Event of the week
Snoop Dogg
Sunday, September 24th, RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin; 6.30pm; €101/€61; ticketmaster.ie
That was quick: Snoop Dogg was in Ireland about five months ago, so this show comes as something of a surprise. The long-established rapper (and canny businessman) returns to celebrate the 30th birthday of his acclaimed debut album, Doggystyle, and the imminent release of his 20th studio album, Missionary. For the Dogg fan with money to spare, there’s a separate meet-and-greet ticket that costs a whopping €1,210. Special guests include American rapper Obie Trice, who this year celebrates the 20th birthday of his debut album, Cheers.
Gigs
Dexys
Monday, September 25th, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin; 7pm; €42.55; ticketmaster.ie
Dexys – who dropped Midnight Runners from their name more than a decade ago but continue to be fronted by the unwavering Kevin Rowland – are fond of moving their creative goalposts. The most recent shift is their album The Feminine Divine, from earlier this year, which sees Rowland one again bare his soul in more ways than one. This show is part theatre, part concert, with the first half focusing on the new album and the second playing songs we know so well.
John Grant Sings Patsy Cline
Tuesday, September 26th, NCH, Dublin; 8pm; €35; nch.ie
We admit we didn’t see this coming: one of the best songwriters of the past 15 years getting to grips with songs made famous by one of the most revered singers of the classic country-pop era. The show was originally commissioned for this year’s Manchester International Festival. John Grant is backed by members of Richard Hawley’s band and will welcome on stage, we are informed, “a very special guest”. Whoever could that be?
Muse
Wednesday, September 27th, 3Arena, Dublin; 6.30pm; from €81; ticketmaster.ie
Thirty years is a long time to spend as an epic guitar-toting, prog-rocking, concept-wielding band, but Muse (fronted by Matt Bellamy, with his long-time friends Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme) have continued to reign as one of the most successful rock bands of recent times. This tour is to promote their most recent album, last year’s Will of the People. Fans know to expect visual extravagance and musical swagger. Special guests are the UK duo Amy Love and Georgia South, aka Nova Twins.
Restaurateur Gráinne O’Keefe: I cut out sugar from my diet and here’s how it went
Ireland’s new dating scene: Finding love the old-fashioned way
‘We’re getting closer to it being realised’: Ambitious plans for Dublin lido gather momentum
From enchanted forests to winter wonderlands: 12 Christmas experiences to try around Ireland
Stage
Dublin Theatre Festival
From Thursday, September 28th, until Sunday, October 15th, various venues/times/prices; dublintheatrefestival.ie
With almost 40 productions across the city, including world premieres of Irish work and celebrated pieces by international artists, this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival is expansive, ambitious, courageous and downright exciting. It opens with Zona Franca, a hybrid dance piece created and directed by Alice Ripoll, and continues with an array of productions that challenge the art of bilocation. Check the festival website for everything you need to know, and dive in.
The Women, We Will Rise
Wednesday-Saturday, September 27th-30th, Everyman Theatre, Cork; 8pm (matinee, September 30th, 2.30pm); €25/€22/€11; everymancork.com
Based in part on Karan Casey’s acclaimed 2023 album, Nine Apples of Gold, this dramatised show (written by Casey and directed by Tom Creed) features the traditional/folk singer recounting stories and performing songs that place women front of stage, as part of Cork Folk Festival.
In conversation
Naomi Klein
Friday, September 29th, RDS Concert Hall, Dublin; 7pm; €39.20/€30; ticketmaster.ie
Co-presented by Kilkenomics, which is part overseen by writer and economist David McWilliams. This is something of a coup: a public interview with Naomi Klein, the acclaimed Montreal-born writer best known for her books No Logo, The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything. She is in Dublin to promote her latest work, Doppelganger, and will be in conversation with McWilliams, an Irish Times columnist and the Kilkenomics supremo. Could a Late Late Show appearance be on the cards straight afterwards?
Poetry
Poetry Ireland – Ireland Is
Wednesday, September 27th, Axis Ballymun, Dublin; 8pm; €21/€18; poetryireland.ie
This is surely a first: a five-date nationwide tour featuring five poets – Felispeaks, Erin Fornoff, Colm Keegan, Hollie McNish and Danez Smith – plus a special music guest for each show. JyellowL performs on Wednesday. The remaining dates are Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick (Thursday, with Strange Boy), Everyman Theatre, Cork (Friday, with Olympio), Black Box Theatre, Galway (Saturday, with Síomha) and Backstage Theatre, Longford (Sunday, October 1st, with Soak). The artists will investigate themes of identity and topics such as equality, race, gender, love, body image, relationships and feminism.
Film
IFI Documentary Festival
From Wednesday, September 27th, until Sunday, October 1st, IFI, Dublin; various times/price (five-day festival pass, €110); ifi.ie
One of the year’s most intriguing film festivals returns to the Irish Film Institute with a cinematic treasure chest. The opening-night gala screening of Lost Boys: Belfast’s Missing Children is followed by a public interview with its director, Des Henderson. Other highlights include the Irish shorts programme (Saturday, 12.30pm), Casa Susanna (Saturday, 8.30pm) and the closing film, The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry (Sunday, 8.15pm, followed by a Q&A with director Sarah Share and John Murry, hosted by film director Paul Duane).
Still running
Patrick Kavanagh Weekend
Friday, September 29th, until Sunday, October 1st, Patrick Kavanagh Centre/Round Tower Church, Iniskeen, Co Monaghan; various times/prices; patrickkavanaghcentre.com
This three-day event celebrates the Monaghan poet with a fine line-up of music (Lisa O’Neill, Maija Sofia), poetry (Scott McKendry), podcast (Blindboy Live), installation (Pat McCabe) and public interview (McCabe, by The Irish Times columnist Frank McNally).
Book it this week
East Cork Early Music Festival, Cork city/Kinsale; October 13th-15th; eastcorkearlymusic.ie
Blindboy Podcast, Vicar Street, Dublin; November 19th; ticketmaster.ie
James Arthur, 3Arena, Dublin; March 3rd; ticketmaster.ie
Keane, 3Arena, Dublin; May 10th; ticketmaster.ie
