Bruce Springsteen’s shows in Kilkenny and Cork sell out in 90 minutes

Some Springsteen fans criticise the price of tickets with the cheapest on offer for all concerts at €96.25 before fees

Half of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s four Irish concerts for 2024 sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale on Monday morning.

The US singer’s gigs in Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on May 12th and Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on May 16th sold out, while there are still tickets available for his concerts in Croke Park in Dublin on May 19th and Boucher Playing Fields in Belfast on May 9th.

Fans queued online well in advance of the tickets for the concerts going for sale at 8am. Springsteen sold out the RDS Main Arena in Dublin three times May this year, playing a three-hour show each night.

The 74-year-old singer announced the four Irish gigs on October 31st as part of a 22-date European tour next summer, which includes a date at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 25th.

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In September, Springsteen postponed the remainder of his 2023 concerts as he receives treatment for peptic ulcer disease. The New Jersey star said in a statement all of the cancelled shows wiould be rescheduled for 2024.

On X, formerly Twitter, some fans on Monday morning said they were unhappy with the prices of tickets for the gigs in Ireland, with the cheapest on offer for all concerts at €96.25. This ticket was for selected seating excluding booking fees in Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Dublin’s Croke Park.

Standing tickets for the Cork, Dublin and Kilkenny concerts were all €136.25 excluding booking fees. Tickets to see Springsteen play in Boucher Road, Belfast cost £120 (€138.46) before fees.

Seated tickets for UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny were at a flat rate of €161.25. Tickets at the venues in Dublin and Cork were on offer for €96.25, €146.25, and €161.25 before booking fees.

On Monday around midday the lowest ticket price available for Croke Park was €146.25 excluding fees.

One fan said “£252 for two Belfast @springsteen tickets. Wise up. So much for the working man’s hero,” while another said “I’m really glad I saw Bruce Springsteen last time, but I’m noping on the ticket prices this time. He’s great, but it’s all getting a bit rich for my blood at €150 up per ticket in a monster stadium where most people are miles from the stage.”

A Ticketmaster spokeswoman said: “Ticketmaster does not set the price of tickets. For concert tickets, promoters work with artists and their teams to set prices.”

The spokeswoman also said there were no issues during ticket purchasing and the system operated normally.

Ellen O’Donoghue

Ellen O’Donoghue

Ellen O'Donoghue is an Irish Times journalist