Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran kicks off his Irish tour this weekend in Dublin’s Croke Park.
The gigs – on Saturday, April 23rd and Sunday, April 24th – are the first full-capacity concerts at the stadium since Covid-19 restrictions were eased.
Ahead of the weekend, gardaí have warned concert-goers that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated outside Croke Park.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday morning, Supt Martin Mooney of Fitzgibbon Street Garda station said fines can be issued to people engaging in antisocial behaviour outside the concert.
“Issues such as illegal parking, anti-social behaviour, drinking, urinating and littering inside the inner cordon will be dealt with by a fixed charge penalty notice,” he said.
Here is everything fans and local residents need to know ahead of Sheeran’s Dublin gigs.
What time can I arrive for the concert?
Gates will open at 4pm. Supporting artists Denise Chaila and Maisie Peters will start playing at 6pm. The main man will grace the stage at about 8pm.
A Garda cordon will be put in place on the roads surrounding Croke park in the morning and local access for residents and businesses will be provided up until 2.30pm, Supt Mooney confirmed.
After 2.30pm, only residents with passes will be allowed access to the area. Supt Mooney said there were still some residents who have not requested their 2022 vehicle passes, and they should come to Fitzgibbon Street Garda station with photo ID and a utility bill to collect them. Each house gets three passes, he said.
Residents with any issues on the nights can call 1800 303 593 or email community@crokepark.ie.
From 10.15pm, there will be no traffic permitted inside the inner cordon, except for emergency vehicles.
How do I get there?
Supt Mooney encouraged concert-goers to use public transport such as Irish Rail, Dublin Bus or the Dart, as there will little parking available close to the grounds. Public transport bodies will increase the number of buses and trains running, he said.
Drumcondra train station is within walking distance of the stadium, and will ensure you bypass all traffic. The station is on the Maynooth line which serves a number of stops, including Connolly station in the city centre.
Dublin Bus also has a number of routes with stops near Croke Park, including the 1, 13, 16, 33 and 41. If it’s a nice day you could even walk from the city centre, which the stadium website suggests takes 15 minutes.
O’Connell Secondary School will have 400 car parking spaces available but these will fill up very fast, Supt Mooney said, and people should use city centre car parks instead. Checking closing times for these city car parks is essential, Supt Mooney added.
Private coaches will not be able to drop revellers to Croke Park and Mountjoy Square will be closed off. Coaches should park on Collins Avenue, next to Whitehall GAA grounds, which is a 2.8km walk away.
People should look at their tickets to see what colour route they should take to access the stadium, and people will not be able to get through a cordon with the wrong ticket, Supt Mooney said.
What can I bring inside the stadium?
Eamon O’Boyle, the event controller, urged concert-goers to ensure their phones are fully charged as this is a digital-ticket-only-event and there will be no ticket collections.
People should download their tickets on to their phone from Ticketmaster’s website or app, and details on how to transfer tickets which were bought as a gift can be found on the Ticketmaster website.
Mr O’Boyle urged fans attending the gig to respect local residents by not gathering in the area surrounding Croke Park before the gates open at 4pm.
There is also a no-bags policy at the concert, and people should avoid bringing bags unless absolutely necessary, he said. “Bags in excess of A4 size will not be permitted.”
He also encouraged people to be prepared for all weathers as the event will be outdoors.
What other dates will Ed Sheeran play?
Sheeran will also play Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Thursday, April 28th and Friday, April 29th, as well as Limerick’s Thomond Park on Thursday, May 5th and Friday, May 6th.
He will finish the Irish leg of the tour in Belfast’s Boucher Playing Fields on Thursday, May 12th and Friday, May 13th.
