The major acts getting the 2019 show on the road
WITH a Spice Girls reunion, Cher on tour and several rock giants on the road, concert-goers have much to look forward to…
GIRL POWER, ROD AND ELTON
VICTORIA Beckham won’t be appearing, but the Spice Girls’ stadium tour is still one of the year’s hottest tickets, with Geri Horner, Emma Bunton and the Melanies B and C spreading the Girl Power gospel for the first time since they played the London Olympics in 2012.
With Jess Glynne supporting, their Spice World tour kicks off on May 24 at Croke Park, Dublin.
Buoyed by this month’s launch of a Broadway musical about her life, Cher plays her first dates in 14 years when she brings the Here We Go Again tour to Dublin for one night only on November 1.
Fans can expect a string of fabulous costume changes and songs from her Abba tribute album Dancing Queen when the super trouper opens at the 3Arena, ticketmaster.ie.
Other big stars on stage this year include Rod Stewart, who has decided to bring his latest tour to Cork during the summer. He will be hitting Páirc Uí Caoimh on May 25 as part of his 2019 tour to support his new album Blood Red Roses.
There’s a stunning cover of Grace on this album, so we expect it to be belted out with gusto at the hallowed stadium, along with some of Rod’s massive cannon of hits.
Ticket sales for this one are brisk so expect a sell-out, ticketmaster.ie.
Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is hitting Dublin in June ahead of more dates in 2020.
He is going to retire from touring after this, but he will also be on the road saying his goodbyes for a couple of years. The first dates will be at Dublin’s 3Arena on June 12 and 13, with more following in both Dublin and Belfast in 2020.
See eltonjohn.com and ticketmaster.ie for more details.
ARIANA, OLLY AND GEORGE EZRA
ARIANA GRANDE was rightly applauded for her compassionate response to the May 2017 Manchester Arena atrocity, and she is promising ‘a special show’ for the city when she brings her Sweetener tour there this year.
Ariana will also be coming to Dublin in September for two nights as part of the tour for the chart-topping album. She plays the 3Arena on September 22 and 23, ticketmaster. ie.
Having secured his second chart-topping album in Staying At Tamara’s, George Ezra is hitting Ireland in June for three dates across the country.
George will play Cork’s Irish Indenpdent Park on June 20, Malahide Castle in Dublin on June 21 and Belfast’s Ormeau Park on June 22, see georgeezra.com. Meanwhile, Little Mix will be doing six nights in Ireland on their LM5 tour. It will hit Belfast’s SSE Arena on October 6, 7 and 13 and Dublin’s 3Arena on the 8, 10 and 11. See mcd.ie.
Other pop acts on tour include one of the few X Factor survivors still pulling in the crowds. Olly Murs will play the 3Arena in Dublin on May 13 and the SSE Arena in Belfast the following night, ticketmaster.ie.
Following her support slots with Ed Sheeran last year, Olly’s fellow Essex singer Anne-Marie is kicking off her own Irish tour with a date in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on May 31 before hitting the 3Arena on June 1, ticketmaster.ie.
INDIE HEROES
WITH new album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships giving them a third consecutive No.1 in the Official Album Chart, The 1975 launch the year’s first big tour when they play the SSE Arena in Belfast, on Wednesday, followed by a gig at Dublin’s 3 Arena the following night — the ideal remedy to the winter blues. A busy winter for indie-rock continues as Glaswegian electronic trio Chvrches, led by Lauren Mayberry, perform their first tour in two years at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on February 19 and two nights in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on February 21 and 22, mcd.ie. After a superb performance supporting LiamGallagher at Malahide Castle last year, former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft brings his solo tour to Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on April 29. Last year their show in the Tivoli was one of the hottest tickets in town and sold out in record time. And now Idles are set to take the stage in Iveagh Gardens as part of the summer series of gigs there. They will play on July 11, closely followed by homegrown hero Conor O’Brien as Villagers play on July 12. Shirley Manson’s grunge-lite group Garbage play on July 18 at the same venue with The Academic playing on July 19. See aiken promotions.com But one of the hottest tickets in town is the return of New Order to Dublin. They might be without Peter Hook but the gig at Trinity College as part of the
Summer Series on July 7 will still be a must for fans, following the release of a box set edition of their debut album Movement in April, ticketmaster.ie.
ROCKERS’ RETURN
THE Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne is kicking off his No More Tours 2 session at the 3Arena on January 30, with special guests Judas Priest, leading a line-up of rock behemoths.
Brush up those poodle perms as Bon Jovi play Dublin’s RDS in their first tour here for six years on June 15 and 16.
The same month sees Metallica bring their WorldWired Tour to these shores, opening with a show at Slane Castle, Co. Meath, on June 8, ticketmaster.ie.
Muse promise a technological extravaganza when their Simulation
Theory tour starts at the London Stadium on June 1, and it’s hoped Matt Bellamy and the boys will be dropping in on Ireland too. But for now you can get tickets for the London show from ticketmaster.ie.
Steely Dan hit the capital on February 28 when they play the 3Arena while on June 13, Fleetwood Mac return to Ireland minus Lindsey Buckingham for a gig at the RDS, mcd.ie.
Kiss bring their End Of The Road tour to the UK in the summer, opening at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, on July 9, livenation.co.uk, with more dates expected, including a trip to these shores later this year.
LOOK WHO’S BACK!
DIDO marks her new album Still On My Mind, out in March, by returning with her first tour in 15 years. She plays Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on May 27.
Another overdue comeback is from Gabrielle, who will perform songs from new album Under My Skin on a tour which is at the same venue on March 22.
Paul Weller is stepping outside again to play the Trinity Summer Series at Trinity College on July 4 as part of the tour for his latest album True Meanings. It’s one of Weller’s finest solo efforts to date and fans can also expect the odd smattering of The Jam and The Style Council if this year’s Olympia gigs are anything to go by.
And the legend that is Burt Bacharach will be performing hits from his huge songbook at the Iveagh Gardens on July 20. The legendary composer is responsible for tracks such as Anyone Who Had A Heart, Close To You, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head and many more huge hits that have withstood the test of time.
Meanwhile, it’s going to be a busy St Patrick’s weekend for fans of Dublin heroes Aslan, as Christy Dignam and the lads have announced they will play The Olympia on March 15 and 16, ticketmaster.ie
FESTIVAL FRENZY
LAST year was a rough year for the team at POD. The inaugural All Together Now festival at Curraghmore Estate in Co. Waterford was a huge success but was followed by the sad and sudden loss of POD founder John Reynolds.
The team have decided to continue to honour John’s memory by continuing to stage brilliant events and this year’s All Together Now, which takes place from August 2 to 4, already has Canadian band The National as one of the headliners, with more names to follow, alltogethernow.ie.
Grime artist Skepta, dream folk outfit First Aid Kit and chart toppers Elbow are lined up for this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival on the June Bank Holiday weekend,
forbiddenfruit.ie. Meanwhile, in Marlay Park, Longitude will return from July 5 to 7, with Chance The Rapper and ASAP Rocky already announced.
Toto are one of the big draws for this year’s Live At The Marquee festival in Cork. David Gray will also be performing on the Lee. And of course, no summer would be complete without The Electric Picnic at Stradbally, Co. Laois, from August 30 September 1 which, though no acts have been announced, is already a sell-out.