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The Late Late Toy Show 2026: Date, Applications and How to Watch

· Christmas & Events · Updated · By the Watch Ireland On Air desk
The Late Late Toy Show 2026: Date, Applications and How to Watch

The Late Late Toy Show 2026 is on with Patrick Kielty presenting, and applications for children who want to take part close at midnight on Sunday 27 September. The show itself has been reported for Friday 4 December on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, but RTÉ hadn't published that date on its own website when we checked on Thursday 24 September.

Is the Late Late Toy Show on this year?

Yes. RTÉ opened applications on Friday 21 August and said the Toy Show team had started looking for this year's young stars. Patrick Kielty, who presents The Late Late Show, is back to host.

When is the Late Late Toy Show 2026?

Friday 4 December has been reported. According to goss.ie, the date was revealed at the end of the first Late Late Show of the new run on Friday 18 September, when Caitríona Balfe pressed a buzzer on air to confirm it. We haven't found it in an RTÉ press release or on RTÉ's website yet, so we're calling it reported rather than confirmed.

A Friday in late November or early December would fit the pattern. Last year's show went out on Friday 5 December 2025, and TVmaze lists the two before that on Friday 6 December 2024 and Friday 24 November 2023.

What time does the Toy Show start?

RTÉ hasn't said yet. The Late Late Show itself runs on Fridays at 9.35pm on RTÉ One, and TVmaze lists last year's Toy Show in that same 9.35pm slot. We'll add the 2026 start time here when RTÉ publishes it.

Information card with the Late Late Toy Show 2026 application deadline, reported date and channel
The application deadline is the one date RTÉ has put in writing so far.

How do you apply for the Toy Show 2026?

Through the application form on RTÉ.ie/latelate. RTÉ says it wants children from all over the island, and there are three ways in: demonstrating a toy, taking part in a performance, or representing your county in the County Parade.

A practical tip: RTÉ's page says the form only appears once you enable targeting cookies and third-party embeds on its site, because it's hosted by an outside form service. If the page looks empty, that's the reason. There's also an Irish-language version of the form, and RTÉ links a privacy notice explaining how it handles applicants' details.

The deadline is midnight on Sunday 27 September. After that date this section will switch to how to watch.

Where can you watch the Toy Show?

On RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Last year it was also shown on RTÉ One +1, and the Player version reached viewers far beyond Ireland: RTÉ counted 642,000 streams, with people watching in 137 countries.

How big was last year's Toy Show?

By RTÉ's figures, the 2025 show drew an average television audience of 1.7 million across RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1, live and repeat, with a 78% share on RTÉ One on the Friday night. More than 300 children took part, and the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal raised over €4.6 million, bringing its six-year total to about €30 million.

The format hasn't changed much from year to year. The 2025 show mixed toy demonstrations with performances and book reviews from children, and it brought back the County Parade, which is one of the three ways to apply again this time. RTÉ also said the show passed 36 million video views on social media.

More from Watch Ireland On Air

The Late Late Show's usual Friday slot is RTÉ's, but plenty of Irish Saturday viewing is on Virgin Media: our guide to The Graham Norton Show in Ireland shows how the BBC's Friday chat show lands a day later here. For RTÉ's other big hit of the autumn, see every winner of The Traitors Ireland, and weekday quiz fans can check what time The Chase is on in Ireland.

More sections: Christmas & Events · Winners · UK Shows in Ireland · Virgin Media

FAQ

Who is hosting the Late Late Toy Show 2026?
Patrick Kielty, the presenter of The Late Late Show.

Can children from Northern Ireland apply?
RTÉ's application page says it's looking for children from all corners of the island.

Can you watch the Toy Show from outside Ireland?
RTÉ Player is the way to do it. Last year RTÉ counted viewers in 137 countries on the Player.

Is the Toy Show date confirmed?
Friday 4 December has been reported after an on-air reveal, but we haven't seen it in writing from RTÉ yet.

Sources

By the Watch Ireland On Air desk · Updated 25 September, 8.14am Irish time

#The Late Late Toy Show#RTÉ One#RTÉ Player#Patrick Kielty#Christmas