Toy Show Date 2025: Grinch Theme on Dec 5 at 9:35 PM

For Irish families, the year’s television calendar doesn’t really kick off until the Late Late Toy Show hits screens — and this year’s edition delivered exactly what viewers had been waiting for. RTÉ confirmed in advance that Friday, December 5, 2025 would be the night, and host Patrick Kielty kept the theme under wraps until showtime, when the Grinch emerged as the big reveal.

Date: Friday, December 5, 2025 · Start Time: 9:35 PM · Host: Patrick Kielty · Network: RTÉ One · Theme: The Grinch

The following table consolidates key broadcast details from official sources.

What day is The Toy Show in Ireland?

The Late Late Toy Show 2025 aired on Friday, December 5, 2025, marking the annual event’s return to Irish television screens. RTÉ officially confirmed the date through its corporate communications channel in mid-September 2025, with the announcement fitting neatly within the broadcaster’s typical pattern of revealing the Toy Show date separately from the main festive programming slate.

Announcement timeline

The confirmation arrived during RTÉ’s dedicated festive programming announcements week. According to coverage from Live95fm, the date announcement coincided with the launch of the Toy Show roadshow, which travels to schools around Ireland to audition young performers. This roadshow element has become a signature part of the build-up, generating anticipation well before the show itself.

Previous years comparison

The December 5 date follows the established pattern of recent years, where the Toy Show occupies a prime Friday evening slot in early December. This timing allows families to settle into the Christmas countdown while giving RTÉ a flagship ratings performer during the festive season’s opening weekend.

RTÉ’s choice of a Friday slot in early December positions the Toy Show to capture families during the opening weekend of the Christmas countdown.

What time will the toy show start in 2025?

The Late Late Toy Show began at 9:35 PM on RTÉ One on Friday, December 5, 2025, according to reporting from The Irish Times. This late-evening start time places the show squarely in primetime territory, following the conclusion of RTÉ’s evening news programming and giving the broadcast maximum audience potential.

Exact start time

The 9:35 PM start time represents a slight variation from the more commonly cited “9 PM” slot that viewers often associate with flagship RTÉ programming. The Irish Times preview explicitly confirmed the 9:35 PM timing, noting that viewers should tune in a few minutes early to catch the opening moments featuring host Patrick Kielty.

Duration estimates

Based on typical Toy Show runtime patterns, the broadcast runs approximately three hours, concluding near midnight. The show’s length accommodates its variety format, blending musical performances, comedy segments, celebrity appearances, and the signature toy showcases that give the program its name. RTÉ’s Studio 4 served as the production venue, with the set “spectacularly decked out” in Grinch-themed decorations.

The late start time reflects RTÉ’s strategy of maximizing adult viewership after children’s programming concludes.

What is the theme for The Toy Show 2025?

RTÉ officially announced The Grinch as the 2025 Late Late Toy Show theme on December 5, 2025, during the live broadcast itself. The announcement came via host Patrick Kielty, who revealed the Christmas classic character as the evening’s unifying concept. The Grinch theme marks the grand finale of RTÉ’s festive programming announcements week, according to the broadcaster’s official communications.

Current status

The Grinch theme was officially confirmed through RTÉ’s dedicated about.rte.ie channel, with photography credited to Andres Poveda. The iconic character originates from Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” published in 1957, a work that has spawned numerous adaptations including the beloved animated cartoon and multiple feature films. RTÉ Kids had previously published background content on the Grinch character, positioning the theme as an opportunity to connect young viewers with a classic Christmas story.

Past themes

Recent Toy Show themes have included Home Alone, Elf, and The Wizard of Oz, according to coverage from Stellar Magazine. The shift to The Grinch represents a move toward a classic literary character rather than a contemporary film property. Prior to the official reveal, speculation in The Irish Times suggested an interstellar theme based on trailer imagery showing Patrick Kielty in a Star Trek-style spaceship setting—but this proved to be misdirection rather than the actual theme.

RTÉ Kids’ coverage emphasized Dr. Seuss’s broader bibliography, noting his first book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was published in 1937 and “The Lorax” in 1971.

How long is the Toy Show?

The Late Late Toy Show typically runs approximately three hours, following the established format that blends entertainment, celebrity appearances, and the signature toy showcases. While RTÉ has not published an official runtime for the 2025 edition, historical patterns and the 9:35 PM start time suggest completion near midnight.

2025 estimates

Based on the broadcast’s structure and confirmed start time of 9:35 PM, the show concluded around the midnight hour. The live broadcast format requires real-time production coordination, with the Grinch theme guiding set design, costume choices, and segment pacing throughout the evening.

Historical lengths

The Toy Show’s runtime has remained consistent across recent years, typically spanning the three-hour window that allows adequate time for the variety format’s multiple segments. The December 5 broadcast accommodated the Grinch theme reveal, musical performances, and the celebrity appearances that have become hallmark elements.

The three-hour runtime reflects RTÉ’s commitment to delivering comprehensive coverage of the variety format rather than condensing segments.

Who is Patrick Kielty and what is his role?

Patrick Kielty serves as host of the Late Late Toy Show for his third consecutive year in 2025, having taken over the role in 2023. The Northern Irish comedian and broadcaster brought his signature wit to the Grinch theme reveal, joking during the broadcast that dressing up as the character “would require little makeup,” according to RTÉ’s reporting.

Background

Kielty has established himself as one of Ireland’s prominent television presenters, with a career spanning comedy, current affairs, and entertainment programming. His hosting of the Toy Show marks a notable shift from his earlier work in political satire, bringing a lighter touch to Ireland’s most-watched family entertainment special of the year.

Toy Show hosting

During the December 5 broadcast, Kielty appeared alongside Liam Neeson in a Grinch-themed opening video, according to YouTube documentation of the sequence. The host’s third year in the role means he now approaches the show with established familiarity, understanding both the production demands and the emotional stakes for young viewers tuning in across Ireland and beyond.

Kielty’s third-year confidence translates into smoother pacing and stronger audience rapport compared to first-time hosts.

Timeline

Four key moments mark the Late Late Toy Show 2025’s journey from announcement to broadcast.

The table below shows the marketing and broadcast timeline from trailer launch through the repeat broadcast.

The pattern reveals a concentrated marketing window of roughly three weeks, with trailer launch followed by theme articles, preview coverage, and the live event itself. RTÉ About confirmed that Live Audio Description became available for the first time on RTÉ during the 2025 broadcast, representing a significant accessibility milestone.

Confirmed vs. Unclear

Based on verified sources, certain details are firmly established while others remain open questions.

Quotes

“The theme of this year’s Toy Show is The Grinch, which means that someone may have to dress up as the Grinch. A lot of people may think that there’s not much makeup needed for that!”

— Patrick Kielty, Host (RTÉ)

“The Late Late Toy Show begins on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Friday, December 5th.”

— The Irish Times, Pre-broadcast preview (The Irish Times)

“The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for the Late Late Toy Show 2025.”

— RTÉ About, Official announcement (RTÉ About)

Summary

The Late Late Toy Show 2025 delivered a Christmas classic to Irish families on Friday, December 5, with Patrick Kielty steering the Grinch-themed broadcast through three hours of holiday entertainment. The 9:35 PM start time on RTÉ One placed the show squarely in primetime, with the Grinch reveal coming as the evening’s centerpiece moment. For Irish families, the broadcast has become an annual ritual, and the 2025 edition maintained that tradition while introducing new accessibility features including Live Audio Description for the first time. The repeat broadcast on Sunday, December 7 at 3:10 PM gives viewers who missed the Friday night slot a second chance to watch, while RTÉ Player ensures international audiences can access the show on demand.

RTÉ cemented its position as Ireland’s dominant holiday broadcaster, drawing families together with a character whose enduring appeal spans nearly seven decades.

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