Country superstar Garth Brooks has announced that his five Croke Park concerts will be a "love fest" during an emotional press conference this afternoon.

"Tomorrow night, I've been waiting for this my whole life. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna stop waiting," the singer told reporters with tears in his eyes. "Anybody who does this thing, you can say you're an entertainer but I guarantee you, you haven't gotten to entertain until you've played Ireland.

"When I think of Ireland, I think of sincerity. That's what it's all about, right?," he added.

Dressed casually in a black hoodie and baseball cap, the 60-year-old shared that he had lost 50lbs to prepare for the shows, which will also be recorded. However, this weekend and next, it will be all about the music.

Brooks said he was was especially looking forward to hearing his fans sing - some of whom are "crazy enough" to attend all five shows. "If you start a song and they finish it, start the next one and they finish it... That's great for a guy like me," he joked.

Asked which song he was most excited to perform for the Irish crowd, the country musician chose 'Callin' Baton Rouge' ("It's as American as it gets") from his 1993 album In Pieces. He also teased that he might sing his hit ballad 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' for the first time in 20 years.

"It’ll be a joy to sing that song. It’s stood over the test of times," Brooks said, confirming that the set list would not be finalised until moments before the show.

Brooks' wife Trisha Yearwood is set to join him on stage this weekend, provided that her health allows it. "She's real, real excited to be here," the singer told the crowd. "I'm really hoping she'll be better by then. She's tough, she's an entertainer. I've seen her go out on stage when I wouldn't have gone out on stage, so she's more of a man than I'll ever be," he said.

Garth Brooks at his press conference in Croke Park. Thursday 8th of September 2022. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Brooks also thanked his fans for their continuous support. "Whether you're in the stadium or not this weekend, you're with us because we all go together. We just do," he said.

Rounding off the conference, the superstar shared some advice for aspiring artists, in particular the importance of producing original and individual music. "Just get ready. It can happen and you just never know when," Brooks said, reflecting on how people all over the world know the lyrics to his songs like 'Friends in Low Places'. "I think, when all you have are dreams, hang on to them."

Garth Brooks is set to play five shows at Dublin’s Croke Park stadium over the course of 10 days, on September 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17, with Aiken Promotions as promoters. Around 400,000 people are expected to attend, with all counties represented and at least 5 per cent of ticket-holders arriving from outside Ireland.

Organisers have asked fans to prepare appropriately for the musical "extravaganza" and use public transport where available.

There will be no support act any of the nights, a decision that was made for safety reasons, according to Brooks. Gates will open at 5pm and the show is due to start at 7.30pm, with a curfew of 10.30pm in place.

A limited amount of tickets are still available here.