40 years on from Philip Lynott's death, Dublin is set to celebrate the life and legacy of one of its most beloved sons – with a week-long programme of events, for MusicTown 2026, running from September 28 to October 4.

This special edition of MusicTown, presented by Dublin City Council and Foggy Notions, will feature contemporaries and friends of the Irish musicians, as well as younger creatives inspired by Philip's work – spanning the worlds of music, film, literature, visual art and more.

Among the highlights of the programme is a major show, presented by Glasshouse, on the National Concert Hall's Main Stage – which will see the songs of Philip Lynott performed by some of the country's most exciting vocalists.

As MusicTown curator Leagues O'Toole has noted, this "isn't just any old rock & roll tribute." Rather, this is "an intimate, interpretative and revealing reflection of a figure from Irish history who we have a deep collective affection for."

Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away

A Deep-Dive Into The MusicTown 2026 Programme:

PHILO-SOPHY TALKS

A series of discussion panels curated by well-known Irish music figure Fachtna O’Ceallaigh

YOUNG, GIFTED, GORM & GAELACH
Monday, September 28, 7pm – The Studio, National Concert Hall

Best-selling author and broadcaster Emma Dabiri (Don’t Touch My Hair, What Can White People Do Next and Disobedient Bodies) will be joined by fellow Dublin-born writer – and two-time UK poetry slam champion – Maureen Onwunali, for a discussion about Philip and his impact as a black Irish artist across multiple generations. The pair will also reflect on how being Irish and black is reflected in their own work, and in how they view present-day Irish society and culture.

Emma will read excerpts from Born To Be Blue, the book she is currently writing, and Maureen will perform a short selection of her acclaimed poetry.

Tickets are free – and are available to reserve here.

Emma Dabiri

A VAGABOND OF THE WESTERN WORLD
Tuesday, September 29, 7pm – Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall

Renowned artist and art director Jim Fitzpatrick, alongside author, musician and commentator Eamon Carr (Horslips), will sit down with historian, author and podcaster Donal Fallon, to discuss their friendship with Philip.

As part of their conversation, they'll reflect on Philip's early days as a young creative, in the dramatically changing landscape of the mid to late '60s in Dublin.

Tickets are free – and are available to reserve here.

Eamon Carr by Killian Ginnity

LOOK WHAT THE WIND JUST BLEW IN – THE LOST RECORDINGS OF PHILIP LYNOTT
Friday, October 2, 7pm – Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall

Hosted by artist manager Fachtna O’Ceallaigh and producer Pat Neary, this event offers fans an exclusive opportunity to listen to previously unheard material by Philip – giving a glimpse into his creative process at various stages in his career.

You can expect to hear a number of fascinating four-track home studio recordings made by Philip, including instrumental versions of some of the songs that went on to feature on Jailbreak – the album that broke Thin Lizzy around the world.

There will also be a chance to listen to 24-track studio recordings of three new songs, which remain unreleased – including one that finds Philip in an experimental mode, exploring the electro sounds influencing early '80s New York rap, and the spoken word-style vocal that he utilised across his career, but particularly on his solo records.

Finally, there will be a deep-dive into the crates, to reveal early rough demos of songs that Philip was co-writing in the early '80s with Norman Washington, better known as Junior Giscombe – one of the first English R&B artist to find success in the US.

Tickets are free – and are available to reserve here.

Glasshouse presents OLD TOWN: The Songs of Philip Lynott

Thursday, October 1, 7pm – Main Stage, National Concert Hall

For this special concert, Dublin-based music ensemble Glasshouse take on the songs of Philip Lynott – with the help of some of Ireland's most captivating vocalists.

The event will focus on Lynott's two solo albums – Solo in Soho and The Philip Lynott Album – as well as selected songs from the Thin Lizzy catalogue.

Iona Lynch of Cliffords. Copyright Jason Doherty/ hotpress.com

Special guest vocalists on the night will include genre-blending Carlow artist SexyTadhg; Iona Lynch from rapidly rising Cork band Cliffords; Nigerian-born, Irish-raised artist Toshín; and Dublin singer-songwriter Paddy Hanna.

Tickets are available here.

LOST LOVE OF ROMEO: An Exhibition

Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 4 – Studio 10, Wicklow Street

Curated by Dublin visual artist Aila Harryson Lorigan, this exhibition takes an intimate look at the life and times of Lynott – featuring both iconic portraits by some of the most prominent music photographers of the era, and more candid, personal shots by friends and family.

The exhibition will also include artefacts, ephemera and art from fans, as well as projections of previously unseen footage.

Jim Fitzpatrick in 2019. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Lost Love of Romeo will feature contributions from Jim Fitzpatrick and prominent photographers Chalkie Davies and Eric Luke, as well as footage of Philip’s pre-Thin Lizzy band The Black Eagles, from his childhood friend Michael O’Flanagan.

The free exhibition is open to the public – with pop-up events set to be announced closer to the time.

"When I'm In Dublin, I Say I'm From Crumlin"

Saturday, October 3, 7pm – St Agnes’ Community Centre for Music & the Arts (CCMA), Crumlin

The St Agnes resident choir and orchestra, alongside special guests Yalah and Kellie O’Neill, will all pay homage to Philip’s work at this special event in Crumlin – a place that's essential the story of the Irish music icon.

As a young boy, Philip moved to Crumlin from England, to live with his grandparents. To this day, the area remains fiercely proud of its deep ties to the Thin Lizzy legend.

As a community response to one of Crumlin’s most famous sons, it's fitting that this event is taking place at St. Agnes’ Community Centre for Music and the Arts (CCMA) – a space where all members of the community are welcomed to participate in music and arts.

The event takes its name from Philip's famous 1983 quote:

"When I’m in England, I say, I’m from Ireland. When I’m in Ireland, I say, I’m from Dublin. When I’m in Dublin, I say, I’m from Crumlin. When I’m in Crumlin, I say, Leighlin Road. When I’m in Leighlin Road, I say… I’m a Lynott.”

Tickets are free, and are available to reserve here.

Screening & Live Interview: SONGS FOR WHILE I'M AWAY

Sunday, October 4, 1.30pm – Irish Film Institute

The Irish Film Institute will play host to an exclusive screening of the acclaimed documentary, Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away, followed by a live interview with director Emer Reynolds, conducted by podcaster, comedian and Thin Lizzy fan Killian Sundermann.

Emer Reynolds. Credit: Alec Darragh

Hot Press editor Niall Stokes has described Songs For While I'm Away as "a film that is warm, generous and hopefully healing in its effect."

"There is so much great music, and there are so many wonderful images of Philip in the film that it should, and most likely will, win the quintessential Irish rock star new fans aplenty," Niall continued. "He remains a seminal figure in Irish music, and it is vital that his legacy should live on, and inform everything that happens in rock ‘n’ roll here as we continue to evolve and change."

Tickets are available here.

For more information about MusicTown 2026: A Celebration of Philip Lynott, see musictown.ie