David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts

What to Expect

This is an eighty minute documentary on David Hockney, described by the Linenhall as Britain’s most popular artist, built around two major exhibitions he held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 2012 and 2016. Director Phil Grabsky was given exclusive access, and the film is carried by intimate interviews with Hockney himself rather than by a procession of talking-head critics.

The two shows it covers are the right ones to choose. The 2012 Royal Academy exhibition of Yorkshire landscapes, much of it made on an iPad, and the 2016 portrait show together mark the period when Hockney’s late work reached its widest audience. The film went on to screen at the Vancouver International Film Festival and The Guardian called it “Illuminating”. Screenings like this are the closest most people in the west of Ireland will get to standing in front of the work at full scale, and a 1pm Saturday start makes it an afternoon rather than a night out. Tickets are €10 and are booked through the Linenhall’s Ticketsolve system or the box office.

Good to Know

• Saturday 3 October 2026, 1pm
• Running time 80 minutes
• The Linenhall Arts Centre, Linenhall Street, Castlebar, F23 AN24
• Tickets €10
• Book at thelinenhall.ticketsolve.com or phone the box office on 094 902 3733
• Box office hours Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 11am to 4pm
• The Linenhall also screens FRIDA KAHLO: The Definitive Film on 21 November

Getting There

The Linenhall is on Linenhall Street in the centre of Castlebar, a couple of minutes from The Mall and the main square. By road, the N5 comes west from Dublin through Longford and Roscommon, the N84 runs north from Galway, the N60 connects Claremorris and Roscommon, and the N58 arrives from Ballina and Foxford. Irish Rail runs Dublin Heuston to Castlebar services via Manulla Junction, with the station a short walk or quick taxi from the centre. Bus Eireann links Castlebar with Galway, Sligo, Westport and Ballina. Saturday street parking around Linenhall Street is pay-and-display, and there are larger car parks within a few minutes’ walk.