Dublin Theatre Festival 2026

Dublin Theatre Festival returns from 24 September to 11 October 2026, bringing 18 days of outstanding Irish and international theatre to venues across Dublin.

One of Ireland’s most important cultural events, the festival transforms the city into a lively stage for drama, dance, music, experimental performance and family theatre. Productions take place everywhere from major venues such as the Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre and Gaiety Theatre to intimate performance spaces, suburban theatres and unusual locations around the city.

Whether you enjoy classic plays, contemporary Irish writing, ambitious international productions or immersive theatrical experiences, the Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 programme offers an opportunity to discover some of the most exciting work being created for the stage today.

Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 highlights

The 2026 programme brings together respected Irish theatre companies, internationally acclaimed artists and several familiar literary names.

One of the festival’s major productions is A Moon for the Misbegotten, Eugene O’Neill’s powerful and moving play about love, loneliness and missed opportunities. Presented by Druid and directed by Tony Award-winning director Garry Hynes, the production runs at the Gaiety Theatre from 1 to 4 October.

The Abbey Theatre presents ANIMALS, adapted and directed by Dan Colley from the short stories of Blindboy Boatclub. This unusual stage production brings Blindboy’s distinctive mix of dark humour, social observation and surreal storytelling to the Abbey Stage.

At the Gate Theatre, audiences can see Meredith, a new play by Erica Murray. Running from 25 September to 11 October, the production is among the festival’s most prominent new Irish works.

Another major literary collaboration comes from Irish National Opera with Testament, created by composer Tarik O’Regan and internationally celebrated Irish author Colm Tóibín. Presented at the Gaiety Theatre from 8 to 10 October, the production promises a striking combination of theatre, opera and storytelling.

At Project Arts Centre, director Tom Creed presents 4.48 Psychosis, the uncompromising final work by influential British playwright Sarah Kane. The play is known for its fragmented, poetic exploration of mental distress and remains one of the most discussed works in contemporary theatre.

New Irish theatre and distinctive Dublin stories

Irish theatre is at the heart of the festival, with established companies and emerging artists presenting new work throughout the city.

Cyclone, written and directed by Louise Lowe and presented by acclaimed theatre company ANU, takes place at 1 Railway Court in Dublin 1. ANU is known for creating immersive productions that connect stories with the places in which they happened, making this one of the programme’s most intriguing site-specific experiences.

REFUGE, written by Deirdre Kinahan and presented by Fishamble: The New Play Company with Staatstheater Mainz, comes to Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire. Fishamble has an international reputation for developing and producing new Irish writing, making REFUGE another important addition to the 2026 programme.

Other Irish highlights include Heroes of Tomorrow by Brokentalkers, Let Me In by Esosa Ighodaro, visions by Eoghan Quinn at the Abbey Theatre’s Peacock Stage and Without Distinction of Sex at Draíocht in Blanchardstown.

Audiences can also experience Rebellious Hope, created, choreographed and directed by Philip Connaughton, and ZINC, an international collaboration between Irish theatre company Dead Centre and Théâtre de Liège.

International theatre and dance

Dublin Theatre Festival has a long tradition of introducing Irish audiences to ambitious productions from around the world, and the 2026 programme continues that tradition.

International highlights include TANZ by Austrian choreographer and performance artist Florentina Holzinger at the O’Reilly Theatre. Known for challenging conventional ideas about dance, gender and the body, Holzinger creates work that is bold, physical and frequently provocative.

Other visiting productions include Power Play from Poland’s TR Warszawa, MAMI by Greek-Albanian theatre-maker Mario Banushi and La Parabole du Seum (Parable of the Sour) by French artist Rébecca Chaillon.

The programme also includes The Horse of Jenin, created by Alaa Shehada and Sam Beale in association with the Palestine Comedy Club, combining personal storytelling, theatre and humour.

Please check individual production descriptions before booking, as some shows explore challenging themes or may be intended for adult audiences.

Theatre for children and families

Families are included in the 2026 festival through imaginative productions created especially for younger audiences.

At the National Botanic Gardens, Bees invites children into an interactive outdoor performance inspired by the movement and behaviour of bees. The production is presented by Australia’s Polyglot Theatre in partnership with The Ark.

Polyglot Theatre and The Ark also present Pram People, a participatory experience for babies, young children and their adults. Instead of asking families to sit quietly in a traditional auditorium, the production turns an everyday walk with a pram into a shared theatrical event.

These productions offer families a welcoming introduction to live performance while demonstrating that theatre can happen far beyond a conventional stage.

Talks, tours and festival events

Dublin Theatre Festival is more than a programme of plays. The 2026 festival also includes discussions, professional events and opportunities to learn more about theatre.

Visitors can join Dublin’s Older Theatre History: A Walking Tour, exploring stories connected with the city’s theatrical past. The Festival Forum programme brings artists, audiences and cultural thinkers together for conversations about the body, borders, public life and the future of performance.

There are also events for theatre professionals and emerging artists, including the International Theatre eXchange, The Next Stage, the Young Critics Panel and development initiatives for new work.

Dublin Theatre Festival venues

Performances take place at venues throughout Dublin city and county, including:

• Abbey Theatre
• Gate Theatre
• Gaiety Theatre
• Project Arts Centre
• Dublin Municipal Theatre at Smock Alley
• Samuel Beckett Theatre
• O’Reilly Theatre at Belvedere College
• Civic Theatre in Tallaght
• Draíocht in Blanchardstown
• Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire
• National Botanic Gardens

Because the festival uses multiple venues, visitors should check the location listed for their chosen performance before travelling.

Tickets and accessible performances

Tickets for Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 are available through the festival website and box office. Prices, performance times and age recommendations vary depending on the production.

The festival offers concession tickets for selected performances, while the 10FOR10 initiative provides thousands of €10 tickets for eligible people under 30, unwaged audiences, freelance artists and arts workers.

A wide selection of accessible performances is available, including Irish Sign Language interpreted performances, captioned shows, audio description, touch tours and relaxed performances. Accessibility services differ between productions, so visitors should review the individual event listing or contact the festival’s access team before booking.

With acclaimed Irish companies, celebrated writers, adventurous international artists and performances for audiences of different ages, Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 is set to be one of the highlights of Dublin’s autumn cultural calendar.