Bruce Springsteen concert in Cork FAQ: Tickets, setlist, access... all you need to know for Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Bruce Springsteen at Nowlan park, Co Kilkenny, recently. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band are playing four dates on the island of Ireland as part of the 2024 World Tour. They’ve already done Boucher Fields in Belfast on May 9, and Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, last Sunday. Next up is Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Thursday, May 16, before they head to Dublin Croke Park on Sunday, May 19.
Tickets for the Cork and Dublin gigs are long sold out. Fans have been warned about the possibility of scams with organisers reminding the public that Ticketmaster is the only official ticket seller for the event.
This tour probably hasn’t featured as many set changes as in the past, but The Boss and his band are still prone to mixing it up, especially in the early part of the evening. Notably, he opened the Kilkenny gig with ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’, by way of tribute to Shane MacGowan. Will he do the same in Páirc Ui Chaoimh, a venue the Pogues had previously played in?
You will hear plenty of hits across the almost three-and-a-half hours, as well as album tracks and some of his own personal favourites.
In Cardiff recently, Springsteen played five songs from Born In The USA, and five from Born to Run, with the rest of the set drawn from eight other albums. He also performed three cover versions – ‘Because the Night’ (Patti Smith), ‘Nightshift’ (Commodores), ‘Twist and Shout’ (The Top Notes).
After a hit-laden encore, concerts on the 2024 tour have featured The Boss returning to the stage to say farewell with a solo acoustic version of ‘I'll See You in My Dreams’, from 2019’s Letter to You album.
Official kick-off time is 7pm, and while that might be a bit optimistic, Springsteen is highly likely to take to the Páirc stage soon after. He’ll probably finish close to 10.30pm.
As is the case with most Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gigs, there will be no support act.
It’s very much the lineup who came to Cork in 2013 with Springsteen: Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa; supplemented by longstanding associates Soozie Tyrell, Charles Giordano, and Jake Clemons (nephew of Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist who died in 2011).
Since there is no support act, Springsteen and co will be on stage from soon after 7pm. Those attending the Páirc Uí Chaoimh gig are asked to arrive at the venue at 5pm and ensure they are in their seats or in position on the pitch by 7pm, depending on whether they are standing or sitting. The stadium is open at 5pm so queuing earlier in the day is not permitted.
No. You must download your ticket from your Ticketmaster account and save them to your iPhone wallet or Google Pay account. Do ensure your phone is well charged.
It’s important to note that organisers say screenshots and printouts of digital tickets will not be accepted, so download your ticket ahead of time and be sure to have your phone fully charged and ready to present at the gate.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is very poorly served by public transport, and the city's Park & Ride facility doesn't stay open late enough to service large events like this. The 205 bus does run from the city to nearby Ballintemple but that’s probably only an option for people heading to the area in the early afternoon. Ballintemple is also one of the best options for taxi drop-offs (10 minutes from the city in low traffic) for the early birds.
Walking will be the best bet for most people, and you should give yourself at least 30 minutes for the flat stroll from the city centre or train station.
There will be no shuttle buses or parking at the stadium. According to gardaí, traffic will be “very limited” in the areas of Centre Park Road, the Marina, Maryville and the Monahan Road and there will be a traffic management plan in place for the evening.
Yes, your ticket should tell you which route to enter the stadium at: yellow, red or blue.
The yellow route will bring you along Centre Park Road for the pitch and North Stand access, while the red route is on Monahan Road and is specifically for South Stand access.
The blue route is also located on Monahan Road and will provide access for the pitch and South Stand.
Bruce basked in the sunshine in Kilkenny, and on his last Cork visit, but it doesn’t look like conditions will be as good this time around. Early indications are that punters should be prepared for some showers at least through the day, with possible heavier downpours in the evening.
Obviously, Ballintemple and the immediate environs of the stadium will be chaotic from 10.30pm onwards, so if you do need a pick up, you’re probably better arranging it a step or two back from the frontline, in an area you can walk to (eg Albert Road or city centre; Boreenmanna Road; Blackrock village or Beaumont). Organisers have asked people to be respectful of the fact that most of the areas around the stadium are residential.
As ever, there are bars and food providers in the Páirc, with standards and prices fairly competitive. The Marina Market and the Black Market are converted warehouses with multiple food stalls within walking distance of the venue. As well as the city itself, Ballintemple and Blackrock village also have several bars, while the Silver Key has a decent menu.
Concert-goers are asked to leave bags at home where possible. If you need to bring a bag, it must be no larger than A4 size. Any bags bigger than this will not be permitted and there will be no storage facilities at the venue. Umbrellas will also not be allowed into the venue so be sure to bring a poncho or rain jacket.
About 40,000 people will attend the Cork gig and it is expected that many will be planning to see Bruce elsewhere in the country too. With that in mind, organisers have asked fans to double check the date and venue on their tickets in order to avoid arriving at the wrong location or on the wrong date.
It’s also important to note that under 14s are not allowed to enter the standing/pitch area and must be accompanied by an adult elsewhere.
