What makes County Kilkenny culturally distinctive from other places in Ireland is that there is something for everyone from young to old and everyone is welcome to attend. Kilkenny has a proud and rich heritage, a unique and diverse arts environment and is a hub of crafts, design, culture and creativity. We recognise the transformative role that culture can play in people’s lives, contributing towards inclusive social and economic development, as well as sustainable development.

The challenge for us all is to sustain and improve the cultural life of the City and County by ensuring that the infrastructure and funding is in place to ensure our communities get maximum benefit, and that their high expectations of cultural activity and development are met.

Kilkenny City and County has an extensive, illustrious and spirited tradition of Culture, Heritage and the Arts all of which play an integral role in the life of Kilkenny. It is somewhat of a Mecca for artists, makers and those interested in culture, heritage and creativity. Kilkenny has a long history of cultivating and showcasing heritage and arts in its many guises and this has provided us with a rich legacy for the county. The Arts, creativity and heritage continue to be a significant ingredient in Kilkenny largely contributing to the progression of the social, cultural, creative, economic, and political future of Kilkenny.

Kilkenny hosts a variety of cultural spaces and organisations and is renowned for its festivals including the Kilkenny Arts Festival, The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Savour Food Festival, Kilkenomics Festival, Subtitle International Film Festival, Kilkenny Animated Festival and TradFest. We are home to the Heritage Council, the Butler Gallery, the National Design and Craft Council of Ireland, the National Design and Craft gallery, Cartoon Saloon animation studio and the Medieval Mile Museum.

Essentially Kilkenny has a proud and rich arts and cultural heritage, a unique and diverse arts environment and is a hub of arts, design, crafts, culture and creativity. It is a county that recognises and embraces the transformative role that creativity, arts, heritage and culture can play in people’s lives.

Kilkenny’s Culture and Creativity Strategy, focuses on the Creative Ireland programme’s belief that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity. Kilkenny’s Creative Ireland programme has seen a host of projects and initiatives since 2017 designed to illustrate the power of culture and social engagement in the overall well-being of its citizens. Projects delivered to date through the Creative Ireland programme have helped to promote the intrinsic value of culture, increasing the understanding and visibility of culture and creativity in County Kilkenny.