New Year’s Eve: Late Late Show Guests Revealed! 🎉

Patrick Kielty is aiming for a ratings boost as The Late Late Show attempts to cement its position as Ireland’s New Year’s Eve destination. The show, closing out 2025, is leaning heavily into a mix of established musical acts and current cultural touchstones – a strategy that screams “broad appeal” in a fragmented media landscape.

The lineup is a carefully curated blend. Gray represents a legacy act, guaranteed to draw in older viewers. Lyra, with her growing profile, signals an attempt to attract a younger audience. And Inhaler? Well, they’re practically royalty at this point, and a Dublin Castle performance is prime exposure. The inclusion of acts like Sharon Shannon collaborating with Lucia Evans and Garron Noone teaming up with The Stunning speaks to a desire to highlight Irish musical collaboration and heritage – a safe bet for a national broadcast.

It’s also worth noting the strategic inclusion of figures outside of music. Irish heptathlete Kate O’Connor, Olympic rower Fintan McCarthy, architect Dermot Bannon and cast members from The Traitors Ireland all add a layer of “water cooler” appeal, hoping to capture viewers who might not typically tune in for a music-focused show. This is a classic network tactic: broaden the net, and hope something sticks. Kielty himself stated the show will be “a night of music, laughter and celebration,” which is… well, exactly what you’d expect him to say. It’s a safe, inoffensive message designed to appeal to everyone.

The countdown itself, hosted from Dublin Castle, is a predictable but effective move. It provides a visually appealing backdrop and reinforces the show’s national identity. Whether this will be enough to compete with streaming services and alternative New Year’s Eve programming remains to be seen. But Kielty and RTÉ are clearly throwing everything they have at it, hoping to end the year on a high note and start 2026 with a ratings win.