Live Report: Denzel Curry commands Dublin’s National Stadium with breathless heat

Tonight, a tidal wave is about to take over the National Stadium – and its name is Denzel Curry, Florida native and one of the most interesting American hip-hop acts of the last decade.

Marking the occasion, Curry has invited local up-and-coming act KhakiKid to open the evening, walking in wrapped in a Palestinian flag, and effortlessly lighting up the room with his brand of groovy and summery hip-hop.

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

In a career milestone, the Dublin rapper and special guest of the night offers a quick yet incredibly hard-hitting opening slot, where tunes oscillate between the light and bouncy ‘Date Nite’ or the emotionally charged heaviness of ‘Who’s That Girl’ – as well as a mention-worthy, tongue-in-cheek rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’.

To say the crowd is buzzing with excitement would be the understatement of the century – half an hour before the man of the hour has even arrived, his MC is firing up the room enough to inspire mosh pits and general frenzy all around the venue.

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

By the time Curry jumps in – literally — on the stage for his first track ‘ACT A DAMN FOOL’, the National Stadium is already boiling hot and in a state of craze I have rarely had the pleasure to observe.

“Hello, Dublin!” he announces, somehow not out of breath in the slightest despite running through the stage for what seems like a million times already. “I am your host, Denzel Curry!”

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Whatever energy the crowd brings, Curry’s breathless and unrelenting performance gives back tenfold. Playing mostly alone, except for his MC, hidden away behind his deck at the back, the rapper commands the room with disconcerting ease, all eyes on him, unwavering, throughout the entirety of the set. On the third track ‘HIT THE FLOOR’, he already directs massive, crowd-wide mosh pits with only a couple of words and a well-placed beat drop: powerful, irresistible and more than a little earth-shattering.

For the purpose of the show, most of the setlist has been rearranged to contain even heavier, more bass-filled productions than the original studio versions. On the iconic ‘Walkin’, for example, Curry leaves behind a fair amount of the track’s melodious quality to offer a harder-hitting, more powerful version that resonates through the ribcage, as if he was incapable of slowing down. Even when the production does mellow out, however, bars come out of him lined with a power that encompasses the room enough not to let the energy drop for a single second.

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Through a truly impressive amount of running around the stage, Curry’s vocal performance stays absolutely and incredibly perfect, without a single drop of breathlessness to be heard. The speed at which he delivers each bar, the precision of his flow, and the strength of his shouts through chorus after chorus is out of this world, and never neglected for the spectacle that he offers. The gritty bass also perfectly accompanies the occasional raspiness of his voice, highlighting each emotion from anger, excitement and desperation.

As he approaches the end of the set, the rapper offers a couple of palette cleansers in the form of the more pop-flavoured tracks ‘GOT ME GEEKED’ and ‘BLACK BALLOONS’ ; if they allow a breather within the heaviness of the show, do not be fooled: the room is not cooling down anytime soon.

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Track after track, bar after bar, Curry is in full control of his audience, having them sing back each chorus. On one of the last tracks ‘Ultimate’, he shouts “everybody get the fuck down!” and the whole pit obeys, before jumping back up in a collective movement that can only be compared to an incredibly powerful wave, perfectly on beat and earth-shattering.

Denzel Curry at The National Stadium on June 23rd, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

On the 12th night of the European leg of his Mischievous South tour, Denzel Curry proved to Dublin that he is not only one of the most gifted rappers of his generation, but also the kind of performer that will be hailed as a legend for years to come – incredible charisma, imposing musical talent, and, most of all, dazzling energy.