The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival is the premier theatrical event of its kind in Ireland and has been held in Athlone annually ever since the inaugural festival in 1953.
Held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, the festival showcases the very best of Irish amateur theatre every year. The event is the grand final of a competition which sees almost thirty drama groups compete at 35 local drama festivals nationwide from the end of February to late March, in a bid to be one of the nine finalists at the Athlone festival.
The nine groups then compete for the coveted Festival Champions' Trophy, as well as being in contention for the many acting and technical awards on offer. The festival is supported by a lively free Fringe Festival which features schools workshops, art exhibitions, guided tours and many other theatrical and musical performances at locations around Athlone.
For more information and full details of the free Fringe Festival see our website www.dramafestival.ie. For live updates during the Festival follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Tickets €20 including €1 booking fee.
