Eddie Vedder
3Arena June 9, mcd.ie
The enigmatic Pearl Jam leader embarks on a new solo tour, which will see him juxtapose favourites from his day job and covers of artists such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. In the grunge era, Vedder copped flack for not being as tortured as Kurt Cobain. In his fifties he has matured into one of rock’s elder statesmen.
Stone Roses
SSE Arena, June 13, mcd.ie
The band reunion they said would never happen goes from strength to strength. In 2016 Ian Brown, John Squire and co. showed they remained in good creative fettle by releasing a brace of enthusiastic singles. Now they’re taking an ongoing world tour to Belfast for what is sure to be a top evening of baggy nostalgia.
Arcade Fire
June 14, Malahide Castle, mcd.ie
Arguably one of the few rock bands of the past 15 years with a long-term legacy, the Canadian troupe are gearing up to release their fifth studio LP. Details are sketchy, to put it mildly, though guitarist Tim Kingsbury has confirmed it will be released in 2017. They will in all likelihood road-test new material as they come back to Dublin, scene of some of their most impassioned concerts. The backdrop is Malahide Castle, a venue previously graced by Radiohead and Prince.
Robbie Williams
June 17, Aviva, mcd.ie
The court jester of British stadium pop bounded back with his Heavy Entertainment Show album, another salvo of cheeky chap wit and wisdom from a past master of the form. On his previous visit to the Aviva he sang from inside a giant replica of his own head. How will he outdo that grand gesture? We can’t wait to find out…
The 1975
June 17, Malahide Castle, mcd.ie
The languorous Matthew Healy is the closest the present generation of rock bands has come to producing a proper enigma. Louche on stage, confrontational in interviews, he understands that, as frontman of a popular rock band, it’s his job to project glamorous ridiculousness. The 1975 have meanwhile moved from weedy Britrock to expansive funk and psychedelia with their chart-topping second LP, I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. Radiohead
June 20, 3Arena mcd.ie
Thom Yorke and his merry pranksters share their latest collection of feel-good anthems, A Moon-Shaped Pool. Buckle up for giggles, innuendo and – just maybe – the odd moment of soul wrenching catharsis too. Fans remains divided on the new-ish LP – however, it’s a record that rewards patience and a willingness to drink deep of Yorke’s bottomless woe. Top tip: don’t try to strike up a chorus of Ole, Ole, Ole during the quiet bits.
Walking On Cars
June 24, RHK,mcd.ie
The Dingle quintet have dangled on the edge of the big time for quite a while now. They packed 3Arena late last year and are creating waves internationally too with their catchy debt album Everything This Way. The group have caught flack for allegedly sounding a bit like Mumford and Sons – yet, strip out the occasional folksy flourish, and they are arena rockers of the first rank.
Phil Collins
June 25, Aviva, mcd.ie
He’s back! They say everything comes into fashion once more if you wait long enough and nobody exemplifies that better than the Genesis-leader-turned-chart-gobbling solo artist. Where Collins was for many years dismissed as the epitome of naff, he is today seen as one of our finest purveyors of slick big-suited pop. Hipsters will even proclaim a fondness for ‘In The Air Tonight’. Support is from Blondie and Phil’s old Genesis bestie Mike Rutherford, with his Mike and the Mechanics project.

Green Day
June 28, Ormeau Park / June 29 RHK, mcd.ie
The ever-green punk rockers (pun entirely attended alas) reclaimed their position as bouncy agitproppers du jour with 2016’s Revolution Radio LP. In the age of Trump, the record was the sound of musicians shouting “stop”. Single ‘Bang Bang’ was a rumination on American gun culture and the corrosive influence of social media, while the rest of the LP added up to a powerful argument for peace and tolerance. Don’t worry – they’ll set the sermonising to one side in Belfast and Dublin and delve into perennial favourites such as ‘Basket Case’.
Kings Of Leon
July 1, 2 and 4, 3Arena, mcd.ie
The hirsute bad boy rockers have hit a rich vein of new form with their seventh album Walls. It’s a return to form for the shaggy quartet, who have once again figured out how to blend vintage swagger with catchy pop.
Coldplay
July 8, Croke Park, mcd.ie
Tickets for Chris Martin and chums’ first Irish gig since rocking the Phoenix Park in 2009 – yes it’s been that long – sold out in a heartbeat. It’s a reflection of the group’s transition from syrupy rockers into slick pop machine, a charge led by Martin as he has channelled pain over the end of his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow into grown-up funk pop.
U2
July 22, Croke Park, livenation.com
The 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree is marked by U2 performing one of their greatest albums in its entirety. Much of the setlist will be familiar to those who have seen the group in concert previously. However, they will also be dusting down catalogue tracks rarely heard in public before – including the undeservedly obscure ‘Red Hill Mining Town’. Yes we’re all sick of a bunch of Dubs causing a ruckus in Croker and refusing to play in Newbridge or Mullingar. In U2’s case we’ll make an exception (you’re more likely to see Bono taking to the field in Longford than Bernard Brogan).
ZZ Top
July 28, aikenpromotions.com
In the mood for something beard and wonderful? Then you’ll be looking forward to Texas rock institution ZZ Top, bringing their Top Tonnage tour to Ireland. It’s five years since their last studio collection, La Futura, though they have recently put out a new live LP. Buckle up for hard-rocking favourites ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’’ and ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ and covers of country icons such as Johnny Cash and Merle Travis.
RHCP
Sept 20 and 21, 3arena. mcd.ie
Are you ready to get your funk on? Red Hot Chili Peppers are as they return to Dublin, after having had to cancel a brace of pre-Christmas gigs due to illness. Now elder statesmen, the Californians have come quite a distance from when they would take to the stage wearing nothing but strategically-placed socks. But the devil is still in their details, with last year’s The Getaway all a twinkle with their trademark strutting irreverence.
Ennio Morricone
Sept 23, 3arena, mcd.ie
The maestro bows out with a farewell tour. Morricone scored some of the classic soundtracks of the past half-century and forged an especially close relationship with Spaghetti Western auteur Sergio Leone. He will lead a 100-piece orchestra through iconic pieces from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, The Mission and others.