Some recent gig announcements from the Irish live circuit.
Cassius return to Dublin for the first time in 18 years, playing Button Factory on Friday October 6th. Hubert Boombass brings the French Touch duo’s catalogue back to the dancefloor – ‘Cassius 1999’, ‘Feeling For You’, the deeper funk-infused grooves that made them one of the most influential acts in house music. Presented by Selective Memory. Tickets €22.50 plus booking fee, on sale now via selectivememory.ie/cassius2026.
Jake Xerxes Fussell has a new album, The Old Beloved Path, out September 18th via Fat Possum Records – his first for the label and, by all accounts, a significant step up. Lead single ‘Rock Island Line’ is below. 8 October – Cyprus Avenue, Cork, 9 October – Róisín Dubh, Galway, 10 October – Button Factory, Dublin Tickets via foggynotions.ie.
Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) returns to Fidelity Studio for a four-hour DJ set on September 12th. The Hot Chip co-founder and restless dance music figure is one of the most informed DJs in the overlap between house, disco and leftfield electronics. Tickets via Fidelity’s Eventbrite. Use code ‘OVERANDOVER’ to access tickets before anyone else, and also get 10% off at checkout.
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The Faa Side Showcase is an all-day, all-Drogheda music festival at Odd Mollies, Drogheda on Saturday August 8th, organised by Luke White of CABL under his Torann DIY promotion and funded by Louth County Council. The festival brings together five of Drogheda’s most interesting bands and artists alongside five local Jungle, Techno and IDM DJs in partnership with the Drogheda Groove Movement. Bands: bbft, CABL, Hot Girl, Julian Knows (FKA David San Clair) and Khidyie. A genuinely well-intentioned effort to shine a light on what’s been quietly building in Drogheda. Tickets.
Delivery play Bello Bar, Dublin on Tuesday October 27th. The Melbourne band – draw on caustic, mutant garage-punk “that sounds like the sun-baked desert vistas that populate Mad Max films (according to Brooklyn Vegan at least)” – make their Irish debut. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie and Ticketmaster.
Mykki Blanco plays The Sound House, Dublin on Friday October 30th. The groundbreaking rapper, performer and activist has a new album Café Paradiso – described as “a record for artsy kids” – and a live show that has consistently been one of the most fully realised in contemporary rap. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie and Ticketmaster.
Wipeout Festival takes place this Saturday July 18th on the beach at Strandhill, Co. Sligo – a free one-day outdoor music festival celebrating what’s happening in Irish music right now. Free entry, Strandhill seafront. Acts include Elaine Malone, Fizzy Orange, Banríon, Ronan Group, Stuck, Search Results. Details via the organisers on Instagram.
Loud Women Fest takes over Fibber Magees on Saturday August 29th for an all-day showcase of women and non-binary artists from Ireland and the UK. Features Taylor D, DC Dolls, Dose, Holy Show, Molly Vulpyne and more . Full lineup at loudwomen.org.
Beardfire Festival 2026 takes over the Workman’s Club main venue across three nights: Thursday August 13th, Friday 14th and Saturday 15th. Seventeen Irish indie, rock and alternative acts across the three days, headlined by psychedelic rockers Luna Motif (Thursday), Dublin five-piece ULTRAS launching their debut album I Love Where I’m From (Friday), and Philippine alt-rock act Further Line (Saturday). Tickets €15 per night via linktr.ee/Beardfire. Full lineups: Thursday – Late Met Dawn, BOUND, Mister Sister, A Dead Human, Luna Motif. Friday – DC Dolls, Dead Manifest, Captain Consciousness & The Dingo Brothers, Taylor D, Kyral, ULTRAS. Saturday – The Threads, Kate Dineen, RUSALKA, Rizla Silvers, Sneaky Divils, Further Line.
Frog play Grand Social on Wednesday September 16th, presented by Foggy Notions and their first Dublin headline show. The New York band – somewhere between indie rock, Americana, alt-country and fifth wave emo, depending on who you ask – found a devoted cult following after David Berman championed their 2015 album Kind of Blah, and their 2023 comeback GROG was praised by Pitchfork, Stereogum and Bandcamp Daily as one of that year’s best indie records. Tickets €25 including booking fee, on sale today at 10am via foggynotions.ie.
Pye Corner Audio plays The Workman’s Club on Wednesday November 4th. Martin Jenkins’ project has been one of the most consistent and unclassifiable forces in UK electronic music for over a decade – analogue synthesiser explorations that move through kosmische, techno, dark ambient and electro without settling anywhere permanently. TICKETS.
Cinder Well plays Bello Bar, Dublin on Friday October 9th, presented by Foggy Notions, in celebration of her new album A Blooming Body, out July 17th. The LA-based songwriter and composer Amelia Baker makes dark, rich and formally restless music that moves between folk traditions without settling into any one of them – her Tiny Desk brought comparisons to Lankum and Pallbearer, and she composed the original score for Mackenzie Crook and Michael Palin’s BBC TV series Small Prophets. Tickets €22.50 including booking fee, on sale now via foggynotions.ie.
Damien Dempsey is doing his biggest-ever December residency at Vicar Street this year. Early access presale live now via aikenpromotions.com – a December Dempsey residency at Vicar Street is one of those perennial Dublin events worth prioritising – Seven headline performances on 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 & 23 December, 2026.
Slow Pulp play Button Factory on Saturday January 30th 2027, presented by Singular Artists. The Madison, Wisconsin band occupy a sweet spot between shoegaze, indie rock and emo that’s earned them a devoted following and a string of excellent records – their 2023 album Yard was one of the best of that year. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie and Ticketmaster.
Belfast Tradfest returns this Sunday July 26th through to Sunday August 2nd, with 70+ artists across venues throughout the city. One of the most relaxed and genuinely enjoyable ways to spend a trad week – full programme at belfasttradfest.com.
Miss Kaninna plays Whelan’s Upstairs on Saturday August 8th. The Australian singer-songwriter’s warmly received debut has been building a following well beyond her home country – and this show arrives after a ton of Kneecap support shows. Tickets on sale now via singularartists.ie and Ticketmaster.
Masters of Tradition runs August 19th-23rd in Bantry, Co. Cork, presented by West Cork Music. The intimate trad festival consistently draws some of the finest players in Irish, Scottish and world traditional music to one of the most beautiful settings on the island. Martin Hayes is Artistic Director and programme features Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Kyle Sanna and more. Full programme at westcorkmusic.ie.
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.
