Your need-to-know guide to the Late Late Toy Show on RTÉ | Time, TV, tickets, theme and more

It's Toy Show Day, and kids (and adults) all over the country are getting ready for the most toy-filled, fun-filled night of the year.

Host Patrick Kielty returns for his second year in the hot seat for Irish television’s biggest annual event and, as always, there’s sure to be plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

This year’s Late Late Toy Show, with all 250 toy testers and performers, promises to be a night of surprises that will warm your heart and take you out of this world making wishes come true.

Here’s your need-to-know guide to this year’s Toy Show:

When is it on?

This year’s Late Late Toy Show is set for tonight, Friday, December 6, in a slight change from its usual last Friday of November slot.

What time does it start and end?

As always, the show will kick into life at 9.35pm sharp and should wrap up at around 12am.

Where can I watch?

RTÉ One and RTÉ Player will both be broadcasting, while Irish Sign Language will be available on RTÉ News Channel and RTÉ Player.

What about watching from abroad?

This year’s show is available to watch across the world on RTÉ Player. 

Any tickets?

Nice try. There’s always next year’s lottery!

What is the theme?

The theme of this year’s Late Late Toy Show has been revealed as Christmas movie favourite Home Alone!

Make sure you’re not on a flight to Paris shouting ‘Kevin!’ this Friday night and join Patrick Kielty and a host of little Kevin McCallisters and Wet Bandits as they come together to protect the McCallister home!

Speaking ahead of tonight Patrick Kielty said, “I am so excited to be bringing Home Alone to all the kids of Ireland tonight. It’s the dream movie theme for me, when I walked out onto the set earlier this week it brought a tiny tear to my eye. 

“The big kids are going to love the nostalgia around it. Take a nap before we get started, because tonight is going to epic!”

What jumper will Patrick wear?

Again, we'll have to wait until Friday to see what knitted number Kielty has chosen for the night, but the bookies reckon there's a 2/1 chance of it being red and a 4/1 chance of it being green. 

Who's going to make a surprise appearance?

It's always interesting to see who the Toy Show organisers roll out on the night but the list is a well-kept secret. 

After a rollercoaster year and a Grammy nomination, Cork rap group Kabin Crew are evens to appear as a musical guest on the show. Kildare artist CMAT is 5/1 to appear and Dongeal icon Daniel O’Donnell is at 9/1 to make the country kids’ dream come true.

Following his leading role in Gladiator II, Kildare’s Paul Mescal is at 6/1 to make an appearance on the show, fellow successful actor Barry Keoghan is at 4/1 and Carlow’s Saoirse Ronan is at 10/1 to grace the show after a busy stint of promoting her movies The Outrun and Blitz.

It has been speculated that Irish Olympic sports stars, including Rhasidat Adeleke (2/1) and Armagh’s Daniel Wiffen (3/1), will surprise and delight the kids on the show.

What's new this year? 

In a first for The Late Late Toy Show, kids from every county in Ireland will take to the studio floor to show their pride for their county in the Toy Show County Parade! Expect swirling and twirling, gymnastics and pageantry, Marshal Kielty will attempt to keep all 32 kids in their line!

Where can I find out the name of a toy?

A list of the toys featured will be available on the show’s website rte.ie/latelate following the broadcast. All toys featured on the night will be donated to charities.

What about the Toy Show Appeal?

Working in collaboration with Community Foundation Ireland, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal is back for its fifth year to improve the lives of children and their families by funding essential support, health, wellbeing, play, and creativity initiatives.

It has so far raised an astonishing €21.3m and has provided support to 302 different charities and given 492 grants over that time. It supported 127 different children's charities last year alone and is estimated to have helped over 1.1 million annually since its inception.   

The public can donate by going to rte.ie/toyshowappeal, or with the appeal’s official donation partner Revolut Pay.