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music · Friday 25 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
Paul Brady at Vicar Street
At Vicar Street · 58-59 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
At Vicar Street · 58-59 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
Paul Brady is one of those performers whose live shows carry the full weight of a career built across five decades and several musical worlds. He came up through Planxty alongside Andy Irvine, recorded some of the most quietly devastating traditional Irish albums ever made, then stepped out as a solo artist and found a completely different audience with rock-edged, hook-driven songs that filled arenas. Seeing him at Vicar Street on 25 September 2026 is a chance to hear both sides of that story in a room that suits him perfectly. It is a night for people who take Irish music seriously, and for anyone who has ever had ‘The Island’ stuck in their head for reasons they cannot fully explain.
Brady draws from a catalogue that crosses genres without apology - traditional ballads, driving rock, blues-inflected pop, and the kind of piano-led songwriting that sits somewhere between all of them. Songs like ‘Crazy Dreams’, ‘The World is What You Make It’, ‘Nothing But the Same Old Story’, and ‘Nobody Knows’ sit alongside older material rooted in his Planxty and Andy Irvine years. Live, he moves between acoustic intimacy and full-band power within the same set. Audiences consistently note the combination: the warmth and directness of a singer-songwriter show, but with real physical impact when the band opens up.
Vicar Street itself holds around 1,050 for seated shows and has a reputation for sightlines and acoustics that larger venues cannot match. It opened in 1998 and has hosted everyone from Bob Dylan to Adele in that time, but it is at its best for exactly this kind of artist - someone whose songs reward being heard clearly.
Vicar Street sits on Thomas Street in the Liberties, a short walk from the city centre. From Dame Street or Lord Edward Street, walk west through Cornmarket and onto Thomas Street - it takes about 12 minutes on foot from Trinity College. Dublin Bus serves the area from the city centre, with stops on Thomas Street itself. Luas Red Line stops at James’s Hospital, roughly a 10-minute walk. Taxis and rideshares drop right to the door. Street parking in the Liberties in the evening is possible but limited; the Newmarket Square area has some options. Most people arrive by public transport or on foot from nearby accommodation.
The Liberties is one of the oldest parts of the city, with the Iveagh Markets, St Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Guinness Storehouse all within easy walking distance of the venue. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Vicar Street in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.