First Performance of Riverdance

Date: April 30, 1994 • Location: Rome, Italy

Riverdance was performed for the first time, as the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Riverdance is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley, and the vocal ensemble Anúna. Shortly afterwards, husband and wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty expanded it into a stage show, which opened in Dublin on 9 February 1995. As of 2025, the show continues touring the world.