Event of the week
RTÉ Choice Music Prize Award
Thursday, March 5th, Vicar Street, Dublin, 6.30pm, €29.50 (sold out), choicemusicprize.ie
The 21st Choice Music Prize celebrates the 10 best Irish albums released in 2025, as judged by an 11-person panel of radio presenters and freelance journalists. Three additional prizes will be awarded on the night: Irish Artist of the Year, Irish Breakthrough Artist, and Classic Irish Album. Throughout the evening, there will be performances from seven of the nominated album acts: Amble, Joshua Burnside, CMAT (solo), Junior Brother, Just Mustard, pôt-pot, and Sprints. Prior commitments prevent the remaining nominees, Bricknasty, Dove Ellis, and Maria Somerville, from participating. May the best album win (our money is on CMAT’s Euro-Country), and may the winning artist spend the €10,000 prize money wisely. Tony Clayton-Lea
Gigs
Dave
Monday, March 2nd, 3Arena, Dublin, 6.30pm, €128.25/€61.85, ticketmaster.ie
By the age of 20, in 2018, David Orobosa Michael Omoregie had won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song (for Question Time), a Mobo Award for Best Newcomer, and a Brit Award nomination for Best British Breakthrough Act. Within a year, Dave released his debut album, Psychodrama, which won the 2020 Mercury Prize and Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. Last year’s third album, The Boy Who Played the Harp, further consolidated his artistry and highlighted narrative topics such as self-awareness, success, fear of failure, morality and harassment.
Raye
Wednesday, March 4th/Thursday, March 5th, 3Arena, Dublin, 6.30pm, €79.40/€68.85, ticketmaster.ie
Towards the end of 2020, the stars appeared to align for London singer and songwriter Raye. She had released her mini-album, Euphoric Sad Songs, to much acclaim, but the impetus was curtailed by her then record label, Polydor, delaying the release of her debut studio album. Cutting ties with the label and gaining full control of her music, it took three years until the independent release of the album 21st Century Blues, the commercial and critical success of which was viewed as a victory march for the singer. These shows are the final dates of the European promotional tour for her imminent second album, This Music May Contain Hope, which Raye says aims “to function as a hug, bed or soft place” for people who need emotional care.
Ron Sexsmith
Wednesday, March 4th, Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick, 8pm, €37.50, dolans.ie; Thursday, March 5th, Theatre Royal, Waterford, 7.30pm, €40, theatreroyal.ie; Friday, March 6th, Set Theatre, Kilkenny, 7pm, €40, set.ie
Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is a regular visitor to Ireland, but he has rarely scheduled such an extensive nationwide tour (which supports his latest album, Hangover Terrace). Long-term fans will know what to expect from such an established, lauded and affable performer: excellent folk-pop songs culled from his 40-year career, delivered with a well-honed, signature sense of humour and humility. Also, Saturday, March 7th, Live at St Luke’s, Cork, 8pm, €41.32, eventbrite.ie; Sunday, March 8th, Ambassador Theatre, Dublin, 7pm, €46.35, ticketmaster.ie; Tuesday, March 10th, Town Hall Theatre, Galway, 7pm, €38.65, tht.ie; Wednesday, March 11th, Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co Louth, 7.30pm, €40, spiritstore.ie
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Literature
Oliver Callan & Pat McCabe
Tuesday, March 3rd, IPUT Mary Lavin Place, Wilton Park, Dublin, 5.30pm, €10/€8, ilfdublin.com
A pop-up event in association with the International Literary Festival Dublin, broadcaster and satirist Oliver Callan and 2026 IPUT Writer in Residence, Patrick McCabe, discuss their respective backgrounds as well as the various influences that led them from their native Co Monaghan to working in, respectively, celebrated radio presentation and comedy and acclaimed writing. Expect conversational cut and thrust, impish discourse, and acute Monaghan-esque insights. This is an over-18s event.
Arts festival
Disrupt Disability Arts Festival
From Thursday, March 5th, until Saturday, March 7th, Project Arts Centre, various times/prices, disruptfestival.ie
This disability-led and focused arts festival is now in its third year and gathers visual arts, dance, theatre and film within its programming remit. The opening night (Thursday, March 5th) features exhibition launches, the premiere of Uncouth, a play by Moss Russell that explores the ambiguities of etiquette, and a screening of the short film Let Go, the directorial debut of arts journalist and disability rights activist Louise Bruton. One of the closing events (Saturday, March 7th) features performance artist and choreographer Chisato Minamimura’s Mark of a Woman, which investigates the under-expressed connections between women and tattooing cultures.
Comedy
Tony Cantwell: You Cry Weird
Friday, March 6th, Kavanagh’s Bar, Portlaoise, Co Laois, 7.30pm, €30.80, kavanaghsportlaoise.com
From stand-up, online video sketches and acting to chart-topping podcast co-host (Young Hot Guys, with Killian Sunderman and Shane Daniel Byrne), Tony Cantwell’s name is well known. His absurdist comedy may not be for everyone (he considers his work niche), but he’s a natural at setting up scenarios featuring characters we are familiar with and some we hope we never meet. Also, Friday, March 13th, Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Dublin, 8pm, €28, draiocht.ie; Friday, March 20th, De Barras, Clonakilty, Co Cork, 8.30pm, €28, debarras.ie; Saturday, March 21st, Abbey Tavern, Howth, Co Dublin, 8pm, €28, abbeytavern.ie
Still running
Ennis Book Club Festival
From Friday, March 6th until Sunday, March 8th, various venues/times/prices, Ennis, Co Clare, ennisbookclubfestival.com
Happy 20th birthday to the Ennis Book Club Festival, a community-driven event that celebrates the rewards of reading through conversation, author interviews, book recommendations and discussion/reading parties. Highlights include New Perspectives in Writing (Wendy Erskine, Oona Frawley, and Oisín Fagan, Friday, March 6th, Temple Gate Hotel, 6pm, €14) and Anne Enright (Saturday, March 7th, Glór, 8pm, €17).
Book it this week
- Kilkenny Roots Festival, May 1st-4th, kilkennyroots.com
- Adrian Crowley, Tengu, Dublin, May 8th, foggynotions.ie
- Cody Johnson, 3Arena, Dublin, November 5th, ticketmaster.ie
- Phil Wang, Vicar Street, Dublin, November 26th, ticketmaster.ie
