Shortlist announced for IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards 2025

The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) have unveiled the 2025 shortlist for the IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards – celebrating 'Irish venues that deliver the very best standards in live music entertainment.'

Over 20,000 IMRO members were asked to nominate their top choices for the shortlist – judging the venues on their ambience, staging, sound/lighting facilities, diversity of music programming, accessibility for people with disabilities, venue staff and management, and the work they undertake in promoting the venue and its programme of music events.

Categories revealed today include: best live music venues in Dublin, Rest of Leinster, Ulster, Connacht, and Munster; Music Festival of the Year; Small Music Festival of the Year; Venue Tech Crew of the Year; and Festival Tech Crew of the Year.

There will also be an overall winner announced for National Live Music Venue of the Year, as well as an award for the Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year, selected through the Hot Press Readers' Poll – stay tuned for more information, coming very soon..

The winners of each of the categories will be revealed at an awards ceremony at The Sugar Club in Dublin on Tuesday, March 25. The ceremony will also feature live performances by Annie-Dog, Florence Road, F3miii and DJ Maria Lawlor.

See the full shortlist below:

Dublin:
3Olympia Theatre
The Button Factory
The Workman’s Club
Vicar Street
Whelan’s

Rest of Leinster:
Cleere’s Bar and Theatre, Kilkenny
The Whale Theatre, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
The Set Theatre, Kilkenny
The Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Maggie May’s Bar, Wexford

Ulster:
McGinley’s Bar, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan
The Central Bar, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
The Chasin’ Bull, Bundoran, Co. Donegal
Watters Old Coach Inn, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan

Munster:
Cork Opera House
Coughlan’s, Cork
Dolan’s, Limerick
Levis Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Mike The Pies, Listowel, Co. Kerry

Connacht:
Hawks Well Theatre, Sligo
Matt Molloy’s, Westport, Co. Mayo
Monroes, Galway
TF Royal Hotel & Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
The Quay’s, Galway

IMRO Small Music Festival of the Year Award:
Another Love Story
Borderline
Clonakilty International Guitar Festival
Éalú Le Grá Music & Arts Festival
Feakle Festival
Night & Day Festival
Other Voices
Rockathon
Sligo Live
When Next We Meet

IMRO Music Festival of the Year Award:
All Together Now
District 8 In the Garden
Electric Picnic
Forbidden Fruit
Galway International Arts Festival
In the Meadows
Kaleidoscope Festival
Live @ Iveagh Gardens
Longitude
Sea Sessions

IMRO Venue Tech Crew of the Year Award:
Vicar Street
The Academy
3Olympia
The Button Factory
Dolan’s, Limerick
INEC
National Concert Hall
3Arena
Live at St. Luke’s, Cork
The Seantí, Ferrybank, Kilkenny

IMRO Festival Tech Crew of the Year Award:
Electric Picnic
All Together Now
Longitude
Another Love Story
Clonakilty International Guitar Festival
Kilkenny Roots Festival
Live at the Marquee
Kaleidoscope
Cairde Sligo Arts Festival
Other Voices

See last year's list of winners here.