Live Report: The Strokes mark their grand return to Dublin with a dazzling 3Arena show

It’s been 20 years since Dublin has had the pleasure to host The Strokes – and on this Wednesday night in 3Arena, both band and audience are set on giving each other a proper welcome back.

Marking the final night of their Reality Awaits European tour, tonight the New York five-piece are at the top of their game, brilliant stage presence perfectly complementing the absolute flawlessness of their sound.

The Strokes at 3Arena on October 28th, 2026. Copyright Zoltán Szabó/hotpress.com

Throughout, they maintain a balance between classic albums and new offerings. If the heavy use of autotune on their most recent record has been a tad divisive amongst fans, opener ‘Lonely in the Future’ and ‘Going Shopping’ decisively translate perfectly into the live show, blending into the band’s deliciously fun soundscapes with disconcerting ease.

As he has been for most of the tour, Julian Casablancas boasts his long, oversized coat and huge sunglasses, and offers the delightfully banter between tunes. It's quite clear that The Strokes, despite their iconic status, do not take themselves overly seriously ; and that is perhaps because, on the contrary, they take their music very, very seriously.

The Strokes at 3Arena on October 28th, 2026. Copyright Zoltán Szabó/hotpress.com

Tonight in 3Arena, expect no note out of place, no instrument taking too much space over another, and no vocal technique that hasn’t been carefully measured. If it wasn’t for the brilliant lightwork – all in interplays of light and shadow and retrofuturistic laser showers — and the band’s sweeping presence, you would almost forget that classic tracks like ‘Hard to Explain’ or ‘Reptillia’ are being played live rather than in the studio.

It is perhaps thanks to this technical perfection that The Strokes seem to have their crowd at their absolute fingertips, concert goers not only singing back every word but also every guitar solo and bass riff. If one thing is certain, it’s that everyone in the room, on and off stage, is having the absolute time of their lives – tonight, it’s a lot of heavy dancing, loud sing-back and big smiles on everyone’s face.

The Strokes at 3Arena on October 28th, 2026. Copyright Zoltán Szabó/hotpress.com

Finishing on the ever-brilliant ‘Last Nite’, the band return for their encore with ‘New York City Cops’ and ‘Automatic Stop’, Fabrizio Moretti suddenly boasting a mildly unsettling and strangely realistic alien mask until the end of the show. Wrapping up with delicately dreamy soundscapes and gentle melancholy, The Strokes deliver the gorgeous ‘Ode to the Mets’ (renamed ‘Ode to the Phillies’ by Casablancas, because “they win”), followed by ‘Selfless’ and a very wide, and very deserved, round of applause.

Here’s to hoping The Strokes will grace the Irish capital again in less than two decades.