Music Dublin Travel Guides | Dublin | Arts and Entertainment | Music Dublin

Dublin is renowned as a musical city, churning pop stars out on to the international stage, while maintaining a lively and varied scene at home. So many venues in Dublin offer live music of one sort or another it would be impossible to list them all here. Besides traditional Irish, there are jazz concerts, tribute bands, visiting megastars and everything in between. You can’t go far in this city without tripping over a reference to U2 or hearing the strains of an Irish ballad, but mediocre background music should be avoided if at all possible, unless you’re out for a drink with friends and not really fussed about the music. Generally speaking, the more geared towards tourists a place is, the less likely you are to enjoy an authentic cultural experience.

The venues listed below are places where the music comes first. Large-scale rock and pop gigs also take place at the Gaiety , the National Stadium, POD and the Royal Dublin Showground, while numerous pubs and bars, including Oliver St John Gogarty and the Brazen Head ,host live music of varying style and quality.

Ambassador, Parnell St, T 1890 925 100 for credit card bookings. From E15. Dublin’s newest and oldest venue, the Ambassador was formerly a cinema and, before that, was the Assembly Rooms of the Rotunda Hospital. It now hosts big-name music concerts with a capacity of 1,200.

Cobblestone, 77 North King St (entrance on Red Cow Lane), Smithfield, T 01 872 1799. Bar music Thu and Fri 1900-0030, Sat 1630-1830 and 1900-0030, Sun 1330, 1700, 2100. Free. First-floor venue Thu-Sat 2030-0030. Admission varies. This Smithfield pub has a relaxed side bar where dedicated traditional musicians play to appreciative locals without crowds of tourists staring at them. (Bluegrass is performed on Saturday afternoons.) Upstairs is a more serious venue with an eclectic music policy, where the audience are expected to listen carefully rather than talking loudly over the music.

Eamon Doran’s, 3A Crown Alley, Temple Bar, T 01 679 9114. Daily 2100-0200. E4-8. Good traditional music is performed upstairs every night in summer and on Sundays in winter, with rock gigs on the ground floor.

Harcourt Hotel, 60-61 Harcourt St, T 01 478 3677. Mon-Sat 2130-0030. Free. Decent traditional Irish music is performed in the bar of this very tourist-orientated hotel. Jazz and pop acts also make the occasional appearance.

Isaac Butt, Store St, T 01 855 5021. Daily 2030 till late. A young, inebriated crowd make the most of live rock performances, followed by a late-night club at weekends.

JJ Smyth’s, 12 Aungier St, T 01 475 2565. Daily from 2100. E6. Nightly blues and jazz sessions are held above an unreconstructed local pub.

Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame St, T 01 677 7744. Box office Mon-Sat 1030-1830. E10-30. This lovely old music hall hosts tribute bands, rock legends, stand-up comics and the occasional play. Seats are removed for big gigs and three bars keep the punters in party mood.

Travel Guides | Dublin | Arts and Entertainment | Music Dublin
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