Following in the wake of Out For The Weekend, Kilkenny’s pre-COVID Pride festival, Kilkenny Pride burst onto the calendar last July to great acclaim, bringing with it the city’s first Pride parade.
Put together a small group of friends in 2025 to create an inclusive LGBTQAI+ festival in Kilkenny, Kilkenny Pride is back for a second year with a four-day programme of events getting underway this Thursday.
This year’s lineup includes a vibrant mix of community events ranging from the arts to a queer céilí, music and DJs, education, drag artists, open mic, and family-focused activities, culminating in a Pride Parade and a family fun day. As a new addition for 2026, organisers have included the first Pride Film Festival at the Set Theatre on John Street.
2026 Kilkenny Pride Programme
Thursday 23 July
Thursday gets underway with the inaugural Kilkenny Pride Film Festival, beginning at 7pm at Set Theatre (doors from 6.30pm). It’s a free event (tickets available here for numbers) supported by Kilkenny County Council.
Friday 24 July
Friday brings two music-based events, the first of which sees Queer Sheds Kilkenny and Fennelly’s of Callan present a Queer Céilí, supported by Cartoon Saloon. It’s an early start, getting underway from 6.30pm and running until 9.30pm, with tickets €10. The Queer Céilí features August Kirwan, Kim Kennedy and the Faoin Tuath Céilí Band.
Then from 9pm you’ve got the Johnnie Jukebox Glamrock Disco – dress to impress in another free event to let your hair down for Pride weekend.
Saturday 25 July
Saturday is a busy day and the big one for the weekend, getting underway with the Heartstopper Read-A-Thon at Castlecomer Library from 11.30am (a free event).
This year’s Kilkenny Pride Parade meets outside Kilkenny Castle at 1pm for a short route through Kilkenny city from The Parade, up High Street, around by the quay and heading for Butler Gallery to link up with the Family Fun Day. This year, the event is supported by State Street and features Kilkenny Pride regular Poppy De Scrace as host for a day of fun and music with performances from Seafall, Antanna, Maryann, Saol, DJ Cian and GowlHaus.
The Tea Houses on Bateman Quay host a Chosen Families Portrait Event, before the night winds down (or up) for Pride After Dark as Séid takes over Set Theatre including Miswhite, DJ Eddie B, DJ Cian, GowlHaus and Miss Behaving. Séid is supported by Walsh’s Toyota.
Sunday 26 July
It’s a social occasion on Sunday to wrap up this year’s Kilkenny Pride weekend, beginning with a BBQ in The Home Rule Club in the city centre – underway from 4pm – wrapping up with an Open Mic Night in the same venue from 7.30pm.
For more details and highlights, check kilkennypride.ie or follow Kilkenny Pride on Instagram.
