Irish Cultural Centre Announces Spring 2026 Season Of Music, Theatre, Literature And Talks

From Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon to new Irish musical RISING and performances from Seán Keane, The 4 of Us, and musician, comedian and TikTok star Garron Noone, the ICC’s latest programme brings together established artists and new voices from across Irish culture

The Irish Cultural Centre (ICC), the central hub for Irish arts and culture in London,  today announces its Spring 2026 season, bringing together leading voices from Irish music, literature, theatre and history in a programme that reflects the breadth and continuing evolution of Irish arts and culture, while continuing to present work that speaks to both Irish audiences and the wider cultural landscape.

Highlights of the season include Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, traditional music legend Seán Keane, Irish rock favourites The 4 of Us, comedian, musician and social media star  Garron Noone, and new Irish musical RISING, while its lecture series continues with historian Michael Smith’s talk on polar explorer Ernest Shackleton.

Also announced at this stage, ahead of the ICC’s wider autumn programme, is a November performance from renowned singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy, best known for writing the title track of A Woman’s Heart, the best-selling album in Irish chart history.

William Foote, Centre Director of the Irish Cultural Centre, said:

“This spring programme reflects the breadth of Irish culture today, balancing traditional music with contemporary voices and showcasing both established artists and a new generation of rising talent. We’re proud to play a part in that journey, supporting artists as they develop their careers while also welcoming major names. We’re particularly pleased that more Irish artists are now approaching the ICC to be part of the programme, including contemporary acts who might typically gravitate towards London’s trend-led venues, but who recognise the ICC as an important cultural home for Irish work. That growing trust in what we’re building here is very exciting.”

The Irish Cultural Centre is open to everyone – no membership, no need to be Irish, just a passion for great music, Irish culture and live performance

The full Spring 2026 programme is detailed here:

MUSIC

Heidi Talbot

Fri 17 April 

Irish folk singer Heidi Talbot, who first rose to prominence in the US as a member of Cherish the Ladies and now lives in Edinburgh, brings her distinctive take on the tradition to the ICC. Alongside her folk roots, her solo work has included collaborations with Mark Knopfler, King Creosote and Radiohead drummer Philip Selway, reflecting a musical approach that reaches beyond traditional boundaries.

Into the West with The Kane Sisters, Ox Mountain Quartet & Caitriona Ní CheannabháinSat 18 AprilThis concert celebrates the rich musical traditions of the West of Ireland, with the Kane Sisters’ fiddle playing rooted in the traditional style and shaped through collaborations with artists including Sharon Shannon. The programme also reflects the continuing evolution of Irish traditional music, bringing together performers working across both traditional and contemporary approaches.

Seán Keane

Sat 25 April – Sun 26 April 

Renowned traditional Irish singer Seán Keane, widely regarded as a major figure within the tradition, performs two nights at the ICC as part of his tour. Known for his longstanding contribution to Irish music, Keane’s work sits firmly within the traditional tradition.

Luka Bloom

Thursday 30 April 

Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom, known for a style that draws on Irish folk alongside influences from Romany music and classical guitar, brings his distinctive songwriting to the ICC. Luca has developed a strong artistic identity within Irish music through a career shaped by these varied musical traditions.

The 4 of Us

Friday 1st May

Brothers Brendan and Declan Murphy of The 4 of Us perform songs shaped by evocative storytelling and their experiences growing up on the Irish border during the Troubles. A major Irish rock band with a significant record deal and once rivals to U2, their album Man Alive was named among Q magazine’s Top 50 albums of 1992, with the group now continuing as a duo.

Chunky Business

Saturday 2nd May

Bringing their trademark “chunky” style to the fore, Gary Curley and Stephen McKee have combined accordion and banjo in a sound that is rhythmically strong, grounded, and distinctively their own. In 2025, the duo released their debut album, ‘CHUNKY BUSINESS’. The album is a playful nod to the duo’s signature style, introducing their first recording that has been originally arranged, confidently presented and establishes that the duo are very much open for CHUNKY BUSINESS!

Pauline Scanlon and the Half Room

Fri 8 May

‘The Half Room’ comprises a group of friends bonded by their mutual passion for folk songs and singing. What initially started as a weekly gathering to share songs has evolved into a new  band,ready to release their debut self-titled album”

Garron Noone – First UK London Live Show

Thu 14 May – Sun 17 May

Irish comedian, musician and social media personality Garron Noone makes his UK debut at the ICC, bringing together comedy, music and his online persona. Known for his popular reviews of foods and Irish towns across YouTube and TikTok, he represents a newer generation of Irish performers building audiences through digital platforms.

The Byrne Brothers

Sun 24 May

Originally from Donegal and now based in Florida, The Byrne Brothers have built an international reputation for their high-energy performances that combine traditional Irish music, modern Celtic sounds and world-class Irish dancing. Their dynamic stage show blends powerful musicianship with infectious rhythm and a genuine family charm that has won audiences around the world.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Band

Sat 30 May 

Award-winning Irish singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh performs with a lineup of leading Irish musicians, bringing a sound rooted in traditional music while also reflecting wider musical influences. Alongside her work in traditional Irish music, she is also part of the electronica duo Aeons, highlighting the breadth of her musical practice.

Notify

Sat 27 June

Irish contemporary instrumental ensemble Notify bring together a six-piece lineup featuring concertina, fiddle, drums, piano, electric bass and guitars. Their music reflects a blend of jazz, electronic and folk influences, demonstrating the continuing evolution of Irish instrumental music.

Eleanor McEvoy – It’s Good to Be Here

Thu 05 November – Fri 06 November 

Renowned Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy returns to the ICC, widely recognised for writing the title track of A Woman’s Heart, the best-selling album in Irish chart history. The 1992 compilation featured leading Irish female artists including Sinéad O’Connor, Mary Black and Sharon Shannon, with McEvoy’s songwriting at its centre.

THEATRE

THE MAN WHO LEFT THE TITANIC

Fri 10 April – Sat 11 April 

Isosceles Theatre Company presents a drama exploring survival and moral responsibility aboard the Titanic. The play focuses on J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line, examining the controversy surrounding his survival and the questions it raised about duty and human instinct.

RISING: a new Irish musical

Fri 24 April 

This new musical by Tasker & McGrath explores the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising, a pivotal moment in Irish history. The company previously presented The Queen is Mad at the Edinburgh Fringe, and the work is connected to Amy Clare Tasker, founder of the Voila! Theatre Festival.

Making a Show of Myself

Fri 22 May - Sat 23 May

Making A Show of Myself is a unique piece of theatre with roots in Seanchas (the Irish tradition of live storytelling.) In it, Mary Kate shows how stories save our sanity and sustain our spirits. She demonstrates how storytelling defines the shared values of tribes and binds together families, friend groups and the whole human race. She makes her case while illustrating it with six of her own captivating true-life stories that have made her a Grand Slam Champion Storyteller here and in America.

LITERATURE

Delving into Dubliners – A Talk with Donal Manning

Fri 01 May

Donal Manning brings his longstanding engagement with the work of James Joyce to this talk exploring Dubliners. A former paediatrician who later completed a PhD on Finnegans Wake at Liverpool University, he has taught Joyce’s fiction and published Finnegans Wake, Ulster and Partition in 2023.

Paul Muldoon: A History of Ireland in 12 Poems

Wed 06 May

One of Ireland’s leading poets, Paul Muldoon presents a reading exploring Irish history through poetry, with poems covering Vikings, Normans, the English, Ireland’s Troubles and contemporary events. Born in 1951, he has published more than thirty collections, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize, and has held major academic posts including Professor of Poetry at Oxford and University Professor in the Humanities at Princeton.

Kevin Rowland In-Conversation with Richard Balls on his memoir ‘Bless Me Father, A life story’

Tue 26 May

Join ‘Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ iconic frontman Kevin Rowland, one of the great mavericks and creative geniuses of British music, for a truly special evening discussing his astonishing and subversive memoir, ‘Bless Me Father’. Kevin will be In-Conversation with acclaimed music biographer Richard Balls, (‘A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan’, ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Life of Ian Dury’).

LECTURES

The Incredible Story of Kevin Barry – By Carmel Kelly

Wed 22 April

Historian Carmel Kelly explores the life of Kevin Barry, the youngest person executed during the Irish War of Independence. Part of the ICC’s Irish History lecture programme, the talk examines his journey from student to Irish Volunteer and his enduring legacy.

ERNEST SHACKLETON – The Man and the Myths By Michael Smith

Wed 13 May – Sun 17 May

Historian Michael Smith examines the life and legacy of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, including the story of the Endurance, the ship used in Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition and discovered beneath the ice of the Weddell Sea in 2022, 107 years after it sank. Presented as part of the ICC’s Irish History lecture series, the talk explores Shackleton’s place in the history of Antarctic exploration.

The ICC Announces Spring 2026 Season of Music, Theatre, Literature and Talks. For more information visit: https://irishculturalcentre.co.uk