Arctic Monkeys reveal world tour finale
Arctic Monkeys are returning to Dublin and Belfast for a series of arena dates to mark the end of their The Car Tour.
The rock band, who will be supported by special guest Miles Kane, will play three nights at Dublin’s 3Arena on 15, 17 & 19 October, as well as a one-off concert at The SSE Arena in Belfast on 16 October.
Booked by 13 Artists, the dates follow the cancellation of the band’s summer show at Dublin’s 40,000-cap Marlay Park after frontman Alex Turner was diagnosed with acute laryngitis.
The rock band start their 30-date North American tour leg in Minneapolis this Thursday
Previous ticket holders will be sent a unique access code and will be given 72-hour priority pre-sale access. Only the same number of tickets, or less, purchased previously for Marlay Park will be available to purchase for these new dates.
All remaining tickets will be made available for sale on Tuesday 29 August.
Arctic Monkeys’ 119-date world tour, staged in support of their seventh studio album The Car, began at Zorlu PSM in Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2022. The quartet start their 30-date North American tour leg in Minneapolis this Thursday 25 August, which concludes with two nights at Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City on 6-7 October.
The British group headlined multiple festivals this summer around the globe, including Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, Open’er, Bilbao BBK Live and NOS Alive. They also embarked on their biggest UK and Ireland tour of their career to date with a string of stadium dates in May and June 2023, including three sold-out shows at London’s 60,000-cap Emirates Stadium.
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Irish biz calls for clarity as govt floats dry shows
Figures from across the live music industry have asked for consistency in how live events are treated in the Republic of Ireland, where just six people are currently allowed to gather even in the country’s biggest venues.
At press time, cultural businesses such as museums, cinemas, theatres and art galleries are allowed to welcome 50 people indoors because they are deemed to be “controlled environments”. All other indoor events – including concerts – are subject to the so-called ‘rule of six’, or a maximum capacity of six people.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio 1 on Wednesday, Indiependence festival promoter Shane Dunne said: “It’s quite ironic at the moment that I can have the same number of people in my kitchen as I can in the 3Arena [in Dublin], which has 9,500 seats.”
Brian Byrne, director of Wexford-based Lantern Presents, says recent reductions in capacity limits have scuppered his ability to put on socially distanced events.
“We had planned for 500-capacity socially distanced shows and then it changed; then we planned 200 and the guidelines changed again. So we planned for 50 indoors, but guidelines changed again – so it is frustrating,” he tells the Irish Mirror.
“At the moment I can have the same number of people in my kitchen as I can in the 3Arena”
Adding that there are now “contradictions” in government guidelines for different activities, he continues: “If I do a gig in a theatre, I can have 50 people. But if I do a gig in my own venues, I can have six.
“One of the venues we use is a church – a lovely venue. If I do a music event there this weekend I can only have six people at it. But if I go to mass there the next day, there can be 100 people at mass in the same building.”
Meanwhile, the Republic’s ministers for the arts and health met on Monday (7 September) to discuss provisional plans to restart live entertainment – if alcohol is not served on the premises.
According to the Irish Times, health secretary Martin is “keen to increase the levels of audience and artists at events beyond the current restrictions, and will examine if banning alcohol from such events could facilitate them being held.”
There were 196 daily cases of Covid-19 in Ireland yesterday (10 September).
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Promoter warns fans over fake tickets scam
Promoter Peter Aiken issued a warning to fans about only buying tickets through official channels, after over 90 people bought fake tickets to two concerts in the last week.
He says more than 60 people who bought tickets for ZZ Top at Dublin’s 3Arena were denied entry because of fake tickets, while 30 had counterfeits for a Brian Wilson gig at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in the city.
The Irish Times reports one man spent €1,000 on two tickets to see Brian Wilson, but had to be turned away when it was discovered they were false because the show was sold out.
In a statement, the promoter warned: “Following the ZZ Top and Brian Wilson Concerts in Dublin last week, Aiken Promotions would like to warn fans once again against purchasing tickets from secondary websites.
“At ZZ Top on Friday, at least 60 people turned up at the venue who had bought tickets through secondary websites. These tickets were not valid which caused distress and disappointment to these fans. Unfortunately it is not likely these people will get the money they paid refunded.
“As a promoter, it is extremely frustrating to see people being exploited like this and I would like to emphasise once again that fans should not purchase tickets from ANY secondary sellers.”
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