Limerick’s ‘game changer’ concert success should be replicated in Tipperary
A “game changer” string of summer concerts in Limerick should be replicated in Tipperary, said one local representative.
At the June monthly meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District, Labour Party councillor Fiona Bonfield said that the local authority should work with promoters to bring top music acts to perform concerts in the county.
“Thomond Park this year has Shania Twain, Michael Bublé, but Thomond Park, since [the promoters] took it on, has been a game changer for Limerick, the top acts are coming,” Cllr Bonfield said.
“Down the road, is it something that Tipperary could look at as a venue, to bring the top artists, it’s phenomenal the weekends in Limerick, the people the concerts bring around and business is booming.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, but I do think Tipperary should look at this and see can we bring some of these type of artists to Tipperary. It’s been a game changer for Thomond Park, they took a risk but it’s working for them, so it’s something we should look at,” Cllr Bonfield added.
In response, a representative from Tipperary County Council’s library, culture and biodiversity section said that “in an ideal world” something like this would be possible for the county.
“I take Cllr Bonfield’s point, it’s something we’re hearing on the ground quite regularly from our own artists and people we work with across the county.
“We’ve come leaps and bounds with the space [Kickham Plaza] in Clonmel, that’s really helped us to host large-scale outdoor programming in recent years, but oftentimes it is these big sports venues that lend themselves to big headline acts because you do need capacity.
“But I do take your point, in an ideal world,” the culture section representative told the meeting.
This summer has seen a host of headline acts take to the stage at Thomond Park, including Lewis Capaldi, Kings of Leon, Michael Bublé and Florence + the Machine, with Pitbull and Shania Twain set to perform in the coming week.
Irish band Kingfishr have announced two headline shows at the Limerick venue for the summer of 2027.
The string of concerts for this summer is set to deliver a €60million boost to the economy in the Mid West, with successful concerts last year from The Wolfe Tones and The Script bringing an additional €15m to the local economy.