So after my post last week asking what to expect at the Toy Show ( https://www.reddit.com/r/AskIreland/s/WvHZOnbj1J ), here’s the full recap; because last night was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

We started with dinner in the Foxy Lounge, then headed over to RTÉ for about 7.10. The email was worded in a way that made it seem like the doors closed at 8.15, and judging by the queue already forming at 7.15, I definitely wasn’t the only one who read it that way.

Turns out the doors actually open at 8.15.

So after a bit of confusion we just waited in the car and joined the queue properly around 7.50. You’re ushered in to collect your tickets, and weirdly enough, nobody asked for ID; not at the security gate, not at the door. They just asked if we were “here for the Toy Show”. When I gave my name inside there was a moment where she couldn’t find it and I swear I aged ten years in those few seconds.

We ended up getting seats slap-bang in the middle, which meant we were on telly a lot more than expected.

Before going into the studio, they put everyone into a holding room with drinks. Downside: the drinks are at the front, so if you’re one of the first in, you’re stuck at the back once the room fills and you’ll struggle to get another. There were a few sweets on tables but nothing substantial. No music, no entertainment, just waiting. So for anyone going in future: eat beforehand and bring a drink.

They brought us into the studio just before 9, and honestly… surreal. I’ve watched the Toy Show for around 25 years and suddenly I was standing inside it. The set is way more compact than it looks on TV, and extremely warm. I had an outfit on but thankfully only shorts and a t-shirt underneath.

Before things kick off, the stage managers give a quick rundown of the rules. You can only leave during ad breaks, and unbelievably there’s nowhere to get a glass of water unless you ask a staff member; so again, bring one. You get cues for clapping, but honestly you’ll be clapping anyway. The only cue that really matters is to clap after the ad break.

The show itself… genuinely magical. The band is unreal; they play live during the breaks and people were up dancing, chatting, having the craic. I somehow ended up winning an extra €100 voucher for my “singing” and costume, which still makes me laugh.

And I have to say this: Patrick / Paddy is incredible with the kids. On and off camera. He’s gentle with them, you can see he cares, and he does a brilliant job making nervous kids feel comfortable.

I don’t know what it is, but the whole thing made me feel oddly proud to be Irish. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s the madness of seeing something so woven into childhood actually happening right in front of you, maybe it’s the fact that our tiny island somehow produces this yearly cultural moment that feels bigger than it should. But it really hit me.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m genuinely grateful to the luck gods for getting picked in the raffle.

The prizes were fantastic too, but honestly; they were secondary. Just being there was the real prize. At the end we collected our giant sacks, vouchers, and Arnotts bags. And after all the talk about keeping our tickets to redeem, nobody even checked them; they were just handed over.

All in all, it was everything I hoped it would be and more.

If I could bottle the feeling of last night, I’d give it to everyone.
I hope anyone who’s ever dreamed of being in that audience gets their chance, even once.

Happy Christmas lads, and may the Toy Show magic hit you just as hard as it hit me. 🎄✨

by Previous_Thanks6627

29 comments

  1. Awww what a lovely post, thanks for sharing, yeah deffo got the warm and fuzzy feels watching it, thought patrick kielty was brill and all in all a 10/10, got me well and truly in the Christmas mood.

  2. Fantastic you had such a good time!

    On the getting in note- I went to the tommy tiernan show a few years ago and one of the guests was the president at the time and again no ID check no bag check nothing! Gas but lovely to live somewhere with that level of trust.

  3. I mean,  given your description of the start of the night and the organisational shambles, it doesn’t sound great at all. Maybe standards should be higher?

  4. This was a lovely read, I’m a cynical old fart but this made me smile, glad you had a great time OP!

  5. I currently live in a country with a population 10 times the size of Ireland and to see how much money is raised consistently year after year for the Toy Show Appeal makes me so bloody proud and emotional.

  6. Lovely read. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Are tickets just a lottery?

  7. Great to hear you had a wonderful time.

    I was one of the people telling you to hang on to your ticket. The weren’t going to give one of my colleagues a ticket for Punchestown racecourse because he couldn’t find his, but they are okay to give sackfuls of presents out without checking 😂😂

  8. you lucky duck!! i’m glad you had a great experience. i always wondering how you got all the free stuff, like by post or was it just given to you at the end of the night. now i know!!

  9. Your post made me smile. I’m glad it was as wholesome as it looks in tv.

  10. “Bring drink” to the fucking Toy Show 😂 it does get any more Irish than this.

  11. I think of all the countries around the world and the TV “events” that they have and that for Ireland it’s this. I kinda love that. It’s very us.

  12. Such a lovely post. Glad you had that experience and have that memory OP. Life: “sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.” Nice to see a good one. Thanks again.

  13. I’m so glad to read your update. You actually crossed my mind as as the show started and I hoped you had a great time.

  17. I’m a middle aged man and the toy show just makes my heart sing and I tear up constantly while watching it. I absolutely love it to bits. I didn’t always feel like this, but started to when I moved to London, and it was a connection to home and to everyone in the country. It is rare that we still do these things as a nation. As new parents we also delighted in introducing our newborn to this tradition they’ll have to suffer whether they want to or not. It just seems to be a thing that we would move mountains for, that brings out the best in all of us. We donated nearly €1 for every person in the country too, and I’m sure it will go above that in the coming days and weeks. Paddy did an amazing job as well. Thanks OP for giving me another chance to have a happy tear in my eye.

  18. I was lucky enough to be in the late late audience multiple times and the Toy Show audience twice and this brought back all the memories!

  19. So do you like walk out of the studio after and there’s essentially all the freebies there that you take home in a big bag?

  23. So lovely I wanted to watch this year but I lost my nana in August it’s too painful to watch glad they raised so much for charity

  24. That’s the spin room for electoral debates as well. Certainly never as much craic as that

  26. That’s wonderful!!!! So glad you enjoyed it. I was sat at home with my youngest with tears sunning down my face. It’s just absolutely the best thing and I love that everyone there was so lovely and that the kids were well minded.

  27. Ah that was so lovely to read I’m glad someone like you got a ticket , great memories for you. Have a great Christmas

  28. Was revenue at the gate to tax all your winnings 😉

    Only joking 😀 . Mad jealous but delighted to get a behind the scenes report.. Great to hear the experience is as good as it seems. Hopefully some day….

  29. I know exactly where you mean when say “holding room” lol. That space is used for nearly everything. I was taught how to safely clear a gun by an armorer in there, had one of our Xmas parties start in there and it was used an audition space too at one point.

    It’s prob the unsung hero of rooms in RTÉ studios.

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