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music · Saturday 26 September 2026 · 7:30pm 
The National at 3Arena
At 3Arena · North Wall Quay, Dublin 1
At 3Arena · North Wall Quay, Dublin 1
Few bands carry the weight of a room the way The National do. Matt Berninger’s low baritone fills an arena without ever feeling like arena rock, and on 26 September 2026 the band bring their slow-burning intensity to the 3Arena in Dublin’s Docklands. If you have been a fan for years, this is the show you will rearrange your calendar for. If you have never seen them live, this is a worthwhile introduction - the scale of a 14,500-capacity venue suits the way their songs build and release. The crowd tends to be attentive, knowing, and genuinely moved.
The National draw from across their catalogue - from the raw urgency of Alligator (2005) through the landmark Boxer and High Violet years, into the more recent Sleep Well Beast and I Am Easy to Find. Staples like “Fake Empire”, “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, “Mr. November”, “Terrible Love”, and “Slow Show” appear with regularity. The live show typically runs close to two hours. Songs that feel restrained on record tend to open up on stage, building to moments that can feel physically overwhelming. Berninger is an unpredictable, sometimes roaming frontman. The Dessner brothers’ guitar arrangements are meticulously reproduced. Come expecting emotion rather than spectacle - the production is clean but the focus is always the music.
Tickets start from €55 and cover standing and seated options. Doors open at 6:30pm with the show listed for 7:30pm.
The 3Arena sits at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands, right at the mouth of the River Liffey. The easiest approach from anywhere in Dublin is the Luas Red Line - The Point stop is directly behind the venue and connects through to Connolly Station where you can pick up the DART and intercity trains. Dublin Bus route 151 also serves the venue. From the city centre it is a walkable 25-30 minutes across the Samuel Beckett Bridge or along the North Wall. Parking at Point Village is available but expect it to fill early on a show night - public transport is genuinely the better call here.
If you are travelling from outside Dublin, trains into Connolly or Heuston give you direct access to the Luas network. From Heuston, take the Red Line east toward The Point.
The Docklands has changed considerably in the past decade and the area around the venue has restaurants, bars and the ODEON cinema for an early evening before the show. The nearby CHQ building, once a tobacco and wine warehouse, is worth a look. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to 3Arena 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.