Here is the line-up for The Late Late Show’s first episode of 2025

Patrick Kielty is kicking off the year with a music-heavy episode.

The episode will showcase the best established and emerging musical talents participating in the annual Tradfest event at the end of this month.

In what has become a Late Late Show favourite, joining the Friday night TradFest party will be singer-songwriters Aoife Scott, Ines Khai, Mike Hanrahan, Mundy and Wallis Bird.

Also among the guests will be sean-nós singer Seán Keane, folk artist Molly Donnery, Gaeilgeoir Sinéad McKenna and uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy.

Multi-instrumentalist Alan Connor, guest fiddler with The Chieftains Tara Breen, folk singer-storyteller Daoirí Farrell and percussionist Robbie Harris will be in studio as well, making it a proper session.

This is along with dancers Ruth Charles of Riverdance and Jordo and the Legs adding to the hooley.

Banjo player and former Dubliner Gerry O’Connor will also be paying tribute to Dubliner Barney McKenna, while multi-instrumentalist Josephine Marsh and Segun Arkano, frontman of The Yankari Afrobeat Collective, will give performances to beat the band.

On top of all this, musicians will honour the late Johnny Duhan who passed away in November last year by performing his beloved song 'The Voyage'.

Outside of music, Dublin-born comedian David Nihill will talk about how stand-up comedy helped him overcome his fear of public speaking.

He has since gone on to become the biggest-selling Irish comedian in America.

Also on the programme will be political podcasters Ivan Yates and Matt Cooper, who will join host Patrick Kielty to reveal their predictions for the year ahead in global and Irish politics and how a Donald Trump US presidency will affect Ireland.

The Late Late Show is airing on RTÉ One on Friday at 9.35pm.

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