The Mercury-nominated Galway songwriter plays Vicar Street on Saturday December 12th, a sizeable step up from the Workman’s Club show he played in May.
Dove Ellis has announced a four-date run for November and December, taking in Glasgow, Leeds, London and Dublin.
It’s billed as a short tour, and the venues tell you most of what you need to know about the year he’s had. When Ellis announced his last Dublin headline show back in February, it was a big Workman’s Club singalong. This time it’s Vicar Street, three days after the first anniversary of his debut album.
Blizzard arrived in December 2025 into the dead zone of the pre-Christmas release schedule and still grabbed the headlines.
The Galway-born, Manchester-based songwriter had built the groundwork himself before any of that, with a DIY fanbase grown through Instagram and sold-out shows in Manchester and London, plus an American support run with Geese and an Other Voices performance in Dingle.
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Singles ‘To The Sandals’, ‘Pale Song’ and ‘Love Is’ set the tone: fuzzed, low-slung acoustic indie rock with Ellis’ quivering voice at the centre, and a pleasing air of Jeff Buckley and early Thom Yorke about the whole thing.
Blizzard picked up a Choice Music Prize nomination in January, and last week Ellis landed on the 2026 Mercury Prize shortlist alongside Paul McCartney, Florence + The Machine, Raye and Suede. He’s on the shortlist twice over, in fact, appearing on ‘Sunday Light’ on the War Child compilation HELP(2).
The Mercury ceremony takes place on Thursday October 22nd at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, which means these dates land in the month after we find out whether he takes it home. Either way, expect Vicar Street tickets to move quickly.
Dove Ellis Short Tour ’26:
- Thursday November 26th – St Luke’s, Glasgow
- Saturday November 28th – Howard Assembly Room, Leeds
- Tuesday December 8th – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
- Saturday December 12th – Vicar Street, Dublin
Presale tickets go on sale Thursday August 6th at 10am, with general sale following on Friday August 7th at 10am. Sign up for presale access via CoBrand. Tickets plus fees.
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.
