The Hot 100: Movies, music, books and more - here are the top cultural picks for 2019 that you won't want to miss
From movies to music, food to fashion, our critics reveal their cultural picks for the year ahead
FILM - Declan Burke
The Favourite
OUT NOW
Courtly intrigue in 18th century England, starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman. Yorgos Lanthimos directs.
Welcome to Marwen
OUT NOW
Steve Carrell stars as the victim of a brutal attack who discovers an unusual therapy. Robert Zemeckis directs.
Stan and Ollie
January 18
Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly star in a biopic of Laurel and Hardy. Shirley Henderson co-stars.
Mary, Queen of Scots
January 18
Saoirse Ronan stars as Mary Stuart, imprisoned for trying to overthrow Queen Elizabeth (Margot Robbie).
Glass
January 18
Security man Bruce Willis tries to track a man with 24 distinct personalities (James McAvoy). M. Night Shyamalan directs.
The Front Runner
January 25
Political drama starring Hugh Jackman as presidential hopeful Gary Hart. Vera Farmiga co-stars.
What Men Want
January 25
Sports agent Taraji P Henson develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
February 1
Animated adventure, with Hiccup and his dragon Toothless defending their Viking village.
Green Book
February 1
Italian-American bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) chauffeurs classical pianist Dr. Shirley (Mahershala Ali) through the American South in the 1960s.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
February 8
The Lego characters take on Lego Duplo invaders from outer space. Chris Pratt and Will Arnett provide the voice talent.
Boy Erased
February 8
Lucas Hedges is forced to take part in a ‘gay conversion programme’ by his religious parents. Nicole Kidman co-stars.
The Kid Who Would Be King
February 15
Fantasy adventure about a group of kids who embark on an epic quest. Rebecca Ferguson stars.
The Rhythm Section
February 22
Blake Lively sets out to take revenge on the men who killed her family. Jude Law co-stars.
The Aftermath
March 1
Historical drama set in Germany in the wake of WWII, starring Keira Knightley and Alexander Skarsgård.
Fighting With My Family
March 1
Comedy with ex-wrestler Dwayne Johnson trying to prove his worth to his kids. Stephen Merchant directs.
Chaos Walking
March 1
Sci-fi thriller, written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Doug Liman. Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley star.
Captain Marvel
March 8
Brie Larson stars as Captain Marvel saving the Earth from warring alien races. Samuel L Jackson co-stars.
Everybody Knows
March 8
Secrets tumble out of the family closet when Penélope Cruz attends her sister’s wedding. Javier Bardem co-stars.
Us
March 22
Horror thriller from writer-director Jordan Peele (Get Out). Elisabeth Moss stars.
Greyhound
March 22
WWII naval drama, with Tom Hanks commanding a warship. Elisabeth Shue co-stars.
Dumbo
March 29
Live-action remake of the Disney classic, directed by Tim Burton. Colin Farrell and Eva Green star.
Pet Sematary
April 5
Horror about dead pets resurrected, adapted from Stephen King’s novel. John Lithgow stars.
Wonder Park
April 12
Animated adventure with young June using the power of her imagination to restore an old amusement park to its full glory.
Wild Rose
April 19
A Glasgow musician (Jessie Buckley) dreams of making it big in Nashville. Julie Walters co-stars.
Avengers: Endgame
April 26
Bradley Cooper, Robert Downey Jr, and Scarlett Johansson star in the latest outing for Marvel’s Avengers.
MUSIC - Ed Power
Years and Years
Olympia, Dublin, January 21, 22
Olly Alexander and his pop extroverts tour their chart-topping second album, Palo Santo.
Azealia Banks
Academy, Dublin, January 22
Controversial rapper takes time out from waging Twitter feuds.
Boyzone, Thank You and Goodnight: Farewell Tour
3Arena, January 24
The Dublin boyband perennials say a long goodbye.
Ben Howard
3Arena, January 25
Wide-screen troubadour whose epic acoustic pop finds common ground between David Gray and Mumford and Sons
Hayley Kiyoko
Olympia, January 29, 30
Child actress and fashion model turned glittering pop star.
Post Malone
3Arena, February 14
A Valentine’s Day assignation for the chart-topping rapper — a huge favourite with Irish listeners, according to Spotify.
Maggie Rogers
Academy, February 14, 15
Fresh from supporting Mumford & Sons and ahead of her gig in Cork with Hozier next summer, the Maryland pop-country star plays a brace of sell-out shows.
Microdisney
Cyprus Avenue, Cork, February 19
After a “one off” return last year, one of Leeside’s greatest ever bands bow out with a farewell hometown show.
Chvrches
Olympia, February 21, 22
Lauren Mayberry and companions touch down with their glittering, melancholy-slathered electro-pop.
Massive Attack
Mezzanine XX1, 3Arena, February 24
Twenty-one years after Massive Attack debuted their finest album, frontman 3D brings the project on the road in a production featuring guest vocalist Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins),
Freya Ridings
Cyprus Avenue, February 28
The daughter of the actor who played Daddy Pig on Peppa Pig, Ridings has followed her own path with dulcet, hard-hitting piano pop.
Sigrid, ‘Sucker Punch’ album
March 1
The Nordic pop sensation — playing at Cork’s Musgrave Park in June — releases her debut album.
Kamasi Washington
Olympia, March 3
The Kendrick Lamar collaborator has blazed a trail with his afro-futurist avant-jazz.
Count To Country
3Arena, March 8-10
Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, and Chris Stapleton headline the now annual hoedown at 3Arena,
Nicki Minaj and Future
3Arena, March 15
A double act with a double-punch as rhymer Future goes on the road with controversial singer/rapper Minaj.
Anderson.Paak and the Free Nationals
Olympia, March 19
Doctor Dre protege and Kendrick Lamar collaborator performs material from his acclaimed Oxnard album.
Sharon Van Etten
Vicar Street, March 23
Confessional songwriter returns with her much-anticipated fifth album, Remind Me Tomorrow.
Picture This
3Arena, March 27-31
The Athy band set up at 3Arena for an incredible five-night run.
Idles
Vicar Street, Dublin, April 1, 2
Raw punk power from one of the hardest hitting bands in the UK.
Joe Jackson
Cork Opera House, April 23
The ’80s soft pop icon brings his catalogue of hits to Cork.
Take That
3Arena, April 29, 30
Gary, Mark, Howard — and potentially Robbie — slip into Greatest Hits gear for two nights in Dublin.
It Takes A Village
May 10, 11 and 12
Following the success of the inaugural It Takes A Village at Trabolgan, East Cork, last April, Ireland’s live-in festival is set to make a return to the seaside holiday village for three days of dancing and divilment, at a slightly later time.
Paul Young
Cork Opera House, May 21
Wherever he lays his hat, that’s where he will perform material from his chart-topping debut No Parlez.
Spice Girls
Croke Park, May 24
What you really, really want is to see Sporty, Scary, Baby, and Ginger back again as they kick off their comeback tour in Croke Park.
Dido
Olympia, May 27
One of the biggest stars of the 2000s, can Dido make a successful return in 2018?
FASHION - Annmarie O'Connor
Southern Brides Cork & Munster Wedding Show
Cork City Hall, January 12-13
Going up the aisle in 2019? Best save the date for the Southern Brides Wedding Show. Say ‘I do’ to inspired wedding ideas with the pick of hundreds of local exhibitors under one roof and regular bridal fashion shows.
Xposé Style Sessions
Castlemartyr Resort, Cork January 19
This one-day lifestyle event includes popular elements from Ireland’s flagship entertainment show Xposé. Learn the tricks of the trade from top beauty experts, watch live styling sessions; enjoy afternoon tea, and an exclusive goody bag.
Tickets €85 plus booking fee.
Expect nationwide events during the year.
Showcase: Ireland’s Creative Expo
RDS Main Hall, Dublin, January 20-23
Explore the best of Ireland’s creativity from hundreds of exhibitors including leading Irish designers and makers reflecting the themes of sustainability, heritage, and craftsmanship curated by stylist, Paula Hughes.
Trade only.
Irish Fashion Innovation Awards
Galmont Hotel & Spa, Galway, March 14
Come witness the fashion designers of the future at the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, this prestigious platform gives visibility, support, and a voice to emerging designers and fashion students in Ireland.
Tickets from €20 plus booking fee.
Pippa’s Fashion Factory
Nationwide dates, January-March
Top model Pippa O’Connor launches the Spring collection of her sell-out fashion tour.
Expect fashion shows, make-up masterclasses, insider style tips, and prizes for best dressed.
Tickets €100 including afternoon tea, and luxury goodie bag.
BOOKS - Ciara McDonnell
Untying The Knot
Kate Gunn, Orphen Press
Part memoir, part personal experience, join Kate (and her ex husband Kristian) as they tell their story of navigating the grey areas of separation and divorce.
With input from psychologists, financial and legal experts, this is a loving guidebook to a situation no couple wants to find themselves in.
The Burnout Solution
Siobhán Murray, Gill
Through her own experience of burnout and her work as a psychotherapist, Siobhán Murray has developed a 12-week plan for overcoming this condition.
The Burnout Solution offers a step-by-step path through feelings of stress and anxiety towards renewed clarity of mind and an ability to prioritise the important things in life.
The Positive Habit
Fiona Brennan, Gill
Brennan wants to show us how to self-generate six emotions that will guide you from negativity to positivity — and you can do it in your sleep. Accompanied with an audio hypnotherapy meditation plan that takes just seven minutes in the morning and seven minutes in the evening — it even works while you sleep — this book will transform your mental health in just 14 minutes a day.
Calm The F*ck Down
Sarah Knight, Quercus
When life falls to pieces, Sarah Knight wants to arm you with practical ways to manage the fallout.
Practical, not at all preachy, this book will take you from break up to car breakdowns, and keep you calm all along the way.
We Are Displaced
Malala Yousafzai, W&N
Nobel peace prize winner and bestselling author Malala uses her latest book to put faces on some of the millions of people who are displaced worldwide.
A collection of true stories of the refugee experience combined with her own anecdotes, this is a book of our times.
When All Is Said
Anne Griffin, Sceptre
A debut novel with incredible depth, Griffin tells the story of Maurice Hannigan, an 84-year-old Irish man who has kept his joy and his regret secret over his lifetime.
On one evening in a hotel bar, Maurice will lay bare the secrets he has hidden, and his story will stay with you long after you finish reading.
Our Child of the Stars
Stephen Cox, Quercus
When a meteor crashes to Earth, Molly and Gene Myers discover a child amongst the rubble.
The orphaned boy is in desperate need of a mother.
And soon the whole world will be looking for him.
Dark and compelling reading.
Darkest Truth
Catherine Kirwan
A #MeToo thriller about a suspicious suicide, a predatory film director, and the woman who’ll risk anything to bring him to justice. This is a debut from Waterford’s Catherine Kirwan, and sets the stage for many more books to come.
Charlie Savage
Roddie Doyle, Jonathan Cape
Charlie Savage is a middle-aged Dubliner with a long-suffering wife, a daughter who is determined to drag him into the 21st century, and a drinking partner who has realised that inside he’s been a woman all along.
This is a compilation of Doyle’s column for the Irish Independent.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Hutchinson
Chronicles the rapid rise and sudden split of the ’70s’ biggest rock group, as told by members of the band in honest, immersive, at times conflicting, and enlightening interviews which reveal for the first time the reason behind their break-up.
Travel - Ciara McDonnell
On February 26, the Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate its 100th anniversary. American Sky (americansky.ie) offers a range of holidays to the Grand Canyon, including escorted tours and self-drive itineraries. A seven-night self-drive Canyon adventure following a circular route from Las Vegas through several national parks to the Grand Canyon will cost from €1,099 per person, January-March. Based on two sharing on room-only basis with car hire and return flights from Dublin.
The demand for experiential and adventure holidays continues to rise, according to industry experts, with lots of travel companies expanding its offering in South America and Asia for 2019. We love the sound of the Costa Rica Adventure, on offer from Tropical Sky. This 15-night small group tour takes in volcanoes, rainforests and breathtaking beaches.
Cruising in cold weather is one of the hottest travel trends of 2019, with cruises to Alaska one of the most popular voyages next year. The sailing season in Alaska runs from April to late September and takes in the Alaska Sawyer or Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm Fjords, or Glacier Bay. Sunway runs Alaskan cruises via Cruise Company.
After a difficult number of years, Turkey is re-emerging as a great spot for a holiday in 2019, and prices remain low for now. With this in mind, book a hotel with as high a star rating as you can afford, and luxuriate for less. Gourmands will be thrilled to know that Diego Muniz of El Bulli fame has opened a restaurant in Istanbul called Brava, so it’s only a matter of time before the foodie elite descends.
Cork Airport will be welcoming new flights, thanks to the announcement that Ryanair has added over 330 additional return flights to France, Italy, and Spain for summer. Aer Lingus is adding to its complement too, with new flights to Dubrovnik and Nice. Some 2.6m passengers are forecasted to travel through Cork Airport this year, up 7% on 2018.
FOOD - Joe McNamee
Cask Ales & Extraordinary Brew Festival
Franciscan Well, Cork. January 31-February 3
A perfect way to round off a month of abstinence with the Beoir Cask Competition at Franciscan Well.
Food & Bev Live 2019
February 26-28
The Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance hosts Ireland’s biggest hospitality event (formerly Catex), bringing more than 200 exhibitors and 11,000 visitors together over three days.
Recognising those who excel in implementing healthy, sustainable food practices, with the awards ceremony taking place in Cork City Hall.
Irish Food Writers’ Guild Awards
March 6
Top Irish food producer prizewinners will be honoured at a special lunch at Glover’s Alley restaurant.
www.irishfoodwritersguild.ie
Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fair
Dublin Convention Centre, March
Despite the death last year of Alltech’s renowned founder Pearse Lyons, the festival is still set to go ahead. Dublin Craft Beer Cup has over 100 global entries, great grub, and live entertainment, http://eu.alltechbrewsandfood.com
.
Michelin-starred chef, formerly of Eipic and Clenaghan’s, begins her new hospitality partnership, opening in Northern Ireland in a venue best suited to showcasing her fine cooking.
Restaurant Lady Anne
Opening spring
Top Waterford chef Keith Boyle and wife Carmel relocate from Bay Tree Bistro to a beautiful new home in Creamery House in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.
Set to rise in popularity, raw, organic, non-GMO, vegan superfood powders are dried at low temperatures in order to preserve the enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients in their natural state.
Much of the current plastic packaging is deeply wasteful and contributing hugely to an environmental disaster. Lidl commendably led the way, deciding to phase it out for fresh fruit and vegetables. Expect other multiples to follow suit or suffer consumer outrage.
Veganism’s astonishing rise will continue undoubtedly, with many choosing the ‘part-time’ or ‘flexitarian’ option, a sustainable choice, even for the most committed carnivore.
ARTS & ENTS - Des O'Driscoll
Macbeth
BGE Theatre, Dublin, January 15-19
A production of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy by the National Theatre in Britain. Many critics didn’t like Rufus Norris’s version, but the London run still attracted big audiences.
Theatre: Macbeth, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, 15 – 19 September 2019 https://t.co/fumCvzdswU pic.twitter.com/j2qxvadFNm
— ShakespeareinIreland (@shakesinireland) September 12, 2018
Postcards from the Ledge
Cork Opera House, February 19-23
For us simple folk in the regions, there is no better form of entertainment than laughing at Dubliners. Ross O’Carroll-Kelly returns in all his glory for a tale set in the future.
The Country Girls
Abbey Theatre, Dublin, February 23-April 6
A new stage production of the Edna O’Brien novel which caused such scandal when it was published in 1960. Unfortunately for the bishops and the censors, the more they banished it, the more people wanted to read it.
Des Bishop
Everyman, Cork, February 8-9
The ever-popular Irish-American tours with his new standup show, Take Your Points. He turns his attention to #MeToo, Trump, and the online world.
Dublin International Film Festival
February 20-March 3
It’s the one film festival in Ireland with the budget to attract international stars. The high quality of Irish output in recent years will also ensure some home-grown premieres.
Mary Swanzy: Voyages
Crawford, Cork, March 14-June 3
This major exhibition will be packed up at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and will journey south to give Leesiders a chance to see the work of a woman who ranks as one of the nation’s great artists of the 20th century.
Madama Butterfly
Cork Opera House, April 4-5
87 Madama Butterfly, Cork Opera House, April 4-5
After its opening run at the BGE Theatre in Dublin (March 24-30), the Irish National Opera’s take on Puccini’s opera moves south for a two-night run.
Celine Byrne is in the lead role of a production directed by Ben Barnes.
War Horse
BGE Theatre, April 10-27
The National Theatre’s stage version of Michael Morpurgo’s WWI story has been a fixture on the West End for the past eight years, and makes a welcome return to Ireland where a whole new audience has come of age to see it.
Cork International Choral Festival
May 1-5
There’s no Ed Sheeran to scupper the events plans for the May weekend this year, and the 5,000 participants will ensure the Rebel city hits the high notes over the five days of a festival that’s been running since 1954.
Fastnet Film Festival
Schull, May 22-26
A combination of hard work, impressive contact books and heaps of goodwill ensures this short film event in far West Cork punches way above its weight every year. As ever, expect some international heavyweights to attend the festival simply because it’s such a great event.
TELEVISION - Des O'Driscoll
The Irish Revolution
RTE, February
This three-part documentary series from the incredibly successful UCC publication, Atlas of the Irish Revolution, will be launched with a special showing at Cork Opera House. Hopefully, narrator Cillian Murphy will return to his hometown to attend.
The Miracle
Sky Atlantic, February
This new series will appeal to those who liked Gomorrah, with a tale that revolves around a sculpture of the Virgin Mary at a mob boss’s house.
The Virtues
Channel 4, tbc
Shane Meadows’ creation of this new series mostly set in Ireland assures of two things: a) It’ll be brilliant; b) It’ll be utterly miserable. His old This Is England star Stephen Graham plays a troubled man who returns to this country to confront his past in our horrific ‘care’ institutions.
This Time With Alan Partridge
BBC, February
Steve Coogan has never been able to shake off his classic comic creation, and fans are relishing the thought of one of Norfolk’s top broadcasters getting a new magazine show.
Game of Thrones
Sky Atlantic, April
We already know the final six episodes will the biggest thing on TV in 2019. Apparently, Kit Harington (Jon Snow) cried after reading the script.
Good Omens
Amazon Prime Video, tbc
New series from the story by fantasy dream team Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett. David Tennant and Michael Sheen star as the demon and angel trying to prevent an imminent apocalypse. BBC will also show it at some stage.
Our Planet
Netflix, April
The streaming channel gets in on some David Attenborough epic action with a series narrated by the 92-year-old. Years of filming have gone into the eight episodes of a show involving many of the same people who made Planet Earth, etc.
Peaky Blinders
BBC, tbc
Cillian Murphy’s character has swapped the life of crime for a place in the House of Commons. Or has he? Another familiar Irish face joining the season five cast is Brian Gleeson.
