan 5-22, €21-€25, 01-8852622, draiocht.ie

Coolmine Panto Group returns for the first time since Covid with a pantomime written by Karl Harper.

Snow White and Sammy and Buffy

National Stadium, Dec 13-Jan 8, €16-€32, 01-9060111, panto.ie

Alan Hughes returns to the National Stadium as Sammy Sausages, featuring Marty Morrisey as the Magic Mirror.

The Jungle Book

Gaiety Theatre, Nov 27-Jan 8, €21-€35, 01-6486029/0818-719388, gaietytheatre.ie

Nicholas Grennel is the scary Shere Khan in the unparalleled Gaiety panto, directed by Darryn Crosbie.

Galway

Cinderella

Town Hall Theatre, Galway city, Dec 29-Jan 15, €17-€20, 091-569777, tht.ie

Annual local panto from the Renmore Players sets good against evil with predictable feelgood results.

Kildare

Cinderella

Moat Theatre, Naas, Nov 30-10, €16, 045-883030, moattheatre.com

Nasty Natasha and Scary Susie are the Ugly Sisters in this local panto from the Moat Club.

The Christmas Turkey and Other Tales

Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge, Dec 3, €8, 045-448327, riverbank.ie

Seasonal storytelling from Niall de Búrca.

Kilkenny

Cinderella

Watergate Theatre, Jan 4-15, €19-€21, 056-7761674, watergatetheatre.com

David Doyle directs a fun-filled fairy tale production to blow away the post-Christmas blues.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Lime Tree Theatre, Dec 9-Jan 8, €15-26, 061-953400, limetreetheatre.ie

A first professional panto from the Lime Tree Theatre, written by Mike Finn and featuring the voice of Pat Shortt as the Giant.

Limerick

Peter Pan

University Concert Hall, Dec 16-Jan 3, €20-€30, 061-331549, uch.ie

Johnny Ward is Captain Hook in this flyaway fairy tale from Robert C Kelly.

Longford

Billy and the Beanstalk

St Mel’s College, Dec 19-Jan 2, €18.50, gr8events.ie

A trip to Pantoville starring Mary Byrne as Fairy Mary Nuff.

Louth

Elf the Musical

Droichead Arts Centre, Dec 9-11, €15, 041-9833946, droichead.com

A young elf falls into Santa’s sack and finds himself in the North Pole.

Jack and the Beanstalk

TLT Drogheda, Dec 22-Jan 8, €17.50, 041-9878560, thetlt.ie

Fairy tale fare from the flowery flatlands of Drogheda.

Sligo

Cinderella

Hawkswell Theatre, Dec 4-17, €20, 071-9161518, hawkswell.com

Coolera Dramatic Society celebrates Christmas with their annual family panto.

Waterford

Jack and the Beanstalk

Theatre Royal, Dec 2-30, €17-€20, 051-874402, theatreroyal.ie

A live band props up this poppy panto from Waterford Panto Society.

Wexford

Aladdin

National Opera House, Wexford town, Dec 18-22, €13-€18, 053-9122400, nationaloperahouse.ie

Panto by the people of Wexford for the people Wexford wakes this popular fairy tale up.

Westmeath

Beauty and the Beast

Mullingar Arts Centre, Dec 8-30, €16-€20, 044-9347777, mullingarartscentre.ie

Traditional pantomime fare from Mullingar Panto Group sees beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Musicals, Circus, Concerts, Dance

Belfast

Winter Circus

Big Top, Writer’s Square, Dec 16-Jan 2, £10-£14, tumblecircus.com

Family show filled with acrobats and athletic performers from Tumble Circus.

Cork

Fossetts Christmas Circus

Blackpool Retail Park, Dec 15-Jan 8, €15-€22, fossettscircus.com

Fossetts Circus pitches its tent in Blackpool for the Christmas season.

Dublin

Beauty and the Beast

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Nov 24-Jan 8, from €25, 01-6777770, bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Big budget spectacle touring from the West End, directed by Matt West.

The Sound of Music

National Concert Hall, Dec 27-Jan 3, €29-€39, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Festival Production’s annual Christmas musical, directed by Tony Finnegan, with Roisin Sullivan as Maria.

This Way to Christmas

National Concert Hall, Dec 16-18, €19-€25, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Theatre Lovett bring an extra touch of magic to the Christmas concert spectacle, with Louis Lovett hosting proceedings.

Toy Show: The Musical

Convention Centre, Dec 10-31, from €25, rte.ie

Theatrical riff on the annual TV tradition, starring Jamie Beamish and Clare Barrett, alongside a rolling cast of child actors.

On tour

Nutcracker Sweeties

Siamsa Tíre, Co Kerry, Nov 23, €22-€27, 066-7123055, siamsatire.com

O’Reilly Theatre, Co Wexford, Nov 26, €15-€25, 053-9122144, nationaloperahouse.ie

Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dublin, Nov 29-30, €16-€27, 01-4627477, civictheatre.ie

Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick city, Dec 2-3, €20-€25, 061-953400, limetreetheatre.ie

An Grianán Theatre, Co Donegal, Dec 6, €15-€27, 074-9120777, angrianan.com

Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Dec 9-10, €18-€27, 01-8852622, draiocht.ie

Town Hall Theatre, Galway city, Dec 13-14, €22.50-€25, 091-569777, www.tht.ie

Glór, Ennis, Co Clare, Dec 16-17, €18-€25, 065-6843103, glor.ie

Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co Meath, Dec 20, €20-€25, 046-9092300, solsticeartscentre.ie

Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow, Dec 22-23, €25-€30, 01-2724030, mermaidartscentre.ie

Ballet Ireland reimagines the classic Christmas fairy tale, where Ciara and her brother Fionn get lost in a Dublin department store, before being found by a Nutcracker doll. Tchaikovsky’s Christmas confection remains, with new choreography from Morgann Runacre-Temple.

WhistleBlast’s Winter Wonderland

Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow, Dec 4, €12, 01-2724030, mermaidartscentre.ie

Watergate Theatre, Co Kilkenny, Dec 6, €5, 056-7761674, watergatetheatre.com

Glór, Ennis, Co Clare, Dec 7, €7, 065-6843103, glor.ie

Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge, Co Kildare, Dec 9, €6, 045-448327, riverbank.ie

National Concert Hall, Dublin, Dec 10, €10-€12, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Siamsa Tíre, Co Kerry, Dec 18, €10-12, 066-7123055, siamsatire.com

The WhistleBlast Quartet bring family flavour to a classical Christmas repertoire including music from Tchaikovsky and the Snowman, with Conor Linehan on piano, Ken Edge on saxes and clarinets, Oonagh Keogh on violin and Mary Curran on French horn.