Hot Press cover star Tolü Makay delivered a hair-raising performance at RTÉ's New Season Launch in the RDS today. The singer received a standing ovation for her exclusive performance of 'Mercy Mercy,' which closed the event in Ballsbridge this afternoon.

Appearing on stage in an eccentric-as-ever fiery appliqué outfit, Tolü delivered a stunning surprise performance alongside a visual preview of A Note for Nature, one of many brand-new programmes to be aired on RTÉ this season. Makay is set to feature in the series, which will explore Ireland’s most fragile landscapes through music and spoken word, showcasing the wildlife that has managed to survive in these locations.

Several artists will appear on the show, including Christy Moore, Kíla, Clare Sands & Susan O'Neill, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Alannah Thornburgh, Niamh Regan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Iarla Ó Lionáird, This is How We Fly, Myles O’Reilly & Wilzee. The remainder of RTÉ's upcoming season in Arts and Culture offers a vibrant mix of content featuring performances, creative collaborations and documentaries that celebrate Irish artists and explore our rich culture.

Speaking at the event today, Dee Forbes, Director General of RTÉ, said that the new array of programming will "connect audiences with some of the great talent we have here in Ireland." She added that there will be an increase in content produced in the Irish language this season, as well as over 40 hours of original Irish drama, representing "a 55% increase on last year and resulting in exciting new faces coming to our screens."

Many of these new faces were present at today's event, including Charlie Cox of internationally acclaimed series, Kin. Cox compared the Kinsella clan's eagerly anticipated return to screens to an arcade game, "where you hit down the heads and another one pops up." Also starring Claire Dunne and Aidan Gillen, production for the show is currently underway in Dublin.

Irish talent will be to the fore of other new dramas including brand-new series North Sea Connection, SisterS, The Dry, Clean Sweep, and the return of Smother. Forbes said that the line-up will aim to tell uniquely Irish stories while continuing "to explore our complex history through a diverse array of content as part of our commemoration of the decade of centenaries."

Speaking about the role of RTÉ in Irish society, Forbes went on to acknowledge "the importance of a diverse and vibrant media, and the multi-faceted role that it plays within Irish life."

She also noted the effect of the pandemic on public consumption of media, saying "the public appetite for news and information, for discussion and debate, for entertainment and for companionship meant that during challenging times, RTÉ - across radio, television, and online - remained a constant in the lives of so many."

Previews of numerous new programmes were showcased at today's event, which included panel discussions across areas of drama, entertainment, music, comedy, sport, news & current affairs.

You can read the full new season listings here.