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Arena Podcast

RTÉ Radio 1
Dublin
Ireland
Irish Music
Seamus Heaney
RTÉ Radio 1
Galway International Arts Festival
Marianne Faithfull
David Bowie
Irish Traditional Music
Music
Dublin Theatre Festival
Robert Redford
Theatre
Irish Literature
RTÉ Short Story Competition
Wuthering Heights
Sean Rocks
Trinity College Dublin
Mental Health
Horseshoe

Irish podcast exploring what's happening in the world of arts, culture and entertainment. Listen live every weeknight on RTÉ Radio 1 from 7-8pm. Listen to individual clips at rte.ie/arena.

PublishesDailyEpisodes103Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Film ReviewsTV & Film

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Arena Podcast

Latest Episodes

Bairbre Power discusses Whistler’s Irish muse, Joanna Hiffernan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Danielle McLaughlin discusses her new novel Rituals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Choreographer David Bolger discusses the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre's new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the centenary of Miles Davis’ birth Rick speaks to drummer and educator Conor Guilfoyle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Conor Guilfoyle
jazz drummer
Episode: Miles Davis at 100
Michael Dodario
Musician, The Lemon Twigs member
The Lemon Twigs
Episode: The Lemon Twigs
Brian Dodario
Musician, The Lemon Twigs member
The Lemon Twigs
Episode: The Lemon Twigs
Wallis Bird
Irish singer-songwriter
Independent artist
Episode: Wallis Bird
Douglas Stuart
Author of Shuggy Bane and John of John
Episode: John of John - Douglas Stuart
Peter McDonald
Actor and co-writer of the screenplay for Power Ballad
Power Ballad project
Episode: Power Ballad
Annie Ryan
Director of The Whiteheaded Boy at Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
Episode: The Whiteheaded Boy
Matt Berniger
Musician, The National; solo artist on Get Sunk
The National; solo project
Episode: Arena Encore - Ali Smith // "Kylie" director Michael Harte // Elif Shafak // Matt Berniger of The National
Michael Harte
Director of the Kylie documentary series
Kylie documentary team
Episode: Arena Encore - Ali Smith // "Kylie" director Michael Harte // Elif Shafak // Matt Berniger of The National

Hosts

Sean Rocks
Host of Arena and Arena Encore, RTÉ Radio 1
Rick
Host of Arena

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 76 ratings
  • This is what I’ve been looking for

    Do you like to hear educated opinions that are clear, concise and charming?

    Maybe it’s the accent but when someone said the latest Yorgos/Emma movie was “really just a doodle” I was hooked. There is a bit of music and television that we don’t access to yet. You know what? Don’t care. It’s an excellent show

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maudelebowski666
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Shows can be dense with cultural references but rewarding for arts enthusiasts.
Guests and topics receive thoughtful, cross-disciplinary treatment.
The mix of live performances and interviews is often captivating and informative.
Listeners praise clear, concise opinions and engaging accents.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Elif Shafak - The 79th Cannes Film Festival - Star Wars spin-offs
Q: What makes certain Star Wars spin-offs work better than others, in your view?
The key is whether the story can stand on its own outside the broader universe; smaller-scale, character-driven narratives like Andor and the Mandalorian's episodic approach can be more effective when they focus on grounded human experiences and new, imaginative directions rather than rehashing old plots.
Elif Shafak - The 79th Cannes Film Festival - Star Wars spin-offs
Q: When did you decide to write in English rather than Turkish, and how has that influenced your storytelling?
Shafak explains that writing in English gave her cognitive distance and a new perspective, allowing her to explore themes with a different cultural lens, while still maintaining a deep connection to her roots; language is a space she enters and is shaped by, not just a tool.
Kylie director Michael Harte
Q: What was it like getting the call to work on this in the first place?
The director describes it as surreal, driven by a producer's instinct to match him with Kylie's story, and explains how teaming with trusted collaborators helped him see the potential of telling Kylie Minogue's life arc.
Live music featuring Mark Geary - Theatre review Poison - Swan Lake Ballet de Santiago production
Q: What makes this Swan Lake production distinct for Dublin audiences?
Morales highlights South American storytelling, emotional honesty, and Chilean costume design, creating a warmer, more intimate connection with the audience while preserving classical form.
Live music featuring Mark Geary - Theatre review Poison - Swan Lake Ballet de Santiago production
Q: How does your NYC early career influence your approach to creating music today?
Geary explains the importance of open mic nights, early gigs, and learning craft in a pressure-filled environment, which built his stage presence and resilience.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Arena Podcast

What is Arena Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A culturally focused program that blends film and theatre reviews, live music segments, and arts coverage across dance, literature, and design. Episodes frequently feature in-depth conversations with actors, directors, musicians, and critics, plus deep dives into exhibitions, classic works, and contemporary performance. A standout is the willingness to span both high-brow and popular culture, weaving cross-genre discussions with live performances and festival/contextual insights. Listeners likely value thoughtful critique, interdisciplinary storytelling, and access to behind-the-scenes perspectives from creators in Ireland and beyond.

Where can I find podcast stats for Arena Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Arena Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Arena Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Arena Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Arena Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Arena Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Arena Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Arena Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Arena Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Arena Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Arena Podcast:

1. Brendan O'Connor
2. Playback
3. Today with David McCullagh
4. The Pat Kenny Show
5. Sunday Miscellany

How many episodes of Arena Podcast are there?

Arena Podcast launched 17 years ago and published 103 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Arena Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Arena Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Arena Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Arena Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Arena Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Arena Podcast?

Recent guests on Arena Podcast include:

1. Conor Guilfoyle
2. Michael Dodario
3. Brian Dodario
4. Wallis Bird
5. Douglas Stuart
6. Peter McDonald
7. Annie Ryan
8. Matt Berniger

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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