What to Watch This Christmas: 20 Festive Highlights
From carols at Kilmainham and Geantraí to Strictly sparkle, big family films, and a St Stephen’s Day laugh, these are the shows worth booking a spot on the couch for this festive season.
Christmas week has a habit of disappearing in a blur of food, visitors and wrapping paper, so it helps to have a short list of what’s on when.
Below are 20 highlights, from big festive centrepieces to smaller, cosy watches that slot neatly into the busy parts of the day. there’s something for all family.
Christmas Eve,24 December
Santa’s Holiday
RTÉ One,5.15pm.
if you’re looking for a christmas Eve kids’ pick that won’t have adults checking their phones after five minutes, this Irish-made animation is a good shout. In Santa’s Village, little elf Maeve and her clever dog Rocket are faced with one unfeasible task: convince Arthur, the most hard-working elf in the workshop, to put down his tools and actually take a break for the holidays.
Christmas in Kilmainham
RTÉ One, 6.20pm
[Image of Christmas in Kilmainham]
This is one of those RTÉ Christmas staples that earns its place every year: big location, big sound, and a crowd that makes it feel like an occasion at home. Marty Whelan hosts from the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in dublin, with a line-up that’s made for mixed company, including Imelda May, Garron Noone and The High Kings, backed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, plus the Daughters of Jerusalem choir from Palestine. There will be big sing-along moments, and a few quieter performances that make you pause. It’s an ideal “Christmas starts here” program while the last festive prep is being finished.
channel 4,7.15pm
[Image of The snowman]
Raymond Briggs’ animated classic remains one of the most quietly powerful pieces of Christmas television. There’s no dialogue and very little plot in the customary sense, just a young boy, a snowman who comes to life, and a magical night-time journey that’s carried almost entirely by visuals and Howard Blake’s score, including the famous Walking in the Air.
High Road Low Road Winter Special
RTÉ one, 8.00pm
[Image of Kayleigh Trappe and Kevin Dundon]
This festive edition of High Road Low Road sends chef Kevin Dundon and comedian Kayleigh Trappe to Gastein in austria for snowy scenery, hot food, cosy interiors, and the unavoidable comparisons when they swap stories. Dundon will obviously sniff out the best bites on offer,and Trappe is a great fit for the format because she says what everyone at home is thinking. it’s an easy watch, but it still feels like a treat.
Father Ted Christmas Special
RTÉ2, 8.30pm
[Image of Father Ted]
There’s a reason this episode still gets quoted like it aired last week. A Christmassy Ted is built around a simple idea, Ted wants a quiet Christmas, and then everything that can dera
# Christmas Day TV Guide 2025: What to Watch on December 25th
Strictly’s Christmas special is reliably built for the big day: sparkly, upbeat, and easy to enjoy even if you’ve barely followed the main series. This year’s celebrity line-up includes Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt, Jodie Ounsley, Nicholas Bailey, Babatunde Aleshe, and Brian McFadden, each paired with a pro. The routines are polished, the tone is looser, and the show leans into what it does best: big staging, familiar tunes, and that warm ballroom atmosphere that feels made for Christmas telly.
Wonka
RTÉ One, 6.15pm
A genuinely great Christmas Day film choice. It’s luminous, funny and easy for a full room to agree on. Womka acts as an origin story for the young chocolatier played by Timothée Chalamet, as he arrives in the wintry city persistent to open a chocolate shop and promptly runs into trouble with the local chocolate cartel. Olivia Colman’s Mrs Scrubbit adds a wicked edge,and the whole thing has that festive touch: warm -hearted,visually playful and perfect for family viewing.
Westlife 25: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
RTÉ One, 6.30pm
This is a great Christmas Day slot for a family-friendly, “leave it on and sing along” special. The Royal Albert Hall setting gives it that big occasion feel, and Westlife know exactly how to play a crowd in a way that works just as well from your sofa. Expect the hits, the polished vocals, and a production that’s glossy and full of early noughties nostalgia.
Geantraí na Nollag 2025
TG4,8.00pm
TG4’s Christmas Geantraí special, which celebrates 20 seasons of the much-loved show, was filmed at Mount Falcon Estate in Mayo. There is a serious line-up,including Paul Brady,Tommy Fleming (with pianist Conal Early),Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Laoise Kelly,plus newer voices and musicians across harp,concertina and song,and the Mayo Ensemble led by Stephen Doherty.
Call the Midwife Christmas Special (two-part event)
BBC One, Thu 25 Dec, 8.15pm (Part 1) and fri 26 dec, 8.30pm (Part 2)
This year’s Christmas story is told across two hour-long episodes, splitting time between wintry Poplar and Hong Kong. The set-up begins with Violet and Fred travelling to the city to visit her son, only to find their trip overtaken by disaster when the Branch House in Kowloon collapses with multiple fatalities. A rescue mission is quickly organised,and a team from Nonnatus heads out,while the younger midw
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