The Guide: Chappell Roan, Hamilton, Culture Night and other events to see, shows to book and ones to catch before they end

“I just wanted to feel like a good person, but I had this part of me that wanted to escape so bad,” says Chappell Roan says of her upbringing as a conservative Christian in Missouri. Job done, then, as the American singer has made something of a name for herself by leaning into the drag-artist world not only with her performance style (which Rolling Stone describes as “watching Michelangelo craft the statue of David in real time”) but also with her songs, notably from her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. This show, originally scheduled for the Academy, was quickly upgraded to 3Olympia. Next year? Put your money on 3Arena.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s biomusical – based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the United States’ founding fathers – is one of the most acclaimed productions in musical theatre. Not even a filmed version of the Broadway show (released in 2020 on Disney+) can dissuade audiences from seeing it, as indicated by the very few tickets left for this two-month run. For those who have a gold-dust ticket, we envy you. For those about to rap – we salute you.
Promoting culture as part of the everyday in people’s lives is the core premise of Culture Night, the annual all-island celebration of creative range and events that take place in virtually every town and county. Pitched as a one-night-only cultural playground, it features all manner of creative displays, from Seisiún Palaistíneach, a traditional-music concert featuring Irish and Palestinian musicians (Wood Quay Amphitheatre, Dublin) to RTÉ Celebrates Culture Night (which features the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Gemma Hayes, Villagers and Joe Chester, as well as a recording of David Gray and Colm Mac Con Iomaire performing on Skellig Michael).
Ten years as a major-label artist hasn’t dulled the creative ambitions of New York’s Melanie Martinez, whose career has been a mixture of indie-pop bangers (from her 2015 debut album, Cry Baby), experimental art/synth-pop tunes (last year’s Portals) and intriguing reinvented stage identities. Her 3Arena appearance is the first show on the European leg of her Portals tour. Special guests are the alt-pop singer Elita and the indie-rock singer Sofia Isella.
For something that began in 2005 as a village event, Clonakilty International Guitar Festival has reasons to be cheerful as it celebrates its 20th birthday. The festival, self-styled as Guitartown, continues to grow with gigs that showcase a broad range of music – everything is on the agenda here, from blues, folk and rock to classical, trad and punk. The many highlights include the Irish acts Niamh Regan, John Spillane and Stanley Super 800, the Canadian duo Moonfruits and the UK musician, writer and broadcaster John Robb.
As Ireland’s longest-running community arts festival – 47 years and no signs of stopping – this event knows a thing or two about attracting and retaining attention. Attractions include visual arts (Portraits, a solo exhibition by Mick O’Dea), music (Martin Hayes, Kate Ellis, Ultan Conlon, Lisa Lambe, Cherish the Ladies), conversations (the songwriter Mick Hanly, the writer Paul Lynch), a blend of music and poetry (Paula Meehan, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Theo Dorgan), theatre (Mikel Murfi’s The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey) and classical (Pirosmani Quartet).
Crosstown Drift began as part of Cork Midsummer Festival, but for the past two years it has spread its wings to become a valuable arts festival in its own right. For the second consecutive year it’s based on the island of Garnish, in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay. Complementing the scenery and landscape is a programme of music (Lisa Hannigan, Cormac Begley), readings (Sinéad Gleeson), poetry (Victoria Kennefick) and public interviews (various, conducted by Irish Examiner journalist Eoghan O’Sullivan). It all sounds delightful because it is.
As part of the Irish Traditional Music Archive’s annual Drawing from the Well concert tour, four of the country’s most acclaimed traditional artists – the singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, the dancer Stephanie Keane, the accordion player Derek Hickey and the fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain – present their much-admired skills at this venue. The tour continues on Saturday, September 21st, at Amharclann Choise Fharraige, Connemara; Sunday, September 22nd, at St James’ Church, Dingle, Co Kerry; Friday, September 27th, at Duncairn, Belfast; Saturday, September 28th, at Dock Arts Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim; and Sunday, September 29th, at the Venue, Ratoath, Co Meath.
As part of Dance Cork Firkin Crane’s autumn season, Irish Modern Dance Theatre presents a double bill of Abby Zbikowski’s The Future Is on the Way and John Scott’s duet Actions (Now). The former engages with ideas of resistance, the latter investigates human exchanges through dramatic expression.
Lisa Hannigan and Friends, Vicar Street, Dublin, November 25th, ticketmaster.ie
Soda Blonde, Vicar Street, Dublin, December 7th, ticketmaster.ie
Glasshouse Perform Ryuichi Sakamoto, NCH, Dublin, January 18th, nch.ie
David McSavage, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, January 24th, ticketmaster.ie