Culture
15 Jul 26

Dublin Theatre Festival unveils 2026 programme – featuring Ruth Negga and more

Ruth Negga in Radio Bette via Dublin Theatre Festival.

Performances include modern plays, international dramas, contemporary dances, ballets, operas, multidisciplinary productions and more.

The Dublin Theatre Festival has announced its 2026 programme, with 26 productions to take place across various venues from September 24 to October 11.

The programme centers around four main themes: “Troublemakers,” “Irish Icons,” “The Matriarchy” and “It’s Complicated.”

Hosting international productions, Irish premieres and world premieres, the festival sees a variety of different shows spanning over 18 days and about 15 venues.

Among those is the world premiere of stage production Radio Bette at the Gaiety Theatre, starring Academy Award nominee and Ethiopian-Irish actress Ruth Negga and presented in collaboration with New York Company The Goat Exchange.

New Irish productions include A Moon for the Misbegotten, staged by the returning Druid Theatre Company, Irish National Opera’s Testament, with music by Tarik O’Regan and lyrics by Colm Tóibín, and ANU Productions' Cyclone.

Alongside the Irish shows, French stage director Rébecca Chaillon will present her performance La Parabole du Seum (Parable of the Sour). Brazilian director Carolina Bianchi, who received the Silver Lion award at the 2025 Venice Biennale, will show The Brotherhood. Other performances, including ballets, operas and more theatre productions will show as well.

“For the past year, we’ve travelled to theatres around the world searching for extraordinary work that excites, challenges and stays with you long after you’ve left the theatre,” wrote the Dublin Theatre Festival on an Instagram post. “This is a programme for the curious. For taking a chance on something unexpected.”