Upcoming Shows
The O2
ALICIA KEYS
Fourteen-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Alicia Keys will hit Irish shores next May when she showcases her highly anticipated fifth studio album, GIRL ON FIRE. Keys will set the UK and Ireland alight with arena dates in Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, London, Belfast and Dublin. GIRL ON FIRE will be released in Ireland by Sony on 23rd November 2012. Find out more here
EDDIE IZZARD
On 26th May 2013 Eddie Izzard will play The O2, Dublin. Force majeure (French, “superior force”, “chance occurrence, unavoidable accident”) In 2011 EDDIE IZZARD, the man who turned talking ‘Bollocks’ into an art form performed and sold–out Madison Square Garden in New York. He spent a three-month residency at the Théâtre de Dix Heures in Paris performing STRIPPED: ‘Tout en Francais’ (in French!) and then become the first stand-up to play a solo show at Los Angeles’ legendary Hollywood Bowl. It was an extraordinary year from an extraordinary man. Never one to rest on his laurels IZZARD now plans to take on the world with a brand-new comedy tour, FORCE MAJEURE. FORCE MAJEURE will be the most extensive comedy tour ever. It begins its mammoth journey around the globe during spring 2013. From Cardiff to Kathmandu, Moscow to Mumbai, EDDIE will visit 25 countries throughout Europe, USA, Africa, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal and The Far East. Find out more here
THE WHO
THE WHO, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, has announced their tour is coming to Dublin on 8th June 2013 when they’ll perform their iconic 1973 double album QUADROPHENIA in its entirety, along with a selection of WHO classics.The tour follows on from a hugely successful North American, tour, praised by press and fans alike as probably the definitive interpretation of Quadrophenia and “a rock ‘n’ roll lover’s dream come true” (Telegram.com, Boston). “QUADROPHENIA is their (The Who’s) boldest and most fully realized albums,” writes Rolling Stone, “but it’s never quite gotten the live show it deserves – until now”. Find out more here
JOSH GROBAN
Tickets go on sale on Friday 1st March at 9am. It is with great pleasure that MCD announce Josh Groban’s ‘All That Echoes’ concert on 23rd June at The O2. Josh Groban is an internationally renowned singer, songwriter, and actor whose baritone voice is instantly recognizable and unparalleled among his peers. Josh’s latest record ‘All That Echoes’ features a stunning version of the traditional Donegal song “She moved Through The Fair”. This continues his long association and love affair with Irish songs, having previously recorded Brendan Graham’s,”You raise me up” and Declan O’ Rourke’s “Gallileo”. His unique take on these songs have rightfully gained him a loyal following in Ireland. Find out more here
THE XX
Following two triumphant sold out nights at The Olympia Theatre and the ecstatically received Main Stage performance at this year’s Electric Picnic Festival, those who were there and those who missed it will be delighted to hear that London band The xx announce their return to Ireland next June, playing The O2. Find out more here
MAROON 5
Multiplatinum pop-rock superstars Maroon 5 will play The O2 Dublin, June 29th, with special guests Neon Trees. This 3 time Grammy-winning quintet are considered one of the most popular bands of the last decade and have topped the charts with massive hits including “This Love”, “She Will Be Loved”, “Makes Me Wonder” and more recently the Multi-Platinum selling #1 Single Moves Like Jagger, which held the #1 spot in the Irish Chart for over 4 Weeks and was one of the most successful singles of 2011. Find out more here
MICHAEL BUBLE
Michael Bublé, the biggest selling male solo artist this century has announced five nights in the intimate setting of The O2 in July 2013. “We have been inundated with enquires ever since Michael Bublé announced he was planning to return to Ireland, I can’t think of a better Christmas present!” stated Eamonn O’Connor, Managing Director Ticketmaster Ireland. Michael Bublé last played here in 2010 when he sold out two Aviva stadium shows, selling over 110,000 tickets. Find out more here
PARAMORE
Although their blend of emo-pop and slick, anthemic rock & roll eventually made them stars on both sides of the Atlantic, Paramore began humbly enough in Franklin, USA, where Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro after moving to town from Mississippi. Now Grammy nominated and multi million selling three-piece Paramore announce a date at The O2 Dublin on 2 September. Find out more here
LEONARD COHEN
Leonard Cohen will play The O2 on 11th and 12th September 2013. A Leonard Cohen show in Ireland has become something of legend. Since his initial comeback shows in 2008 at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham up to the more recent shows there last year, his performances have continued to be received with nothing short of reverence and awe who attend. He has continuously sold out venues in record time, garnering more and more 5 star reviews and accolades each time including winning ‘Best International Live Performance’ two years in a row at the Irish Meteor Awards in 2009 and 2010
MACKLEMORE X RYAN LEWIS
Fresh off their infectious & energetic performance at this year’s MTV Movie Awards (which had stars like Jamie Fox, Samuel L Jackson & Kerri Washington bouncing in their seats!) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have announced a European tour including The O2 Dublin on September 15th. The group played to a packed house at the 800-capacity Dublin Academy only last year while on their 70-city, completely sold-out world tour supporting their critically acclaimed debut full length album The Heist, but such is their incredible rise in popularity they have bypassed the usual gradual increase in venue size and moved straight onto The O2. Find out more here
SOUNDGARDEN
Legendary rock band Soundgarden today announced further European dates including a show at The O2, Dublin on September 16th. The band are set to kick off proceedings on September 4th in Helsinki, performing at the Hartwall Arena before taking in Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and London.
Soundgarden have also announced that they will release a brand new repackaged edition of ‘King Animal’, their critically acclaimed album released in November last year. Out on 2nd September 2013, ‘King Animal Plus’ features 5 exclusive live tracks recorded at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles and 1 acoustic track recorded at radio station 89X CIMX in Detroit. Find out more here
FLEETWOOD MAC
Fleetwood Mac, one of rock’s most enduring, beloved and successful bands, is coming to The O2 Dublin on Friday 20th of September as part of a major 2013 worldwide tour.Multi Grammy-winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2009 with the sold outUnleashed tour. The new tour also marks the 35th anniversary of the release of their classic Rumours album (1977), one of the most successful albums in recorded history with sales exceeding 40 million copies. Find out more here
BARRY GIBB
Barry Gibb has designed the Mythology Tour as a tribute to his brothers and it is set to be a journey that takes in the Bee Gees timeless catalogue. He has just completed the Mythology Tour in Australia where he performed at sold out venues including the Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. With a career that has spanned more than five decades, Barry Gibb stands as one of the most prolific singer, song-writers and producers of the modern era. As the eldest brother and creative leader of the Bee Gees, Barry, along with his brothers Maurice and Robin, represent one of the most successful vocal groups in rock and roll history. Find out more here
BRUNO MARS
The announcement of “The Moonshine Jungle World Tour” comes just as “When I Was Your Man” – the latest single from Mars’ just-released sophomore album, “UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX” – has exploded into the top 10 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” where it joins the album’s blockbuster first single, “Locked Out Of Heaven,” which recently spent six consecutive weeks atop the “Hot 100” chart. The immediate success of “When I Was Your Man” – which additionally earned honors as the week’s top “Streaming Gainer” and “Airplay Gainer” – marks the GRAMMY®-winner’s 10th consecutive single to hit the top 10, continuing his already-established status as the male artist with the longest streak of top 10 hits as a performer since his debut. Furthermore, the single’s chart ascension places Mars in the history books as the first male artist to simultaneously place two titles in the top 10 since his own “Grenade” and “Just The Way You Are” doubled up on the chart in December 2010/January 2011. Find out more here
LIL WAYNE
The wait is finally over. Multi Grammy winning, multiplatinum hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne has confirmed his first Irish appearance at The O2 Dublin on Friday 8th March 2013. You can’t compare any other artist out there to me,” the charismatic Lil Wayne rightfully declares. “They are them, I am me. Nobody can do what I can. I am the best at what I do and that’s everything”. Find out more here
MICKEY FLANAGAN
Micky Flanagan – one of British comedy’s biggest stars – will travel the length and breadth of the UK & Ireland for what will be the most anticipated comedy tour of 2013. The ‘Back In The Game’ tour follows on from the huge critical and commercial success of last year’s ‘Out Out’ tour where over 200,000 tickets were sold and all 150 dates a sell out. Find out more here
JESSIE J
It’s been another whirlwind of a year so far for Jessie J who takes another step closer to world domination. Jessie has proven she is one of the hottest pop star’s on the planet right now having hit the #1 spot in 19 countries world-wide selling 11 million singles and over 2.5 million copies of her multi-platinum debut album ‘Who You Are’. In the UK alone Jessie has sold 1 million albums and secured two #1 singles with ‘Price Tag’ and ‘Domino’. Find out more here
WORLD’S GREATEST PINK FLOYD SHOW
Having performed to over a half a million fans around the world since it’s first show in Liverpool, England in January 2011, The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show, Brit Floyd, returns to the Ireland 2013 to present P-U-L-S-E 2013, The Pink Floyd Ultimate Light & Sound Experience, a stunning new three hour show featuring note-for-note performances of five full album sides, including ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Animals’, ‘The Wall’, ‘The Division Bell’, and, in celebration of the 40th anniversary, Pink Floyd’s classic defining album, ‘The Dark Side of The Moon’. Find out more here
WWE
Following the sell out success of their previous show dates, WWE will be returning to The O2 on the 7th November for one more night of wrestling action. Find out more here
DEPECHE MODE
Depeche Mode, the band that redefined the sound of music, launch the start of their majestic, ground breaking live tour across Europe next summer, including a show at The O2 in November 2013. Celebrating over three decades at the top of the musical landscape, with over 100 million record sales, Depeche Mode have spent much of this year working on their hotly anticipated 13th studio album due for release next Spring, the follow-up to 2009′s hypnotic Sounds Of The Universe. Find out more here
THE NATIONAL
Having sold out their show at the Marquee in Cork on June 28th in just over an hour, The National have now confirmed a concert in Dublin in November. Trouble Will Find Me, The National’s new album will be released on May 21st . This is the sixth studio album for the Brooklyn band, and follows 2010’s critical and commercial success High Violet. The album is the most self-assured collection of songs produced by The National in its 14-year career. In an interview with UK’s UNCUT Magazine, front man Matt Berninger described the songs as more “immediate and visceral” than their previous work. Trouble Will Find Me possesses a directness, a coherency and an approachability that suggests The National are at their most confident. Find out more here
STEREOPHONICS
With their sublime new LP ‘Graffiti On The Train’ just released, Stereophonics have announced date at The O2 in November.The Telegraph called ‘Graffiti On The Train’ “a tough and tender pop rock gem in which every track punches above its weight,” and the album – written by Kelly Jones and produced by Kelly and Jim Lowe – also sees the four-piece collaborate with David Arnold, who arranged strings on several tracks. Find out more here
SIGUR ROS
Sigur Rós announce details of their new studio album. Titled Kveikur, the album is Sigur Rós’s first since signing to XL Recordings worldwide and will be released on 17th / 18th June 2013. Meanwhile, Sigur Rós will play a series of European dates in November, including their biggest ever Irish headline show at The O2, Dublin on Saturday 16th November. Find out more here
THE LUMINEERS
Following the outstanding success of their first Irish headline show this weekend The Lumineers will return on Thursday 21 November to play The O2. Currently on a sold out Irish and UK tour the Grammy nominated trios self titled debut album has reached Platinum status in Ireland whilst remaining in the top 10 of the Irish Album charts since January. The band’s single Ho Hey has dominated the Irish airplay charts retaining its #1 status and picking up over 40 million You Tube hits. Find out more here
BOYZONE
Life was very different in 1993. We bought our music on CD’s and vinyl, mobile phones looked like bricks, there were only four channels on the telly and no-one had the ‘X Factor’ or a ‘Big Brother’. Meatloaf would do ‘Anything For You’, Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan were ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, David Beckham was in his first season at Man U and Facebook, YouTube, iTunes & Twitter were just pipe dreams. But in November 1993 a bunch of young lads from the North side of Dublin would infamously appear on ‘The Late Late Show’ and the rest, as they say… is history. Find out more here
DIVERSITY
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 12th December at 9am. Fresh from performing at the Royal Variety Performance Diversity have announced a brand new arena tour ‘Limitless’ for 2013 which will open at The O2 on 30th November and as always will feature some very special guests. Find out more here
JLS
Since JLS came second on X Factor in 2008, they have been one of the most successful acts in the show’s history. They are the only act from the show to have had five number one singles. Over the last four years they have sold over six million records. JLS have also racked up a number of impressive awards over the years. They have won two Brit Awards and earlier this month, they took home their fifth MOBO Award, matching Kanye West’s current record and firmly placing them as one of the UKs most successful music groups. Find out more here
WET WET WET
Bursting onto the scene 26 years ago in 1987, Wet Wet Wet are back. The band will be performing at The O2 on 5th December as part of their Greatest Hits tour. Boasting a back catalogue of songs that include three UK number ones – With A Little Help From My Friends; Goodnight Girl; and Love Is All Around – the Glasgow lads have made an incredible impact with their music for almost three decades. Find out more here
MRS BROWN LIVE
BAFTA Award Winning Mrs Brown’s Boys are back for their biggest arena tour to date with the hilarious hit show FOR THE LOVE OF BROWN! It comes, for a limited run, to The O2 Dublin on December 10th & 11th 2013. Tickets priced from €29.50,go on-sale from Ticketmaster and usual outlets nationwide on Friday 7th of December at 9am. Find out more here
ANDRE RIEU
André Rieu – And The Waltz Goes On, live at The O2 17th December 2013. Tickets on sale now. An evening full of humor, music and emotion for young and old. Immerse yourself into the most romantic melodies, or get out of your seat and dance in the aisles on one of the catchy waltzes. Experience the magic of André Rieu at a festive and memorable evening and come see why André Rieu is one of the most popular live acts in the world! Find out more here
MIRANDA HART, MY WHAT I CALL, LIVE SHOW
The award winning Queen of Comedy is on stage doing stand-up for the first time since her hit series ‘Miranda’ aired on the BBC. Grab a chance to see Miranda Hart’s laugh out loud genius live. She wants you to join her party at The O2 on 29th March 2014. Expect galloping, attempts at song and dance, and simply – such fun! Find out more here
LEE EVANS – MONSTERS
Tickets go on sale on MONDAY 20th May at 9am! WIRED AND WONDERFUL was huge… XL was big… BIG was even bigger… ROADRUNNER was record breaking… and now the legendary Lee Evans embarks on his most ambitious tour to date. MONSTERS is Lee’s amazing new show with over 50 nights in the biggest arenas in Ireland and the UK. Lee will be playing to more fans than ever on this hotly anticipated tour! Find out more here
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
THE LION KING
Disney has announced that THE LION KING will play the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from Saturday 27th April 2013 as part of the show’s first-ever tour of UK & Republic of Ireland. The legendary musical will visit Dublin for a two-month season, giving Irish audiences the opportunity to experience this global phenomenon. Four years in the making, this truly international production brings together a cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers, from 17 different countries, supported by a backstage team of over 100 people. THE LION KING will be the largest musical production ever to tour Ireland and the UK, with 21 giant trucks being used to transport the hundreds of masks and puppets, thousands of lights, spectacular scenery and more than 700 elaborate costumes used in the production. In total, the touring production will visit 10 cities over the next two and a half years, with further dates and locations to be announced. Find out more here
COLM WILKINSON
One of Broadway’s most distinctive voices, Ireland’s Colm Wilkinson is best known as the original Jean Valjean and the Phantom, roles he created and embodied in London, Toronto and New York productions of Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera. He played Jean Valjean in the 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (1995) and has gained many new fans since his guest appearances on both 25th Anniversary Concerts of Les Misérable at the O2 London (2010) and Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011). Find out more here
THE MOUSETRAP
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap – the legendary, record-breaking, box office smash-hit thriller, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion the show’s first ever UK & Ireland tour is coming to Dublin from Monday 24th June 2013. Famous around the world for being the longest running show of any kind in the history of British theatre. With almost 25,000 performances it’s a play to be proud of! And to celebrate 60 incredible years on stage it’s going on tour for the first time, with a star cast to give you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this masterpiece here at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Find out more here
GISELLE
In a village deep in the mountains, Giselle and Loys are deeply in love. But Loys has a secret – he is actually Count Albrecht, and betrothed to another. When jealous Hilarion unmasks his true identity, and his fiancée arrives to claim him, Giselle’s heartbreak is too much to bear and she takes her own life. Remorseful, Albrecht visits Giselle’s grave in the forest, but the bitter ghosts of jilted brides rise and condemn him to dance himself to death. Only Giselle’s love, powerful even from beyond the grave, can save him. Find out more here
NOISES OFF
The Old Vic and West-End smash hit Noises Off comes to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre following its triumphant and critically acclaimed sell out run in London. Hailed as one of the greatest British comedies ever written, Michael Frayn’s multi award-winning backstage comedy serves up a riotous double bill – a play within a play. Hurtling along at breakneck speed it follows the backstage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through rehearsals, to a shambolic first night in Weston–super-Mare, and a final disastrous performance in Stockton-on-Tees. Find out more here
HAIRSPRAY
Stage and screen star MARK BENTON will lead the company of the award-winning musical comedy HAIRSPRAY when it embarks on a tour next year. The multi-million euro production will run at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from 16 July- 3 August 2013 as part of its tour of the UK and Ireland. Mark will play the larger than life Turnblad family matriarch Edna in the show, with further casting to be announced soon. It embarked on its first UK and Ireland tour in 2010 playing to nearly ¾ million people in sold out theatre’s across Britain and Ireland. Further afield the show has played at venues around the world, including six years on Broadway, and won more than 40 major theatre awards. Find out more here
CATS
Wed 21st August – Sat 7th September 2013. Tickets from €20 on sale Fri 15th March. One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, CATS comes The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Based on T.S Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking adaptation CATS is directed by Trevor Nunn, with choreography by Gillian Lynne and set and costume design by John Napier. Re-creating the direction and choreography for the tour is Chrissie Cartwright. Including one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most memorable musical scores, spectacular set design, extraordinary costumes and stunning choreography, CATS is a uniquely magical musicals. Find out more here
HEARTBEAT OF HOME
Heartbeat of Home will have its World Premiere here, at The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre opening on September 25th and will run for 21 performances only. Created by the Producers and Director of Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home is a music and dance spectacular fusing the vibrant, dynamic components of traditional Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban music and dance. The world-class cast of thirty-eight includes a ten-piece band creating a new and electrifying sound written by award-winning, Golden-Globe-nominated composer Brian Byrne. Find out more here
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT
David Ian Productions and the Ambassador Theatre Group are delighted to bring us the international smash hit musical PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT. Originally opened in Australia in 2006 where it ran for two years before opening in the West End for a run of a further two years. The show recently played a hugely successful season on Broadway. Along the way, it has won numerous awards including the prestigious Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Costume Design. Find out more here
WEST SIDE STORY
BB Promotion in collaboration with Sundance Productions Inc., NY and Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group are delighted to announce the international sell out hit “WEST SIDE STORY” coming to Dublin this Autumn. This production of “WEST SIDE STORY” features the entire original Jerome Robbins choreography. Over Christmas 2012, this production played a completely sold out season at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris, having previously sold out in cities around the world, including Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Berlin, Madrid, and Beijing. This production was last seen in the UK in 2008/9 when it also sold out for a season at Sadler’s Wells and played to capacity houses throughout a year long UK tour. Find out more here
ROMEO & JULIET
The Tchaikovsky Perm State Ballet are returning to Dublin in November after their highly successful performances of SWAN LAKE and THE NUTCRACKER last December – and they will be presenting Prokofiev’s ROMEO AND JULIET – with choreography by Kenneth MacMillan. “This will be the biggest production we have ever staged in Ireland, enthused the organiser Simon Walton of International leisure and Arts, “it is the same version as presented by The Royal ballet (originally starring Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn) and The American Ballet Theatre. I am really excited that our audiences are going to see something very special!”. Find out more here
THE NUTCRACKER
Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th November. Tickets priced from €35 on sale now. The Tchaikovsky Perm State ballet are returning to Dublin in November after their highly successful performances of SWAN LAKE and THE NUTCRACKER last December and now they are back again with THE NUTCRACKER on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November. Find out more here
WICKED
Experience this unforgettable, award-winning musical and discover that you’ve not been told the whole story about the Land of Oz… The incredible Wicked has been casting its spell over audiences across the world for nearly a decade and continues to be a “West End sensation” (Daily Mail) at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it’s already the 16th longest-running musical in London theatre history. Brilliantly re-imagining the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the remarkable untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Find out more here
WARHORSE
The National Theatre’s award-winning production of War Horse comes to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from 26th March – 26th April 2014. Seen by over 2.4 million people worldwide since its premiere at the National Theatre in 2007, War Horse is the powerful story of a young boy called Albert and his beloved horse, Joey, who has been requisitioned to fight for the English in World War I. Caught in enemy crossfire, Joey ends up serving on both sides during the war before landing in no man’s land, while Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks on a treacherous mission to find his horse and bring him home. A remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship, War Horse features ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing and galloping horses to life on stage. Find out more here
DIRTY DANCING
The producers of the smash hit show Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage are delighted to announce that the show will once again set pulses racing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin when it returns in July 2014 as part of a brand new tour of the UK and Ireland. Since opening in September 2011, the first ever tour of the UK and Ireland has wowed audiences across the country, breaking box office records and playing to standing ovations and 5 star reviews. Find out more here