Prince is coming to Dublin

Widely regarded among the greatest artists of the modern era, Prince has announced a Dublin date in July. The diminutive superstar is set to play an open air show at Malahide Castle on the north side of the city, on Saturday July 30.

Ticket prices for the show have been set at €89.50 (including booking fee) with gates opening at 4pm. The show is being promoted by POD and ICO Concerts.

Prince's last scheduled Irish performance ended in controversy when the star pulled out of a planned Croke Park appearance, resulting in a court case won by the promoters MCD. Since then, however, Prince has gone on the road again, playing a triumphant US tour late last year, including dates at Madison Square Garden in New York, for which celebrities turned up in their droves, including Madonna, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, J-Lo and Reese Witherspoon.

Remarkably, Prince – or Prince Rogers Nelson – will be 53 on 7 June 2011. Originally from Minneapolis, he has been one of the most original and ground-breaking artists in the world since his first official album For You was released in 1978. One of the most prolific artists ever, he has released 35 albums of original songs in the intervening 33 years. Nominated dozens of times, he has won seven Grammys in all, most recently in 2008, when 'Future Baby Mama' won him Best R'n'B Vocal Performance (Male).

"Bring your friends, bring your children, and bring foot spray, because it's going to be funky," Prince promised launching his US tour. More of the same is promised on the European leg, of which the Irish show is only a part. Other dates announced so far include Paris on June 30, Kent, UK on July 3 and the North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland July 8.