Zach Bryan at Phoenix Park: Everything you need to know
Ellen O'Donoghue
Zach Bryan comes to Dublin's Phoenix Park this weekend and is expected to land on Irish soil on Wednesday morning. He was the second most-streamed artist in Ireland on Spotify in 2024, beaten only by Taylor Swift.
Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions has said that less than 10 per cent of tickets sold for the concert were bought by people in Dublin, with the rest being bought by people outside of the city, and when the concerts were announced, many in Dublin had not heard of Zach Bryan. Yet, 180,000 tickets for the concerts were sold, and he has 220,000 monthly Irish streams on Spotify.
To put that in perspective, usually for concerts of this magnitude, 40-50 per cent of tickets sold are bought by people in the Dublin area.
Mr Aiken described Bryan as "the real deal," and said he is to younger generations what Bruce Springsteen was to his.
The singer's last and only other Irish concert was in The Helix in 2023, which has a capacity of 1,800. His collective concerts over the weekend will have 100 times more people at them.
"When you have 60,000 people here, they're going to know the words to every song, chanting it back at him, it's going to be a very unique and special atmosphere," Mr Aiken said.
Bryan has said previously that he loves Dermot Kennedy, who has supported him at a few concerts before. He has also mentioned Kingfishr, so there is speculation as to whether a surprise cameo will be made by an Irish artist over the weekend.
There will be large groups of people Heading South from Co Donegal and other northern counties, plus Co Mayo, and other western counties, for the concerts, promoters have said.
So, if you are headed to Phoenix Park, From Austin or elsewhere, to see Zach Bryan, the Grammy-Award-winning singer that Mr Aiken described on Tuesday as a "great storyteller and a very dynamic performer with a lot of charisma," keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
When and where is it on?
Zach Bryan plays three nights at Phoenix Park in Dublin on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 20th-22nd.
Are there any tickets left?
Friday and Saturday gigs have fully sold out, but there are some gold circle tickets available for Sunday on Ticketmaster.ie at the time of writing. Attendees are urged to buy tickets from the official seller, Ticketmaster.ie only, and not from any secondary sellers or unofficial sources.
Don’t forget to check your tickets, ensure you are attending the correct date, and have your tickets downloaded! Do not wait to do this when you arrive at the venue, as network coverage may not be available.
Anyone going to the concert with children is urged to purchase tickets for the designated alcohol-free family area. One ticket is needed for each person who wants to access the area.
There will also be a designated neurodivergent area at the concerts. To gain access to this, you will need to buy a specific neurodivergent area ticket. If you are a family travelling with someone who is neurodivergent and would like to spend the concert all together, be aware that you must all buy separate neurodivergent area tickets as the family area is separate from the neurodivergent area and has different facilities.
Who are the support acts?
Support acts for Zach Bryan were previously announced as Turnpike Troubadours and Noeline Hofmann.
Turnpike Troubadours are an American country band from Bryan’s home state of Oklahoma, and their self-titled album reached the top 20 of the Billboard 100. The other support act, Noeline Hofmann, is “quite an unknown,” Peter Aiken has said previously. The 20-year-old hails from Canada and has been tipped to be one of the biggest new artists.
When should I arrive?
Gates open at 5pm and the concert starts at 6pm. It should end at 10.30pm. Those with early access tickets can enter from 4.30pm. All times are subject to change, and when specific stage times are announced, we will update this article.
You can enter the concert grounds up until 9pm.
How do I get there and home again?
As traffic and parking delays are inevitable, attendees are strongly advised to use public transport or carpool and plan their journey in advance, allowing sufficient travel time to and from the venue.
Be aware that there is a 45-minute walk from the Phoenix Park main entrance to the venue site, so wear comfy shoes!
Early queuing is not permitted. Phoenix Park is a residential and commercial area, so promoters have asked attendees to be sound and respectful of this.
By Luas: Broombridge Luas Station and Luas Stop are a 30-minute walk to Phoenix Park.
Heuston Station Luas stop is 40 minutes from Phoenix Park centre, or 9 minutes from the gates to Phoenix Park, at the start of Chesterfield Avenue.
By train: Get the train to Heuston station, where you can get the bus from Parkgate Street across the bridge from the station. A number of bus routes go from Heuston to Phoenix Park, though. It is a 45-minute walk from Heuston Station to Phoenix Park and just a nine-minute walk to the gates.
By bus: You can get Dublin Bus routes 26, 38b, 39, 70, 99, C5, and C6 to Phoenix Park. Independent private coaches and minibus services are also being provided from a range of locations around the country. They will be parked inside Phoenix Park. Bus Éireann are also running concert-specific routes in addition to normal services to Phoenix Park from Cork, Limerick and Galway.
Marathon Group is also running special concert-specific routes from Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin and orbital routes to Phoenix Park. They will be dropping off in the park, and pickup will be in the same place.
By car: There is no parking available on the streets surrounding the venue or inside Phoenix Park. A traffic management plan will be in operation by An Garda Síochána. The venue is situated in a residential and commercial area and will be monitored by Dublin City Council's Parking Enforcement, and illegally parked cars may be clamped or towed.
If you need to drive, though, organisers encourage you to carpool and use park and ride facilities, such as the M3 Parkway Park & Ride, N51 Navan Park & Ride, Red Cow Park & Ride, Cheeverstown Park & Ride, Carrickmines Park & Ride, or Stillorgan Park & Ride. If you choose to park in a city centre car park, check the closing times before parking.
Dropoff/Pickup
There will be a drop-off facility at the Dublin Zoo car park, and there will be stewards there to facilitate this.
With pick-up, it will be in the same location, but anyone collecting people from there has to be within the park before 9.30pm for health and safety reasons, because of the number of people who will be leaving the park at 10.30pm when the concert ends, so you may be expected to wait until some of the crowd clears out before you can leave.
Can I bring a water bottle?
Standard 750ml plastic reusable bottles that are empty upon arrival are permitted. There will be water refill stations inside the venue. Metal bottles are not permitted, though, so leave the Stanleys at home.
What's the story with security?
Travel light and only bring the essentials. You’ll only need a small bag, phone or device with ticket, your ID, sun cream and weather-appropriate clothing. There will be food outlets and bars within the venue.
Do not bring a bag unless necessary, and if you have to bring one, make sure your bag is less than A4 size because bags larger than A4 will not be permitted within the venue. People with no bags will be fast-tracked, and regardless of bag size, your bag will be subject to a search and result in queuing.
Make sure your phone/device is fully charged when you arrive. However, there will be paid phone charging facilities available on site.
Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian over the age of 18 who is attending the event, who will remain with them and take full responsibility for them throughout the event.
Children under the age of five will not be admitted, and everyone entering the stadium must have a valid ticket.
If there is any doubt whether a minor qualifies for the age restrictions set out, proof of age may be requested, promoters have said. If in doubt, bring a colour photocopy of the child’s passport to prevent any unnecessary disappointment.
One Adult can accompany up to four children.
There will be free tag-a-kid safety wristbands available at the information point inside the venue. Parents/guardians attending with young children are encouraged to avail of the white wristbands, which have space for them to write a contact number. The purpose of the wristbands is to help reunite lost children with a parent/guardian should their child become separated from you.
This is a standing-only event, and no foldable/temporary seats are allowed into the venue.Only small 35mm cameras will be permitted into the venue.
Any article that may be used as a weapon bottles, glasses, cans, flasks, frisblees, dangerous items, illegal substances, scooters, flag poles, flares, laser devices, prams, suitcases, laptops, air horns, selfie sticks, and cooler boxes are some, but not all of the prohibited items.
You can bring small banners of A4 or A3 size, but anything larger is not allowed as it can obstruct the views of other attendees.
Re-entry is not permitted, so once you’re in, you’re in.
Also, don’t feed the animals, and be respectful of them and the wildlife within the park area. Use the bins provided around the site, too.
Umbrellas are not allowed in the venue, so if it looks like it might rain, bring a raincoat or poncho, which Lidl have in stock at the moment for 99c each!
Can I use cash on the concert grounds?
No, the concerts will be fully cashless events.
Can I take pictures at the concert?
Any large lens professional cameras or any form of video recorder will not be admitted. Of course, you can use your phone, though.
What's the weather giving?
The weather gods have been working in concert-goers' favour, with the weekend expected to be lovely weather-wise, forecasting Pink Skies at the time of writing.
Friday is expected to be cloudy but warm, with the sun shining that evening. There is a tiny chance of rain during the day, but it should ease off by the time the gates open. Temperatures are forecast for between 17 and 22 degrees.
Saturday’s temperatures are expected to be between 16 and 23 degrees, with no rain forecast and the sun expected to come out from behind the clouds throughout the day.
No rain is expected on Sunday either, with temperatures expected to be between 15 and 21 degrees, and clouds with sunny spells forecast.
Remember that we are in Ireland, though, so bear that in mind. Check the weather forecast on the day, look outside, and dress accordingly for Irish weather - think boots or runners, layers, raincoats/ponchos and sun cream, but remember, no umbrellas.