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music · Friday 28 August 2026 · 6:00pm 
James Arthur - Live at the Square, Derry
At Ebrington Square · Ebrington Square, Derry, Co. Derry
At Ebrington Square · Ebrington Square, Derry, Co. Derry
James Arthur has sold millions of records since winning the X Factor in 2012, and his reputation as a live performer has grown considerably with each album since. His sixth record, Pisces, arrived in 2025 and follows the chart-topping Bitter Sweet Love, pushing further into pop, rock and Americana territory. This August he brings the full live band to one of Northern Ireland’s finest outdoor stages - Ebrington Square on the banks of the River Foyle - for a Friday evening headline show. It suits fans who want proper production outdoors on a summer night, and the all-ages crowd at past Live at the Square events tends to be warm and relaxed.
Doors open at 5pm, with the show getting under way at 6pm. Local Derry singer-songwriter Conor McLain plays a full one-hour set with his band before James Arthur takes the stage - a genuinely good opener rather than a filler slot, and a chance to hear a local act on a big platform. Arthur’s sets draw heavily on the hits: Impossible, Say You Won’t Let Go, and Naked all tend to feature, alongside material from the newer records. The venue is the former Parade Ground at Ebrington - flanked on three sides by listed cream buildings from the 1840s, with the River Foyle and the city skyline behind the stage. It is an outdoor standing show, so dress for an August evening in the north-west. The event is strictly 16+.
Ebrington Square sits on the east bank of the River Foyle, directly across the Peace Bridge from the city centre - a flat ten-minute walk from the Guildhall. If you are coming by car, parking at the square itself is very limited for large concert nights; the Park and Ride options in Derry city or the Foyleside car park on the west bank are the more practical choices. Translink operates bus services into Derry from Belfast, Omagh, Letterkenny and surrounding towns, and the station on Duke Street is walkable from Ebrington. If you are travelling from the Republic, the N13/A5 and N14/A5 routes bring you into the city from Letterkenny and Monaghan respectively.
The weekend of 28 to 30 August is a three-night Live at the Square run, so there is a reason to arrive early or stay over. Derry’s walled city is one of the best-preserved in Europe, and the stretch along the Foyle from Ebrington back into town - past the Peace Bridge and along the quays - is pleasant on a long summer evening. 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.