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theatre · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · 7:30pm 
Annie - The Musical
At Bord Gais Energy Theatre · Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2
At Bord Gais Energy Theatre · Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2
Annie is one of those musicals that gets people of a certain age in the chest every time - and it works just as well on children who are hearing “Tomorrow” for the first time. This West End touring production, starring Claire Sweeney as the scheming Miss Hannigan, runs for six nights at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin’s Docklands. It suits families with children aged roughly five and up, but plenty of adults go without kids in tow. The songs are wired into popular culture so deeply that most audiences know them before the curtain rises.
Set in 1930s New York, the story follows red-headed orphan Annie as she endures the grim regime of Miss Hannigan’s home and then lands, against all odds, in the mansion of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The plot is a straightforward journey from misery to hope, and the score carries it effortlessly - “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”, “Easy Street” and “I Don’t Need Anything But You” all get their moments alongside the inevitable “Tomorrow”. The production is put together by Crossroads Live and has collected four-star notices from The Times and others on the UK touring circuit. The theatre itself is one of the better rooms in Ireland for this kind of show - 2,100 seats, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, with clean sightlines from most of the house. Evening performances begin at 7:30pm; matinees run at 2:30pm on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Note that this production uses strobe lighting, smoke and haze - worth knowing if anyone in your group is sensitive. Children under three are not admitted to the auditorium.
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre sits on Grand Canal Square in the Docklands, right on the water. From the city centre it is a short walk across the Grand Canal, or you can take the DART to Grand Canal Dock station, which drops you two minutes from the door. The Luas Red Line stops at Mayor Square-NCI, about ten minutes on foot. Several Dublin Bus routes serve Pearse Street and Grand Canal Dock, including the C1, C2, C3, C4, 56a and 77a. If you are driving, there is pay-and-display parking on surrounding streets and a multi-storey car park at Grand Canal Square, but weekend evenings fill up quickly - leave extra time.
Grand Canal Square is a pleasant spot to spend time before the show - the water, the red light poles and the theatre itself make for a good evening stroll. The Docklands has changed dramatically over the past twenty years and there is a cluster of restaurants and bars around the square if you want to eat before curtain. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.