In best gigging tradition today we’re greeting you with Hello, Belfast, Hello Dublin… with our deal of two Irish music cities and beyond.
Now the northern and southern powerhouses of Ireland have given us some of the most enduring acts of our lives.
Stiff Little Fingers, Rudy, Christy Moore, Gary Moore, and, of course, Van ‘The Man’ Morrison.
Dublin’s Fare City
While Dublin has boasted The Dubliners, Phil Lynott, U2, the Boomtown Rats, Aslan, Kodaline, The Script, Imelda May and Sinead O’Connor.
All of which have been a joy to see live and even better if they’re on your doorstep.
The same of which can be said for artists beyond Ireland who rave about playing for an Irish audience.
And I swear fellow Scots The Proclaimers were speaking right to me at Dublin’s best music venue Vicar Street.
But what of the musicgoers who part with their hard-earned to see their favourite stars?
Well, whisper it down in the Fair City but going to see your favourite musicians in Dublin is a considerably dearer night out than if you head north.
Even taking into account the cost of travel.
And even more galling for the Irish music fan, or those of a different blood, who live there but Britain is cheaper still.
If you stay out of London which we all know is its own country.
Our friends at luggage company Radical Storage, who regularly provide us with relevant travel insights, have compiled this information for you giggers out there.
The bill of Belfast City![]()
And they have discovered that Britain’s regional towns and Belfast, the pride of the north of Ireland, are a giggers’ go-to.
With Nottingham (£58) in the English Midlands topping the list for concertgoers with Birmingham (£78) third.
And Antwerp (£76) sandwiched in between in second and Belfast (£81) fourth.
We had hoped that Continental concerts would be akin to European football prices but alas not.
With only Assago (£81) in Italy and Madrid (£81) featuring.
Milan is the most expensive city in Europe with (£322), ouch, Dublin (£143) in fifth.
All of which you’d think would mean that you would squeeze as much music out of your concert as you can.
And not as is the way of the concertgoers I literally bumped into at anyone from The Killers in Marlay Park to Paul Simon at the RDS turn your back on the artist.
And push past you with rounds of drinks while shouting at each other through the lyrics.
Now, granted, we can’t all get hospitality at the Europa Hotel in Belfast for a jazz cabaret night and dinner to see Van Morrison (guilty!)
But there is value and craic out there.
Perhaps not if you’re a Swiftie (average £375) or a Coldplay (£229) or Stevie Nicks fan (£185).
But Take Me to Hozier (£48) proud Bray native and one-time neighbour of ours when we lived for 13 years in Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
So our advice, and that of Radical Storage, is to do your homework on your favourite acts, and destinations.
And it all starts here with our deal of two music cities and beyond.