MORE THAN 85,000 people are expected to attend the 35th annual Kilkenny Arts Festival which kicks off in Kilkenny city tonight.
Organisers say this year's festival will be the biggest yet with over 100 events featuring 300 artists taking place over 10 days throughout the city and county.
"We've a great programme of exciting, provoking and entertaining events lined up for all ages," said festival CEO Damian Downes .
"This is going to be the biggest and we hope the best festival yet and a great celebration of 35 years of the Kilkenny Art Festival," said Mr Downes.
The skies above the medieval city will be lit up on Saturday night in a spectacular fireworks celebration of the birth of the sun by French circus troupe La Compagnie Malabar.
Festival promoters say tickets for shows are selling fast with a number of performances already sold out, including both nights of Brian Friel's Translationsand Irish singer Lisa Hannigan on Saturday.
"There are a small number of tickets left for both Mercury Rev on Tuesday and for Spiritualized who play with gospel backing singers in St Canice's Cathedral on Sunday, August 17th," a festival spokeswoman said yesterday.
Veteran war reporter and journalist with the New Yorker Jon Lee Anderson will give this year's Hubert Butler lecture entitled America at War on Tuesday at 6pm in St Canice's Cathedral.
The festival has also teamed up with the GAA for a symposium on Monday night entitled The GAA and the Creation of Modern Ireland, which will include rare footage from the 1940s to the 1960s.
The festival opens tonight with the world's leading countertenor Andreas Scholl at St Canice's Cathedral, while Malian toureg tribesman Toumast perform at the Ormonde Hotel.
Author Colm Tóibín will host a selected season of films as a tribute to Irish theatre legend Donal McCann, while the celebrated Belarus Free Theatre will give their first ever performance in Ireland.
Irish authors speaking at this year's festival include Man Booker Prize nominee Sebastian Barry and Booker Prize winner Anne Enright.
"There really is something for everyone, from the Wired strand of contemporary music, to groundbreaking theatre to fun, free outdoor events for all the family," said Mr Downes.
The Kilkenny Arts Festival, which is worth an estimated €11 million to the local economy, runs until August 17th.