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arts · Thursday 6 August 2026 · Various 
AKA - Alternative Kilkenny Arts Festival
At Multiple venues throughout Kilkenny · Kilkenny city and county, Co. Kilkenny
At Multiple venues throughout Kilkenny · Kilkenny city and county, Co. Kilkenny
Every August, Kilkenny runs two arts festivals simultaneously - the main Kilkenny Arts Festival and AKA, the Alternative Kilkenny Arts Festival, which has grown over nearly a decade into a genuinely distinct event rather than a sideshow. Run entirely by volunteers, with no artist participation fees and 100% of ticket sales going directly to artists, AKA draws on a wide spread of creative talent from across the county. It suits anyone who wants to catch art that sits outside the curated headline programme: emerging makers alongside established names, community groups alongside solo practitioners, and venues that range from shopping centres and hotel foyers to independent galleries and studios out into the county.
AKA runs for eleven days across multiple venues throughout Kilkenny city and county. Past editions have included exhibitions, outdoor cinema, pottery markets, ceramics, animation, spoken word, theatre, music, and artist-led workshops - the programme is intentionally open-ended, which means each year brings a different shape. The emphasis is on access: events are spread across the county, not just concentrated in the city centre. The 2026 programme will be announced in July, so it is worth checking akafringe.com in the weeks before you travel. Supported by Kilkenny County Council and Creative Ireland, the festival has the infrastructure of an established event while retaining the feel of something put together by people who actually care about local creative culture.
Kilkenny city is straightforward to reach from most parts of Ireland. From Dublin, the M9 motorway brings you to the outskirts in under two hours; from Cork or Waterford, the journey is roughly an hour and a half. Bus Eireann runs regular services from Dublin Busaras and Waterford; Irish Rail serves Kilkenny MacDonagh Station on the Dublin Heuston to Waterford line. Within the city, most AKA venues are within easy walking distance of the city centre. Car parking is available at several surface car parks and multi-storey facilities; parking fills up quickly during the main Kilkenny Arts Festival week, so arriving early or using outlying car parks and walking in is sensible.
Kilkenny city is compact enough that a day or two covers the castle, the medieval mile, Smithwick’s brewery, and a good stretch of independent shops and restaurants. If AKA takes you out to venues in the wider county - to Thomastown, Callan, or elsewhere - you get a very different feel for the place. There is more to see in Kilkenny and across Co. Kilkenny.
Heading to Multiple venues throughout Kilkenny in Kilkenny? Kilkenny has plenty more to see. Read the Kilkenny area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.