Lights, Camera, Christmas: RTÉ rings in the Season Sí an Nollaig í
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with Patrick Kielty on a special instalment of The Late Late Show with David Gray, Lyra and the cast of The Traitors Ireland
Tune into fascinating documentaries such as Meatloaf: From Hell and to Connacht and Duffy’s Pub, as well as Tommy Sands – Clann an Cheoil
Sit back, relax and welcome to RTÉ Christmas 2025 with a sleigh-load of unmissable entertainment and a sparkling line-up of specials across all platforms. The festivities officially kick off with The Late Late Toy Show this Friday.
This festive season will showcase a slate of original Irish programming including Callan Kicks the Year and Fair City’s Christmas special. Brendan Courtney takes legendary director Jim Sheridan on a trip down memory lane on Keys to My Life and there is special snow-filled instalment of High Road Low Road as chef Kevin Dundon and social media sensation Kayleigh Trappe jet off to Austria. The yuletide magic continues with Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan and join Dáithí Ó’Sé and Maura Derrane on TODAY for an evening of folklore, food, magic and music.
Over Christmas, Dallas legend Patrick Duffy touches down in Ireland for a whistle stop tour of the country’s cosiest pubs in Duffy’s Pub. Meatloaf: From Hell and to Connacht brings viewers back to Ireland in 1990, when the legendary US rock star performed in some of the island’s most unlikely venues. Tommy Sands – Clann an Cheoil celebrates one of Ireland’s most influential folk singer-songwriters and how he and his family acquired an international legacy as musicians, social activists and storytellers.
Daniel O’Connell – The Emancipator explores one of the most significant periods in Irish history while marking the 250th anniversary of his birth. Cloch le Carn looks back at the lives of politician Mary O’Rourke and comedian Jon Kenny in two new episodes.
Irish boyband Westlife are on stage in London’s Royal Albert Hall as Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Shane Filan perform their hits in a TV special ahead of their homecoming residency in 2026 and there will be music documentaries showcasing the incredible careers of Elton John, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli and ABBA.
On RTÉ Radio 1 this December, celebrate the Christmas cheer with Oliver Callan and guests for a very special Callan’s Christmas Eve from 9-11am on RTÉ Radio 1. Live from Studio 1 in the RTÉ Radio Centre he will be joined by special guests, a live audience, Christmas favourites and festive performances.
John Creedon will bring his usual cheer with an added dash of festive on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Westlife’s Mark Feehily takes listeners on a journey through the music that shaped his life and inspired his career. Actor Ciarán Hinds remembers his friend and beloved RTÉ colleague Seán Rocks who passed away in July in a special, The Essential Seán Rocks. Ciarán will guide listeners through a selection of Seán’s best Arena interviews from the last few years Dave Fanning looks back at the stellar career of The Cranberries in The Fanning Files. Sunday Miscellany celebrates Christmas at the National Concert Hall with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and special guests and Áine Lawlor presents Divine Sparks with beloved carols, seasonal stories, childhood wonder and memories shared.
Over on 2FM, two teams of presenters go head-to-head once again in Now That’s What I Call 2025 – The 2FM End of Year Quiz. Tracy Clifford is in charge, as Laura Fox, Roz Purcell, Aisling Bonner, Mikey O’Reilly, Demi Isaac and Beta Da Silva battle it out for 60 minutes. Diarmuid O’Brien is in the mix for a two-hour dance party on St. Stephen’s Day and he is also ringing in 2026 with a four-hour dance marathon on New Year’s Eve. To celebrate 2FM’s Studio 8 sessions, Dan Hegarty has put together a series of documentaries telling many of the stories of the sessions that have been recorded within the walls of famous studio. Dan Hegarty and Graham Smyth reprise their 2023 and 2024 festive special with The Alternative Grumpy Christmas.
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta has a festive schedule packed full of music, arts, entertainment, live broadcasts and Christmas specials with Ceol na Nollag, Ceol Binn ó na Beanna, An Taobh Tuathail, Bóthar na Smaointe, An Nollaig i Ráth Chairn and Faoi na Fóide.
Join RTÉ lyric fm and Aedín Gormley for her annual, seasonal soundtrack of songs and festive film favourites on Movies and Musicals while soprano Claudia Boyle sets the mood for a relaxing lead into Christmas on Weekend Classics. Marty Whelan is live from Vienna on 3 December and while we can’t guarantee a White Christmas, it’s always merry and bright with Marty. Liz Nolan’s Full Score – will broadcast a special concert in tribute to the genius of John Williams. Experience the magic of Christmas with internationally acclaimed soprano Celine Byrne – A Christmas Celebration. The Irish Baroque Orchestra’s annual production of Handel’s Messiah is an established highlight of the December calendar.
On the RTÉ Player viewers can tune into a favourite festive special, Father Ted’s A Christmassy Ted. Cosy up with comedy gold like The Office, Gavin & Stacey and The Young Offenders plus all your favourite Christmas specials from Motherland, The Royle Family and Downton Abbey to The 2 Johnnies, Republic of Telly and Bridget and Eamon. Then dive into iconic Irish dramas including Kin, and Normal People. There are also brand-new binge-worthy box sets, Scrubs, The Killing and American Crime Story.
For the little ones, Jason Byrne narrates Twelve Storybuds of Christmas on RTÉ Kids plus there is magical animation for all the family in Santa’s Holiday, one lucky student will turn on RTÉ’s Christmas lights on news2day and the This is Christmas podcast is your one-stop shop for all kinds of festive fun.
Best of the Year
Missed what everyone’s been talking about this year? RTÉ Player has some of this year’s top entertainment and drama picks. Discover a mix of gripping thrillers, iconic series, and fan favourites. Leading the way is Traitors Ireland, the standout hit that kept the nation on edge, alongside the drama of Playing Nice and the gripping Love/Hate.
Musical storytelling shines in Nashville, while The Traitors UK, The Traitors US and The Traitors Australia will keep you intrigued over the festive season. Classics like The West Wing, One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars are comfort watching favourites, as well as all the laughs from Parks & Recreation. Relive the drama of 2025 smash hit The Walsh Sisters and the local charm of The Young Offenders – all available to stream over Christmas on RTÉ Player.
RTÉ’s Christmas movie offering gets unwrapped tomorrow with more sports favourites later in the week.
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