Some recent gig announcements and festival additions from the Irish live circuit.
For more see the gig news and festival section.
Féile Na Gréine launches its 2026 programme with a fundraiser night at Pharmacia, Limerick on Friday May 22nd, 8pm to late. Music from Cork-based DJ DiJaka, genre-blending Cork five-piece I Dreamed, I Dream, Limerick singer-songwriter Laura Duff, and Limerick traditional singer-songwriter Mise an Sliabh. Tickets €15 plus fees in advance (€20 on the door) via Eventbrite. The festival itself takes place August 14th-16th in Limerick City – details to be announced via feilelk.ie.
Ash have announced a full global reunion tour to mark the 30th anniversary of 1977. A 30th Anniversary Edition of the album comes out October 16th via BMG, including long-lost track ‘Bittersweet Blue’ and a bonus disc of the full album live from STABAL studios. The Irish dates are the final stops on a world run. 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Wednesday December 9th; Ulster Hall, Belfast on Thursday December 10th. Tickets on sale Friday May 15th at 10am via Ticketmaster.
BLAB Recommends 001 is the first BLAB sister/fringe show, at The Workman’s Club on Wednesday May 27th, featuring bbft, KiiKO, Sheriff and Softdrink Millionaire. BLAB is new multi-media publication about Irish music consisting of a print magazine, a cassette tape and live gigs in Dublin.
Open Ear ’26 is completely sold out, but the lineup was added to. Dave Huismans returns as ex_libris – his project since last year producing some of his finest leftfield house and off-grid grooves – making his Irish live debut in this format. Eomac & Saint Abdullah unite Irish producer Ian McDonnell with Iranian-Canadian brothers Mohammad and Mehdi Mehrabani-Yeganeh. One Leg One Eye & Smote brings together Ian Lynch and George Brennan with UK’s Smote for a night of psychedelia, drone, trad and motorik rhythms. And Rabih Beaini (Morphosis/Ra.H) makes his Irish debut. Sherkin Island, June bank holiday weekend. Previously announced.
Rhiannon Giddens plays Vicar Street on Wednesday September 30th. The two-time Grammy winner, MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner is one of the most important figures in American roots music – a founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, current Artistic Director of the Silkroad Ensemble, and someone who recently served as a music consultant on the film Sinners. Tickets from €40.15 plus fees, on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Ibibio Sound Machine play Button Factory on Friday October 9th. The British-Nigerian afro-futurist collective led by Eno Williams blend West African rhythms, disco, post-punk and global club music into one of the most genuinely thrilling live shows around. Their sixth album is due later this year on Merge Records. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie.
Jake Xerxes Fussell plays Button Factory on Saturday October 10th. The Georgia-born folk singer and interpreter’s most recent album When I’m Called drew in Blake Mills, Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb. He’s also just released Rebuilding, the soundtrack to the Josh O’Connor film of the same name. Tickets €28 including fees, on sale now via singularartists.ie.
Antony Szmierek plays Button Factory on Wednesday October 28th. The Manchester poet and dance music producer – with comparisons to Mike Skinner and John Cooper Clarke – has a new album Decoding Birdsong out August 21st via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group, with collaborators including Los Bitchos, Pretty Girl, and 1-800 GIRLS. New single ‘Chalk’ (inspired by a Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary) premiered on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show this week. Tickets €25 including fees, on sale now via singularartists.ie.
Pebbledash have announced Irish tour dates for autumn: Dolan’s Limerick (October 27th), Live at St Lukes Cork (October 31st), The Workman’s Club Dublin (November 1st). The Cork band – whose ‘Carraig Aonair’ featured in Netflix’s House of Guinness – are now on a 19-date UK and EU run and this is the Irish leg. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie.
Pelican play Whelan’s on Friday November 6th, presented by Foggy Notions and U:MACK, with No Spill Blood supporting. The Chicago post-rock institution are back to original lineup strength with guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec returning, and new album Flickering Resonance draws as much on 90s post-hardcore as it does doom metal. No Spill Blood are the ideal support. Tickets €29.50 including fees, on sale now via foggynotions.ie.
MUNA play 3Olympia Theatre on Wednesday November 11th on their ‘Gets So Hot’ tour. Their fourth album Dancing On The Wall – hard-edged dance-pop shaped by life in Los Angeles, drawing on post-punk and new wave – sounds like a step up from an already very good run of records. Tickets €36.85-€53.05 plus fees, on sale Thursday May 14th at 10am via Ticketmaster.
Slift play The Academy, Dublin on Tuesday December 8th. The French heavy psych trio have a new album Fantasia on Sub Pop out June 5th – their leanest and most direct record yet, recorded in one take at Daft Studios in Brussels, mixed by Kurt Ballou. Eight songs in under 50 minutes. ‘The Day of Execution’ is out now. Tickets on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Editors play Vicar Street on Saturday February 28th 2027 and Ulster Hall, Belfast on Sunday March 1st 2027. Tickets on sale Friday May 1st at 10am via singularartists.ie.
International Literature Festival Dublin runs from this Friday May 15th to Sunday May 24th, and this year’s music programme in Merrion Square Park is well worth a look. Kicking off on Friday May 15th: Throwing Snow x Daragh Fleming at Byzantium (7pm) – UK electronic artist Ross Whiting and Dublin poet Daragh Fleming in a live show blending textured electronic production with spoken word. Straight after at Speranza (8pm): the Seisiún Mór Traidisiúnta presented by District x ILFD, returning after selling out at last year’s festival, featuring Landless and The Wran. On Sunday May 17th, Irish National Opera present When Words Sing – operatic excerpts inspired by European literary works, with mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond and soprano Ioana Constantin-Pipelea. The Spotlight Sessions continue through the week: Éire & Cú Chulainn (sean-nós siblings, May 20th), Barnburner (intimate, melancholic songwriting, May 21st), Galia Arad (May 22nd), and Elanor Moss (BBC 6 Music 2026 ones to watch, May 23rd) – all at Byzantium, 7pm. Full programme at ilfdublin.com.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
