The Guide: Zach Bryan, Charli XCX, Rosie O'Donnell and other events to see, shows to book and ones to catch before they end
Event of the week
Zach Bryan
Friday-Sunday, June 20th-22nd, Phoenix Park, Dublin, 5pm, €171.25/€121.25,
ticketmaster.ie
In less than five years Zach Bryan has progressed from recording his tunes on a smartphone to releasing albums that have amassed billions of plays on streaming platforms. A raspy-voiced busker at heart who delivers country/roots songs grounded in Springsteen-style heartland traditions, the Oklahoma musician and songwriter has soothed a collective nerve with his stories of anguish, vulnerability, loss and hope. The keeping-it-country support acts include the Canadian singer-songwriter Noeline Hofmann (who features on Bryan's 2024 album, The Great American Bar Scene) and the Oklahoma honky-tonk bar band Turnpike Troubadours.
Gigs
Musictown
From Saturday, June 14th, until Wednesday, June 18th, NCH, Dublin, various times, €22/€12,
nch.ie
Operating Theatre: Olwen Fouéré and Roger Doyle
Musictown, the innovative under-the-radar musical festival (which is sponsored by Dublin City Council), returns with something for anyone who likes to dig deeper than the casual music fan. The five-day event starts on Saturday with the ambient musician Natalia Beylis and the cellist Eimear Reidy (3pm) and continues with Bren Berry & Crash Ensemble (8pm). Other highlights include Anna Mieke and Crash Ensemble (Sunday, June 15th), Glasshouse Perform Scott Walker (Monday, June 16th, 8pm), Róis and Crash Ensemble (Tuesday, June 17th) and Operating Theatre (Wednesday, June 18th).
Nine Inch Nails
Sunday, June 15th, 3Arena, Dublin, 6pm, €92/€47 (sold out), ticketmaster.ie
Nine Inch Nails
It has been 18 years since Nine Inch Nails last performed in Dublin, so to say that anticipation among fans is high is an understatement. The band – or, more to the point, their lead singer and creative focal point, Trent Reznor – arrives with a sizeable reputation for delivering on all fronts, from music that ranges from metallic to mellow to a stage show that challenges preconceptions about arena-size rock-show design and presentation. Whether Reznor's highly atmospheric film-soundtrack work (written with his bandmate Atticus Ross) will feature in live shows renowned for their metallic intensity remains to be heard.
Charli XCX
Tuesday, June 17th, Malahide Castle, Co Dublin, 4pm, €59.90 (sold out); Wednesday, June 18th, Belsonic, Belfast, 4pm, £54.50 (sold out), ticketmaster.ie
Charlie Aitchison recorded her debut album when she was 14, with help from the Bank of Mam and Dad. It was an investment that has paid handsome dividends. Almost 20 years later, and exactly a year after the release of her highly praised sixth album,
Brat
, Charli XCX is on top of the pack. With a substantial back catalogue to dip into, expect these shows to be fan-favourite-friendly. Special guest is The Japanese House.
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Stage
Static
From Saturday, June 14th, until Friday, July 18th, Abbey Theatre (Peacock stage), Dublin, 8pm, €32.50/€27.50/€20,
abbeytheatre.ie
Against all the technological odds, a reclusive radio operator in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, makes contact with an American astronaut who has been orbiting Earth for months. The conversations they have with one another, at a time when each is going through a mentally challenging time, help them to forge a bond that eases their loneliness and anxieties. Dan Gordon (as Moonman) and Seán Mahon (as Spaceman) star. Jimmy McAleavy writes, and John King directs.
Summer festival
Séamus Ennis Arts Centre Garden Party
From Saturday, June 14th, until Sunday, August 10th, Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co Dublin, various times and prices,
tseac.ie
For two summer months this tucked-away Fingal arts centre presents a broad range of music, comedy, puppetry and outdoor film screenings. Events are held in the Piper's Garden, the 500-capacity outdoor performance space named in celebration of the musician. Music acts performing across the summer include Ye Vagabonds (Saturday, June 28th), John Francis Flynn (Friday, July 11th), The 4 of Us (Sunday, July 12th) and The Seeger Sessions Revival (Saturday, August 9th). Of particular interest to curious and competitive pop-culture fans could be the Big Music & Movie Quiz (Sunday, August 3rd).
Visual art
These Magnetic Magnitudes
From Saturday, June 14th, until Saturday, August 16th, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co Meath, free,
solsticeartscentre.ie
These Magnetic Magnitudes: Possibility Space (2024) by Cecilia Danell
The Galway-based Swedish artist Cecelia Danell examines landscapes and the psychological impact that places have on people. Her solo exhibition features new works in paint, ceramic sculptures, textiles and film, inspired by the nature dioramas at New York's American Museum of Natural History, as well as science fiction (notably the feminist work of Ursula K Le Guin, particularly her masterpiece, The Left Hand of Darkness, from 1969). The exhibition is curated by Brenda McParland.
Comedy
Live at the Gate: Rosie O'Donnell
Thursday, June 19th, Gate Theatre, Dublin, 6.30pm, €53,
gatetheatre.ie
Rosie O'Donnell
Following Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration as US president for the second time, the Emmy-winning comedian Rosie O'Donnell moved from New York to Dublin, where she is in the process of acquiring Irish citizenship through descent. (Her father emigrated from Co Donegal in the 1930s.) O'Donnell has never performed on the Gate stage before, but we know she has recently been fine-tuning her jokes at the nearby venues the International Bar and Workman's Club. Proceeds from this event will support three LGBTQ+ charities, Teni, BeLonG To and ShoutOut. The event is hosted by this year's Dublin Pride Parade grand marshal, Ruadhán Ó Críodáin. (O'Donnell also headlines 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Sunday, July 27th.)
Still running
Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors & Awful Egyptians
Wednesday-Sunday, June 18th-22nd, 3Olympia, Dublin, 9.30am, 1.30pm and 5.30pm, €37.70/€34.90/€25.90, ticketmaster.ie
Horrible Histories
Families can choose from two Horrible Histories shows, both of which are based on the books by Terry Deary, the world's bestselling nonfiction author for children. History lessons, jokes, squelching sound effects, dodgy dancing and something called BoggleVision? Popcorn alert!
Book it this week
The Weir, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, August 8th-September 6th, ticketmaster.ie
The Stunning, 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, September 13th, ticketmaster.ie
David Sedaris, Town Hall Theatre, Galway, September 19th, tht.ie
Loyle Carner, 3Arena, Dublin, November 9th, ticketmaster.ie
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Irish Times
31 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Ray Burke on a landmark pub in Oranmore, Galway that played host to many well-known artistes
Anyone who travelled to Galway from Dublin or from the South of Ireland by road before the advent of motorways or bypasses cannot have missed the thatched pub that stands at the T-junction where the roads converged in Oranmore village. 'Quite a pretty place with a nice thatched pub, an old forge [and] a 1916 memorial' was how the RTÉ reporter Cathal O'Shannon described Oranmore village on a Newsbeat television programme in July 1967. 'All the traffic between Galway, Dublin and Limerick comes through here', he added, standing outside the thatched pub whose landmark location ensured that it attracted passing trade as well as local custom. The internationally renowned orchestra conductor and jazz pianist André Previn and his better-known future wife Mia Farrow were able to sit quietly talking and sipping Guinness in front of the pub's fireplace, unnoticed by any of the locals, shortly after O'Shannon's broadcast. READ MORE She had recently left her husband, Frank Sinatra, and she still sported her tom-boy hairstyle from the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby that made her famous. The couple had booked bed and breakfast next door to the pub in Oran Villa, a guesthouse owned by Maisie McDonagh, mother of the pub's proprietor, George. A group of musicians who could match André Previn in virtuosity arrived into the pub's lounge one Saturday a few years later at around midday. Three members of the nascent traditional Irish music group Planxty ventured tentatively into the empty lounge accompanied by their mentor, the master piper and broadcaster Seamus Ennis. Their fragile collective demeanours told that they were recovering from a late night. Less fortunate than the Hollywood actress or the famed musicians was the Galway hurler Mickey Burke, captain of the team that was beaten by Cork in the 1953 All-Ireland final. A farmer in Glennascaul, a mile north of the village, Mickey had his teeth knocked out by Cork's Christy Ring in that match. He was never again allowed to finish his drink of choice, a bottle of Guinness, in peace in the pub. His occasional daytime visits always ended prematurely when someone mentioned the 1953 final. More than 20 years after the match, Mickey invariably had to place his unfinished drink on the counter and walk out. Another occasional daytime customer was a fine, tall man who lived with his mother on Tawin Island, on the edge of Galway Bay and accessible via a narrow bridge. He never set a foot in the pub at night, but he used to call for a chat and a couple of pints whenever he cycled the seven miles to Oranmore for messages. The pub was usually quiet or maybe empty when he called at around midday. He was such a handsome, sturdy man that the bartender asked him one day why he had never married. He replied that when he had told his mother that he was thinking of getting married her response was: 'You have never yet had to iron your own shirt in this house' - 13 words that dictated the rest of his life. He never married and he never again raised the subject with his mother. A greater human tragedy overhung the arrival of three uniformed Gardai into the lounge one mid-winter Saturday afternoon. White-faced and wearing heavy overcoats, the Gardai exchanged barely a word and they left immediately after consuming two double-brandies each in quick succession. They were returning from the scene of a fatal car crash on the road to Galway. Oranmore village had fewer than 200 residents in 1967. Some feared that a road bypass proposed in Galway Co Council's draft development plan would turn it into 'a ghost town'. The most recent Census recorded a population of 4,721 in the Oranmore electoral division. The village hinterland was entirely agricultural until the 1960s when the first local industry was established. Producing pre-cast and ready-mixed concrete, it was known locally as 'the factory'. One of its original employees lived in the village. He had charge of one of the factory's machines, but he regularly took unofficial leave to spend part of each day in McDonagh's pub. He always went home at lunchtime to avoid any factory manager who might call into the pub for a newspaper or a packet of cigarettes. 'You'd need to be careful Amby or they'll sack you and put somebody else in charge of that machine', a fellow drinker advised him one morning. 'They can't', Amby replied instantly, 'I have the key to it here in my pocket'.
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Major announcement ahead of Zach Bryan Phoenix Park gigs this weekend
Representatives from Aiken Promotions, the Office of Public Works (OPW) and An Garda Síochána outlined their plans to ensure fans 'stay safe and have an absolutely fantastic show' at Zach Bryan's upcoming Phoenix Park concerts, during a press briefing held earlier today. The American singer-songwriter, described by promoter Peter Aiken as 'a great storyteller and very dynamic performer with a lot of charisma,' will play to more than 180,000 fans across three sold-out nights from Friday June 20 to Sunday June 22. Support acts for the Phoenix Park gigs include Turnpike Troubadours and Noeline Hofmann, with gates opening at 5pm and performances beginning at 6pm each night. Early entry ticket holders will be admitted from 4.30pm. Addressing the press, Aiken Promotions Event Controller Sue Carton urged the public to please plan your journey to and from the event, highlighting the 45-minute walk from the main park entrance to the concert site. She also reminded that because of the lack of parking both in and around Phoenix Park, it's advised to 'leave your car at home' and to 'make sure that you utilise public transport or private coaches.' Further travel services, including additional routes from Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and TransLink, are being laid on to accommodate fans coming from around the country. Once at the venue, ticketing remains strictly digital: 'Before you leave your home, ensure that you download your ticket to your phone,' Carton stressed, noting that mobile network coverage cannot be guaranteed on site. 'Please do not wait until you arrive at the venue.' She added that the event is entirely cashless, and attendees are urged to arrive with fully charged devices. For families and neurodivergent attendees, there are designated ticketed areas available. 'We strongly encourage those attending with children to purchase tickets for the Alcohol-Free/Family Area,' Carton explained, adding that a separate Neurodivergent Area will also be in place for those who have bought tickets specific to that zone. Concertgoers are being asked to pack light and bring only essentials, bags larger than A4 will not be permitted, and smaller bags will be subject to searches. Attendees are also advised to bring a rain mac or poncho in the event of poor weather. Chief Superintendent Michael McNulty of An Garda Síochána echoed the advice, encouraging patrons to 'travel by public transport, private coach as much as you can, and reminding them to listen to Garda and stewards for updates throughout the event. 'If at any stage during the event, you feel sick, unwell, or not safe, or if you want to report a crime, please approach a member of An Garda Sochna or a steward and ask for help, he said. 'Our primary aim is to keep people safe and ensure they have a good time.' McNulty also noted the scale of the operation for Garda, who are returning to Phoenix Park for the first concert event in the location since 2018. 'It certainly is an interesting challenge,' he said, 'but we've a robust policing plan in place to deal with all eventualities.' Margaret Gormley of the OPW made a plea on behalf of the park and local residents. 'Phoenix Park is a fabulous resource we ask that all patrons respect all the neighbours when theyre coming and going,' she said. 'Please leave no trace. We want everyone to enjoy the event and to return the park in the way that they received it, litter free.' A Grammy-award winner, Bryan was born in Japan but is from Oklahoma. He will arrive in Dublin tomorrow morning. The singer shot to fame while serving in the US Marines, after a recording of his song 'Heading South,' filmed in his barracks, went viral in 2019. His last Dublin show, in April 2023, saw him play to 1,500 people at the Helix. For more information on all of his upcoming shows, click here.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Even ham sandwiches are banned at Zach Bryan's gig - full Phoenix Park ban list
There's just three more sleeps until Zach Bryan kicks off his historic run of three massive concerts at Phoenix Park. Around 180,000 fans are set to descend on Dublin this weekend to see the American country singer-songwriter for what's shaping up to be one of the most talked-about music events of the summer. The Oklahoma native, known for his raw lyrics and electrifying live gigs, shot from posting homemade tracks on YouTube to topping the charts with hits like I Remember Everything, Pink Skies and Something in the Orange. His Phoenix Park shows - on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June - mark his biggest performances in Ireland yet and a major jump from playing to smaller crowds at The Helix just three years ago. But before fans grab their cowboy boots and head for the gates, there's one thing they'll want to check - the long and frankly bizarre list of banned items. From frisbees to laptops, picnic hampers to umbrellas, the list of what can't be brought into Phoenix Park is surprisingly long, and surprisingly strict. Even ham sandwiches from home are off limits. So is any kind of food or drink, along with skateboards, air horns, flagpoles, selfie sticks and more. Anyone turning up with a pram, a camera with a detachable lens or even a fold-up chair will be stopped at the gates, as organisers crack down on the strict entry rules. While food, drinks, hampers and cooler boxes aren't allowed in, fans won't go hungry or thirsty – organisers have confirmed a variety of options will be available inside, along with free water refill stations. If you're curious about his expected set list or what time he's due on stage, click here. Organisers also confirmed that smoking and vaping are not allowed, saying: "These are non-smoking/vaping events." There will be no shortage of security and stewarding staff on hand. A spokesperson said: "There will be plenty of security and stewarding staff at the concerts. Staff are there for your protection, to provide information and to help you. Please do not hesitate to ask them for help at any point. We ask you to co-operate with the security staff as their job is to make the whole experience go as smoothly as possible for all the fans." When it comes to what is allowed, organisers advised concertgoers to "travel light and only bring the essentials". You can bring a bag no larger than A4 size, a phone/device, ID, sunscreen, weather appropriate clothing, A4 or A3 size banners and a standard 750ml plastic reusable bottle, as long as it's empty on arrival. Free water refill stations will be available inside.
