Mahalia announces Vicar Street show to support new album

UK pop/R&B sensation Mahalia has announced Dublin and Belfast dates in support of her highly anticipated second album IRL.

The 25-year-old will stop in Dublin on Friday, October 13th before heading to Belfast's Mandela Hall on Saturday, October 14th.

Returning with her bold new single ‘Terms and Conditions’ last month, the British star will release her forthcoming LP on July 14th 2023, via Atlantic Records.

In addition to the album announcement, Mahalia has also announced a huge UK and European Tour for the end of 2023. The ‘In Real Life Tour’ begins in Leeds on October 8th and concludes in Berlin on November 7th. Pre-sale tickets will be available to purchase on May 16th with the official sale to be released on May 19th here.

The artist performed last May at Dublin's Button Factory, having made plenty of Irish connections over the years.

“I became friends with Tara Kumar (formerly of RTE 2FM) through Erica Cody," the vocalist told Hot Press last year. "I did a tour in Dublin about four or five years ago, when I was 19, and Erica was my support. We became super close. I met Tara on that tour, and we all just became mates.”

Mahalia's debut album Love and Compromise arrived in summer 2019, soon becoming a critically acclaimed introduction. Through her music, she effortlessly weaves soul, contemporary R&B and 70s in one intoxicating concoction. Passionate in her commitment to a heartfelt display of emotion, she combats the current trend in music of toxicity in this terrain and calls for a balance in perspectives.

The London-based Leicester musician (Mahalia Burkmar) cites Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, as well as Anthony Hamilton’s ‘Charlene’ as exemplary love staples.

Mahalia is not only breaking the mould on her second album but determined to live life with honesty. “This is a real reflection of the journeys I've had, what actually happened and a celebration of everyone who got me there. There are names and family members I mention because it all helped in shaping who I am,” Mahalia expresses. “I’m so proud of this album, and so proud of how much I challenged myself to just let those stories out.”

Beginning 2020 with her second BRIT nomination, Mahalia featured on up-and-coming fellow Midlands rapper Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape, Send Them To Coventry, whilst also gracing the tracklist of Headie One’s No.1 album Edna. Subsequently, Mahalia also received a GRAMMY nomination for ‘All I Need’ - Jacob Collier’s single of which she features alongside US rapper, Ty Dolla $ign.

Shortly after, Mahalia concluded the year with three MOBO nominations for ‘Best Female Act’, ‘Best R&B/Soul Act’ and ‘Album Of The Year’ for her debut album, winning in the first two categories. In 2021, Mahalia was also nominated for her first ever Ivor Novello award for her 2020 collaboration with UK lyricist Pa Salieu for his single ‘Energy’ and subsequently concluded the year with an incredible headline show at London’s prestigious venue, O2 Brixton Academy.

Adding to her long list of achievements, Mahalia opened for Adele at her 2022 BST shows in Hyde Park last Summer whilst also joining Alicia Keys during her 02 Arena shows in London - she then concluded the year on a high, winning her third MOBO Award for Best R&B/Soul Act.

Besides the awards and nominations, it’s also been a time of deep personal growth, one that Mahalia describes as a real rollercoaster in her personal and professional life. Reflection has been the thread running through Mahalia’s writing and the singer hopes that her music will encourage her listeners to carve out time to also look back and re-evaluate.

“We’re all fixated on how we can make ourselves better but I want people to also reminisce on lovely or painful situations they’ve lived through and how they’ve helped shape the people they are now.”

Listen to Mahalia's 2022 EP Letter To Ur Ex below. Revisit her recent Hot Press interview here.

IN REAL LIFE – UK & EUROPE TOUR

October 2023

Sun 08 – Leeds – O2 Academy
Tue 10 – Glasgow – SWG3 Galvanisers
Wed 11 – Manchester – Academy
Fri 13 – Dublin – Vicar Street
Sat 14 – Belfast – Mandela Hall
Mon 16 – Bristol – O2 Academy
Thu 19 – London - Eventim Apollo
Fri 20 – Birmingham – O2 Academy
Tue 31 – Paris, FR – Trianon

November 2023

Wed 1 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
Thu 2 – Brussels, BE – La Madeleine
Sat 4 – Cologne, GE – Gebäude 9
Sun 5 – Utrecht, NL – Ronda
Tue 7 – Berlin, GE – Columbia Theatre