Smash Hits at Kavanagh's Bar & Venue

A Dublin five-piece plays Smash Hits at Kavanagh’s Bar & Venue on Friday, 16 October 2026, a live tribute set covering the dance, pop and R&B hits of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The setlist draws on acts including Backstreet Boys, Westlife and the Spice Girls, aimed squarely at a crowd who grew up on that era of chart pop. Kavanagh’s, a Main Street venue known for live music, comedy and DJ nights, has built a reputation as one of Portlaoise’s main spots for this kind of act.

What to expect

The show is a live band rather than a DJ set, working through a full run of turn-of-the-millennium pop and dance hits back to back rather than pausing for a support act or long breaks. Kavanagh’s own listing promises a relentless run of dancefloor favourites, which fits a late start time of half nine and a room built for standing and dancing rather than seated listening. Kavanagh’s has an indoor stage and a courtyard, and this is the kind of night that fills both. Expect a mixed-age crowd, since the songs on the setlist were chart hits across roughly a decade, and a later finish than the Dunamaise’s seated shows across town.

Getting there

Kavanagh’s is on Main Street in Portlaoise town centre, close to the bus station and about a ten-minute walk from Portlaoise train station on the Dublin to Cork and Limerick line. The venue does not take advance table reservations, so it operates on a walk-in basis alongside ticketed entry for the show itself.

While you’re in Portlaoise

Portlaoise is the county town of Laois, built around its courthouse, main shops and the M7/N8 motorway crossroads, with Main Street itself home to most of the town’s other pubs and restaurants for a night out around the show. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.

Good to know

• Date: Friday, 16 October 2026
• Time: 9:30pm to midnight
• Venue: Kavanagh’s Bar & Venue, 28 Main Street, Portlaoise
• Price: €25.85, booked through Universe
• Note: standing venue, no advance table reservations