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AFestivalOf
Visual
Storytelling

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11th - 13th Sept 2026

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A speech bubble outlined in black, red, blue, yellow, and green on a white background. The overlapping lines create a colourful, multi-layered effect—perfect for capturing the energy of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.Events 2026

What’s on

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Screenings

Check out exciting free events at the Kilkenny Animated Festival!

 

Workshops

We have engaging workshops available just for you.

Pathways

Watch a great selection of films and short films.

Sketching Tours

Join us for Sketching Tours, where creativity comes to life!

A speech bubble outlined in black, red, blue, yellow, and green on a white background. The overlapping lines create a colourful, multi-layered effect—perfect for capturing the energy of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.Key Sponsors

Fáilte Ireland logo featuring a green shamrock surrounded by two circular brushstrokes, one green and one light blue, with the words "Fáilte Ireland" in bold green text on the right—perfect for events like the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
Kilkenny County Council logo featuring a red and black abstract symbol above a black and white shield, with text in Irish and English. This emblem often appears at events like the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
Black and white Cartoon Saloon logo; the words "Cartoon Saloon" are written in bold, playful, rounded letters with overlapping “t” and “l”, echoing the creative spirit seen at the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
The image shows the logo for Light House Studios, featuring a stylised blue "L" shape next to the words "LIGHT HOUSE STUDIOS" in bold blue letters on a white background, known for participating in events like the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A boy wearing headphones stands in front of a microphone, speaking or singing, as a bearded man in a cap adjusts the mic in a studio with a green screen background at the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Kilkenny Animated

A Celebration
of Creativity in Animation

Kilkenny Animated is a small animation festival with a big appetite for visual storytelling.


Set in the medieval heart of Kilkenny, it brings animation lovers, curious creatives and industry folk together to engage, share, connect and inspire. 

The programme is focused and immersive, shaped by craft, conversation and a belief that creativity works best in good company.

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Two men sit on stage at the Kilkenny Animated Festival in front of a screen displaying "A Festival of Visual Storytelling." One holds papers while the other speaks and gestures, both dressed in casual clothing.

Meet Our
Speakers & Panelists

festival lineup

A woman with long hair smiles at the camera, wearing a collared shirt and a necklace shaped like the outline of a country, set in a monochromatic blue filter with an engraved effect—perfect for the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A woman with long, straight, blonde hair smiles warmly at the camera. She wears a grey collared shirt and a gold necklace. The colourful panels in the blurred background hint at the vibrant spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Maggie Kang

KPop Demon Hunters • Lego Ninjago Movie

A middle-aged man with glasses and a beard smiles gently. He wears a festive shirt featuring holiday-themed illustrations, perfect for the Kilkenny Animated Festival. The image has a red tint and a detailed, stippled texture.
A middle-aged man with glasses, a trimmed grey beard, and a receding hairline smiles softly. He wears a colourful shirt with cartoon characters and a nature scene, perhaps celebrating the spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival. A blurred poster is visible behind him.

Kevin Lima

Enchanted • A Goofy Movie • Aladdin

A man with short hair and a slight smile is shown in a green-tinted, stylised halftone portrait at the Kilkenny Animated Festival. He wears a light shirt featuring a small illustration and text. The image has rounded corners.
A man with short brown hair and light stubble smiles at the camera. He is wearing a light grey sweatshirt with a small embroidered tiger logo, set against a blurred background featuring colourful images from the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Chris Applehans

KPop Demon Hunters • Wish Dragon

A woman with long wavy hair and glasses smiles at the camera. The image, tinted yellow with a halftone pattern, captures a vintage, textured vibe—perfectly reflecting the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A woman with long, wavy brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She’s wearing a grey top and pendant necklace, standing outdoors with a blurred green background and a colourful Kilkenny Animated Festival border.

Brenda Chapman

Brave • The Lion King • Beauty and the Beast

A stylised, cyan-tinted portrait of a person with long hair wearing a baseball cap and a dark top, facing forward with a slight smile—capturing the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival in a textured, screen-printed effect.
A woman with long blonde hair wearing a navy cap and black shirt stands outdoors with hills in the background, a colourful border framing her as if she's part of the Kilkenny Animated Festival. She has a neutral expression, small hoop earrings, and a necklace.

Lisa Hanawalt

Tuca & Bertie • BoJack Horseman

A person with long, wavy hair and glasses, wearing a dark cardigan over a patterned top, stands in front of a plain background. The image, filtered with a red tint, evokes the creative energy of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A person with long, wavy fair hair and glasses looks to the side, wearing a T-shirt and jacket. The black and white photo, framed by a colourful rainbow border, captures the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Cliodhna Lyons

Póg mo Pigeon • The Secret of Kells

A stylised, green-tinted portrait of a person with dark hair pulled back, wearing a striped shirt and thin necklace, smiling softly—capturing the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival against a plain background.
Black and white portrait of a woman with dark hair tied back, wearing a striped top and layered necklaces, smiling softly. The image has a thin rainbow-coloured border, inspired by the vibrant spirit of Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Giovanna Ferrari

The Breadwinner • Wolfwalkers

A man with short hair and a beard, wearing a dark hoodie, smiles at the camera. The image features a blue monochrome filter and textured, stylised effect, capturing the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A man with light skin, brown hair, and a short beard is wearing a navy hoodie. He stands outdoors in front of leafy green plants, smiling gently at the camera. The photo has a colourful border inspired by the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Paddy Lynch

Comic Artist • Educator • Graphic Designer

A stylised, monochromatic image of a woman with wavy hair, gazing to the left with her chin resting on her raised hand, evokes the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival. The textured effect pops against a yellow-tinted background.
A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a blue polka-dot top, gazes thoughtfully to the side with her hand near her chin. The image has a colourful border inspired by the vibrant spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Chloe Farr

Director • Au Revoir Jerome

A stylised, pink-tinted portrait of a person with short hair in a chunky-knit jumper, smiling gently. The plain, light background and soft lighting evoke the creativity and charm of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
Black and white portrait of a middle-aged woman with short hair, wearing a textured jumper, smiling gently. The photo has a colourful, gradient border inspired by the vibrant spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Nora Twomey

Partner & Creative Director at Cartoon Saloon

A woman with long, wavy hair smiles while looking at the camera at the Kilkenny Animated Festival. She is wearing a long-sleeved top and earrings. The image has a green monochrome filter and a stippled, halftone texture.
A woman with long, wavy brown hair smiles outdoors at the Kilkenny Animated Festival. She is wearing an olive green jumper, patterned earrings, and a green top. The image has a soft, colourful border.

Delphine Coudray

Director • ReRooted

A man with curly hair and a beard stares directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The image, reminiscent of Kilkenny Animated Festival artwork, has a blue tint and a textured, stylised effect. He is wearing a knitted jumper.
Black and white portrait of a man with curly shoulder-length hair, a short beard, and a neutral expression, wearing a crew-neck jumper. The image features a rounded, colourful gradient border inspired by the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Alan Holly

Director • Coda

A stylised, blue-tinted portrait of a person with dark hair pulled back, wearing a zipped-up dark top, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression, inspired by the creative spirit of Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A young person with light skin, long brown hair tied back, and brown eyes is looking straight at the camera, wearing a black zip-up top. A soft, multicoloured border adds a creative touch reminiscent of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Adam Sillard

Au Revoir, Jerome

A stylised, yellow-toned portrait of a man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a collared shirt, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. The image has a textured, halftone effect inspired by the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A man with short dark hair and a full beard smiles softly at the camera at the Kilkenny Animated Festival. He is wearing a dark blue shirt over a grey T-shirt. The background is softly lit with pastel colours and a rainbow-coloured border frames the image.

Colm Dowling

Zine Machine / Nerd Pub Quiz

A bearded man in a collared shirt stands against a plain background at the Kilkenny Animated Festival. The image features a pink monochrome, stippled texture effect.
A middle-aged man with grey hair and beard, wearing a light blue shirt, stands indoors in soft lighting. The image, featuring a colourful gradient border, captures the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Martin Pope

Magic Light Pictures

A person with short hair and glasses, wearing a collared shirt, is smiling at the camera. The image, styled with a green duotone halftone effect and rounded corners, captures the lively spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A middle-aged person with short grey hair and glasses smiles gently whilst standing indoors by a sunlit window, wearing a dark button-up shirt. The image features a colourful border inspired by the vibrant spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Michael Rose

Magic Light Pictures

A woman with straight, shoulder-length hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a patterned blouse and a necklace. The image, with a blue tint and textured, stylised effect, captures the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a maroon patterned blouse and a gold necklace, smiles at the camera. The background is blurred and framed with a colourful border inspired by the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Grainne McGuinness

Paper Owl

A middle-aged man with a bald head, wearing a light-coloured collared shirt, smiles softly at the camera. The image has a blue monochrome and halftone effect, evoking the creative spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.
A smiling older man with a bald head, wearing a white collared shirt, poses against a dark background. The photo, framed by a colourful gradient border, captures the cheerful spirit of the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Steve Woods

Drawing the Line

Visual Storytelling Celebration

Kilkenny Animated

“I had such a lovely time at the festival, thank you again for the hospitality! Already daydreaming about how soon I can return to Ireland…”

A woman with long blonde hair wearing a navy cap and black shirt stands outdoors with hills in the background, a colourful border framing her as if she's part of the Kilkenny Animated Festival. She has a neutral expression, small hoop earrings, and a necklace.

Lisa Hanawalt

A woman with wavy hair wearing a white T-shirt and red lanyard stands at a table, sorting papers during the Kilkenny Animated Festival. A screen with graphics is visible behind her in a classroom or office setting.
A small animation festival with a BIG appetite

Kilkenny Animated is a small animation festival with a big appetite for visual storytelling.
Set in the medieval heart of Kilkenny, it brings animation lovers, curious creatives and industry folk together.

Academy Award® Nominated Studio

Hosted by five time Academy Award® nominated animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, and BAFTA award-winning Lighthouse Studios.

A woman in a white shirt stands against a graffiti-covered wall, arms outstretched. Blue neon doodles of shopping bags and X's evoke the vibrant, creative spirit of events like the Kilkenny Animated Festival.

Uncover Kilkenny

Plan Your Visit

Discover the charming streets of Kilkenny, where history and culture come alive.

Explore Killkenny

Get In Contact For Any Concerns Or Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Kilkenny Animated is a festival celebrating animation, illustration, and visual storytelling through talks, screenings, workshops, and creative events for audiences of all ages.

The festival takes place annually. This year runs 11th-13th Sept 2026 in Kilkenny city.

Events take place across venues in Kilkenny, with the main programme hosted in Kilkenny City.

Meet the Makers

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