Irish Arts Center has announced a sweeping 2026-27 season that will bring some of Ireland's most celebrated living artists to New York. The programming arrives five years after the opening of the organization's new building on 11th Avenue and spans theatre, dance, music, literature, and visual art.
The centerpiece of the season is a double bill from Galway's Druid theatre company, presenting J. M. Synge's "Riders to the Sea" alongside Shakespeare's "Macbeth" from February 18 to March 21. The production served as the highlight of Druid's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and earned a five-star review from The Guardian, which praised the show for "showcasing the artistry of this tight-knit ensemble and the excavatory lens of Hynes." Director Garry Hynes returns to IAC following the sold-out run of Beckett's "Endgame" in 2025, this time leading a cast of 11 actors including Marty Rea as Macbeth and fellow Tony winner Marie Mullen as Lady Macbeth.
Dance takes center stage twice over the course of the season. Choreographer Oona Doherty brings the North American premiere of "Specky Clark", a work exploring her own great-great-grandfather's history, from October 25 to November 15. The piece features music from Irish folk band Lankum and follows Doherty's earlier IAC engagements with "Hard to Be Soft" and "Navy Blue". In the spring, Michael Keegan-Dolan and his company Teaċ Daṁsa present "1975" / "Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig" from April 15 to 25, a piece set to the entirety of the Bothy Band's classic album. The Irish Times has called Keegan-Dolan "a phenomenal choreographer," adding that his dancers are among "the best contemporary dancers, in one of the most exciting companies in the world."
Music runs throughout the year, with performances from Cork-born chanteuse Camille O'Sullivan, who returns for a run of shows from June 8 to 12 more than five years after headlining the opening of IAC's current building. Villagers, the project of singer-songwriter Conor O'Brien, comes to IAC for a weeklong residency from May 6 to 8, marking the band's first New York performance since 2016. The multi-year partnership between IAC, Carnegie Hall, and Askonas Holt continues with a second St. Patrick's Eve concert from Martin Hayes and his quartet on March 16, joined by pianist Thomas Bartlett and the folk duo Ye Vagabonds.
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Literary programming includes the 17th edition of IAC's PoetryFest, curated by Vona Groarke, running November 20 to 22 and featuring poets from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and North America. Visual art offerings open the season with a show from the Belfast-based Array Collective, running from September 18 through January 13, before shifting in spring 2027 to a painting exhibition featuring Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Geraldine O'Neill, two of Ireland's most recognized contemporary artists.
The season will also see IAC honor actress Jessie Buckley at its annual gala on November 6. The Killarney native recently starred opposite Paul Mescal in Chloé Zhao's film adaptation of Hamnet, a role that earned her recognition at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Critics' Choice.
Irish Arts Center Executive Director Aidan Connolly said the milestone anniversary made for a fitting moment to expand the organization's ambitions. "Five years after opening our new home on 11th Avenue, we are thrilled to launch our 2026-27 season featuring a bounty of world-class Irish artists across the disciplines," he said. "It's a cliché to say this, but this truly is our most spectacular season yet, and we are excited for New York to experience all of this wonderful work from so many artists at the absolute top of their game."
Family and community events round out the calendar, including the return of Oíche Shamhna for Halloween, a St. Brigid's Imbolc concert, and the annual St. Patrick's Open Day. Full details and tickets for the season are available at irishartscenter.org.
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