CELEBRATE CULTURE NIGHT ON RTÉ 

CELEBRATE CULTURE NIGHT ON RTÉ 

A rich schedule of live music and performances across RTÉ services 

RTÉ will again celebrate Culture Night on Friday 19th September with a rich schedule of live programmes across its television, radio and online services.  

Live performances from some of Ireland’s best musicians and performers will take centre stage across RTÉ One, RTÉ Player, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm and RTÉ lyric fm, with a special live performance from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra as RTÉ once again puts the spotlight on the richness and diversity of cultural talent in Ireland today. 

>>> CULTURE NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS ON RTÉ 

SPECIAL RTÉ BROADCAST LIVE FROM GALWAY  

RTÉ Culture Night Live will broadcast live at 8.00pm on RTÉ One and RTE Player. Coming to you from the heart of Galway City, the programme, hosted by Carl Mullan and Doireann Ní Ghlacáin will feature a vibrant mix of musical performances live from the historic St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, alongside events taking place nationwide. 

The line-up features the all-female trad group Biird, this year’s Culture Night Ambassadors, and a cultural reflection from President Higgins. Viewers can look forward to the Top 8 Streetdance Battle dance troupe showcasing electrifying dance exchanges at King John’s Castle (pictured), Limerick, while Anna Geary will be giving us flavour of Culture Night activities from Cork City. 

Celebrating our architectural heritage for Culture Night, Amanda Bone takes us inside 18 Ormond Quay Upper, a beautifully restored 1840s Dublin merchant shop-house, brought back to life after a three-year conservation project by Dublin Civic Trust. 

NATIONWIDE on RTÉ ONE and RTÉ PLAYER 

On this Culture Night, Nationwide celebrates theatre, music, and all kinds of cultural gatherings. The team travels to the coastal town of Balbriggan in North County Dublin to explore what is one of Ireland’s finest new theatres. They hear about some of the many Culture Night events planned both locally and across the country and presenter Anne Cassin talks to Sinead O’Reilly from The Arts Council, to learn more about this annual celebration of arts, heritage and culture. 

The Lark Concert Hall in Balbriggan County Dublin is a unique new music venue. Made possible through a generous act of philanthropy, no expense was spared in bringing this vision to life. The facility includes a concert hall, a music school and accommodation for visiting musicians.  Reporter John Kilraine has the story behind this project.  

Also on the show, reporter Zainab Boladale recently spent the day in Balbriggan, meeting local groups as they prepared for Culture Night. 

RTÉ RADIO 1 ARENA SPECIAL  

RTÉ Radio 1 will present an hour-long Arena special, live from Studio 1 in RTÉ’s Radio Centre, featuring performances from Tolu Makay, Christine Dwyer Hickey and more.  

2FM RISING CULTURE NIGHT LIVE EVENT FROM THE MODEL, SLIGO 

RTÉ 2fm will continue to celebrate the next wave of breakthrough Irish music talent with 2fm Rising x Culture Night, a live gig in The Model in Sligo hosted by RTE 2fm DJ Cormac Battle and broadcast live on RTÉ 2fm’s Beta Da Silva show, from 8pm – 11pm (live performances 9pm – 11pm). The exciting line-up includes Cliffords, ESSIRAY, Bold Love, F3MIII, 2fm DJ Emma Power and more.  

Tickets: This event is free. Entry by wristband at The Model in Sligo on a first-come, first-served basis on the night.  

RTÉ lyric fm LIVE WITH PAUL HERRIOTT  

RTÉ lyric fm will celebrate Culture Night with Paul Herriott who will bring listeners live music bursting with colour and spirit from three continents from the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Paul will chat to Feodora Prize 2025 winner Michael Gallen, whose new work Bád ón Alltar will be premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland under the baton of David Brophy.  

• Copland | El Salón México    

• Paddy Kiernan | Crossroads of Twilight    

• Shahab Coohe | Cerulean    

• Ravel | Tzigane     

• Jessie Montgomery | Strum     

• Michael Gallen | Bád ón Alltar (Irish Premiere – Co-commissioned by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Ulster Orchestra, L’Orchestre National de Bretagne)    

• Kodály | Dances of Galánta    

Performed by:   

• National Symphony Orchestra Ireland    

• David Brophy (conductor)    

• Nava     

• Sarah Brazil (violin)     

• Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (voice, Irish flute)    

• Maria Ryan (voice, viola)    

• Michael Gallen (voice, piano)    

• Dónal O’Connor (voice, fiddle)  

LORCAN MURRAY CLASSIC DRIVE, CULTURE NIGHT SPECIAL (4pm – 7pm) 

Lorcan’s show live from the RTÉ lyric fm studios in the heart of Limerick City is real celebration of music and culture with a focus on Limerick and the wonderful variety of music and the arts produced here. On this Culture Night special, we hear from Limerick folk singer Emma Langford and Adrian Mantu of the ConTempo Quartet on cello with Dermot Dunne on accordion performing pieces from their brand-new album Cello Accordion Ireland. There’s also a live performance from the Irish Guitar Quartet, and a walk around the dynamic exhibition at the nearby Hunt Museum – a short stroll from the lyric studios. Join us this Culture Night evening for a programme of beautiful music, brilliant colour and of course the usual soundtrack and chat to keep your Friday evening lively with Lorcan. 

RTÉ CONCERT ORCHESTRA SPECIAL LIVE PERFORMANCE  

In a special free concert for Culture Night in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Sean McDermott St, Dublin, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under its Principal Guest Conductor Stephen Bell will perform classical, film and traditional favourites as well as music by special guest, cellist Patrick Dexter. 

Opening with Copland’s powerful Fanfare for the Common Man and ending with the stirring Radestky March, along the way the programme will include the lyrical Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission and the thrilling finale to the William Tell Overture. Cellist Patrick Dexter will join the orchestra for three of his own pieces as well as Raglan Road, and the RTÉ CO will also contribute an Irish flavour with Noel Kelehan’s beautiful Cuchulainn’s Lament. 

This free event (no booking required), presented by Dublin City Council and North East Inner City (NEIC) takes place from 6.30pm to 7.30pm (doors at 6pm). 

Programme  

• Copland | Fanfare for the Common Man 

• Mozart | Overture The Marriage of Figaro 

• Patrick Dexter | The Two Sisters 

• Patrick Dexter | Cold Blue Atlantic Air 

• Rossini | Overture William Tell – Finale 

• Morricone | The Mission – Gabriel’s Oboe 

• Offenbach | Overture Orpheus in the Underworld – Finale 

• Karl Jenkins | Palladio: 1st movement 

• Patrick Dexter | Féile 

• Patrick Dexter | Raglan Road 

• Kelehan | Cuchulainn’s Lament 

• Johann Strauss I | Radetzky March 

Performed by: 

• RTÉ Concert Orchestra 

• Stephen Bell conductor 

• Patrick Dexter cello 

RTÉ RAIDÍO NA GAELTACHTA

Pé Scéal É on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be broadcasting live from The Taibhdhearc, the National Irish Language Theatre of Ireland in Galway City from 3 – 5pm on Friday 19th September as they get ready for Culture Night 2025 celebrations. The programme will get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into preparing for this exciting night with participating musicians, singers, actors and artists.

AND MORE  

To celebrate Culture Night, rte.ie/culture will be guest edited by acclaimed novelist and playwright Belinda McKeon, who will celebrate Ireland’s ongoing ‘green wave’ of creativity and culture. 

RTÉ will be supporting Culture Night through a TV, radio and social media campaign as part of the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme.  

ENDS 

For more information:  

Neil O’Gorman | Corporate Communications Manager, RTÉ | neil.ogorman@rte.ie