The best music, theatre, comedy, film and spoken word in the coming year

From Macnas parades and the Bram Stoker Festival to Guinness Cork Jazz Festival

How did niche operas in a remote corner of Ireland become an international fixture?

Backstage stories add even more colour to preparations for three new productions

‘Medea’ misses the mark while ‘Risurrezione’ goes down a storm

The actor played Medea ‘many years ago’. Now she is directing Cherubini’s opera at Wexford Festival Opera – and rehearsals have become a journey of discovery

Italian classical guitarist Oscar Ghiglia pulls no punches when it comes to his students or his peers

This year the festival expands across 18 days, starting October 19th

New year promises a richness of fare across all artistic forms in all part of the country

Gaetano Donizetti’s complicated and gory – and long-overlooked – work gets a fascinating outing

Arminta Wallace gets a peek at the action behind the scenes at Wexford Festival Opera

Eight weekend trips for motorists who’d prefer to explore Ireland by bus or train

Start planning this year’s holidays and weekends away in Ireland with our guide to the best arts events and festivals throughout the country

A year of Yeats. The return of the Gathering. The zaniness of TedFest. The muckiness of the National Ploughing Championships. The musical magic of Electric Picnic. The spectacular scenery of Earagail Arts Festival. And much more. Consider yourself told