Billy Elliot is the much anticipated theatrical event of the summer - The worldwide phenomenon comes to Ireland for the very first time for an exciting 6 week run at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

Billy Elliot the Musical joins a long list of highly commended, smash hit international shows including Wicked, Lion King, War Horse and Dirty Dancing which have all made their Irish debut on the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre stage.

Based on the much loved motion picture, Billy Elliot the Musical opened in the West End in 1995 and has been seen by over 11 million people worldwide and played on 5 continents collecting 80 international awards along the way including 10 Tony Awards - The original movie made aprx 110 million.

This inspirational musical follows Billy in his triumph over adversity. Set in 1980’s Northern England the story reflects the social unrest of the time and the political class war between the ruling class Tory government led by Margaret Thatcher and the working class coal miners who had made Britain great, since the dawning of the industrial revolution.

This story of struggling against the odds is very much a story which still resonates today. Ultimately though it’s Billy’s fight to turn his dream into a reality, which touches the heart and soul of theatre goers. Musical superstar Sir Elton John - who wrote the music for the show admits that he burst into tears the first time he saw the movie and knew that he had to make it into a musical!

Over the next 6 weeks it’s envisaged that over 80,000 people will visit the theatre over the 6 week run and we anticipate 30% of those coming from overseas as tourists visiting our capital city, inevitably bringing a welcome boost to restaurants and hotels in the local area.