Kildare County Council has announced the return of the Brigid 2025 festival at an event in Naas, set to take place from January 24 to February 3, 2025, in celebration of St. Brigid’s enduring spirit and continuing the Brigid 1500 programme which attracted 80,000 incremental visitors to the county.
The festival was launched at Naas Library and Cultural Centre, with special guests Mary Coughlan and Megan O’ Neill.
The festival promises a vibrant array of performances, cultural events, and themes centred around “Her Spirit, Our Story,” highlighting values championed by St. Brigid, such as spirituality, sustainability, and social justice.
Featured artists include prominent Irish names like Mary Coughlan, Orla Gartland, Una Healy, Lemoncello, Lisa O’Neill, and Megan O’Neill, with special events ranging from a celebration of Irish women artists to a ‘He for She’ concert promoting female empowerment.
Kildare County Council reiterated the festival’s aim to deepen connections to heritage while honouring St. Brigid, with hopes for it to become a permanent fixture in the Irish cultural calendar following last year’s impressive turnout of nearly 80,000 visitors.
Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Kildare County Council shared “Revered for her miracles and visions, Brigid carved out her own independent path and was a powerful inspiration for many people. This is the powerful legacy that Brigid 2025 – Spirit of Kildare keeps alive.”
“With Brigid 2025 – Spirit of Kildare, we’re carrying forward the momentum of last year’s success of Brigid 1500 and building a festival that promises to be even bigger and better. This was established as an inclusive celebration honouring the life and legacy of St Brigid, and designed to bring her story to life in new, inspiring ways for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
“We are aiming to deepen our collective connection to this powerful historical figure. Brigid 2025 – Spirit of Kildare is an initiative that invites everyone to engage with Kildare’s heritage throughout the festival. We hope this connection and this celebration continues for years to come.”
“Thanks to the incredible support, and attendance of thousands at last year’s events, we are confident that this festival has resonated and will continue to resonate with those who call Ireland home and those who are visiting.”
Hot Press Editor, Niall Stokes shared; “It has been a real pleasure for everyone in Hot Press, working on the development of the festival in Kildare over the past two years. The theme of celebrating Irish women artists has resonated powerfully with the artists themselves, and with audiences. Since Brigid’s Day was announced as a national holiday in 2023, we’ve enjoyed some of the most special nights of music imaginable in Kildare – reflecting the extraordinary sense of solidarity, mutual support and community that exists among Ireland’s female singers, songwriters and performers.
With that in mind, we are looking forward with great anticipation to ten days of wonderful music in towns across the county as January turns into February, to celebrate the indomitable Irish female spirit – the spirit of Brigid.”
Events include (with supplied descriptions):
- Nothing Compares – A Celebration of Irish Women Artists at The Moat Theatre. A night of extraordinary, genre-spanning music by Irish women, will celebrate the boundless range and talent of Ireland’s contemporary female artists
- He for She, at Dreamland Ballroom. The concert will bring together some of Ireland’s leading artists to celebrate the ‘He for She’ ideal, adding a new dimension to the Brigid’s Day proceedings in which men share the festival, and its core message, of female empowerment.
- Mother Earth at The Wonderful Barn. A star-studded show featuring songs on the theme of ‘Mother Earth’ a line-up of Ireland’s leading female artists will link the spirit of Brigid with the primal power of Mother Earth.
- Written In The Soul: An Evening of Song at St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare. This specially curated, ticketed event will draw from the well of spiritual music, choral music, soul music and the Irish tradition to deliver an event that stirs the soul and the spirit alike.
- Warriors! Celebrating Ireland’s Sportswomen at The Curragh Racecourse. A fun, sport-filled day at The Curragh for all the family and an evening event featuring a very special musical guest taking to the main stage for a celebratory performance.
