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seasonal · Friday 28 August 2026 · 6:00pm 
Live at the Square - James Arthur at Ebrington Derry
At Ebrington Square · Ebrington Square, Derry, Co. Derry BT47 6FA
At Ebrington Square · Ebrington Square, Derry, Co. Derry BT47 6FA
James Arthur brings his biggest hits to Derry on a Friday evening in late August, headlining the opening night of the Live at the Square summer series at Ebrington Square. The former X Factor winner has come a long way from his 2012 breakthrough - his 2024 album Bitter Sweet Love sold out arena venues across the UK and Ireland, and his sixth record Pisces continues that run of form. This is a proper outdoor concert, and a good excuse to spend a summer evening on the east bank of the Foyle with a strong support act on the same bill.
Arthur’s set will draw heavily on a catalogue that stretches back fourteen years. Impossible, Say You Won’t Let Go, Naked, and tracks from Bitter Sweet Love and Pisces are all part of his live show, delivered with a full live band. The evening opens with Derry singer-songwriter Conor McLain, a local act who knows the crowd well - it is his homecoming gig as much as a support slot, and worth arriving early to catch.
Doors open at 6pm and the concert is expected to run until around 11pm. The venue is Ebrington Square, a former British Army barracks that was gifted to the Northern Ireland Executive under the Good Friday Agreement and has since become one of the north-west’s main open-air concert spaces. The old parade ground gives the site a particular atmosphere - wide open, with the barracks buildings framing the stage on three sides. James Arthur’s night is the first of three: JLS follow on the Saturday and a Big 80s and 90s night closes the weekend on the Sunday.
Ebrington Square sits on the east bank of the River Foyle, directly across from Derry city centre. The easiest approach on foot is via the Peace Bridge from Guildhall Square - a five-minute walk. Coming by car, parking is available at Ebrington itself and along Victoria Road. Translink buses connect the city centre throughout the evening, and the city is on the main Belfast to Derry rail line with Derry station about fifteen minutes on foot from the venue.
The city has a lot going on in a small area - the Walls, the Bogside murals, and the Guild Hall are all within easy reach of Ebrington. A pre-concert dinner in the city centre is straightforward to arrange. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.
Heading to Ebrington Square in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.