Christmas is the perfect time to show your loved ones how much you care, and what better way than with gifts that celebrate music, art, and live performance?
Supporting local artists, venues, and promoters not only makes for unique presents but also keeps the creative community thriving. Here are some fantastic gift ideas to make this Christmas unforgettable:
Florence + The Machine
Thomond Park, Saturday June 27.
Fresh from the chart-topping success of her sixth studio album Everybody Scream, Florence Welch brings her transcendent live performance back to the stage.
Florence and the Machine concerts are transformative events—marked by haunting yet fierce vocals, raw physicality, and profound communion with audiences that often resembles spiritual ceremony.
After undergoing critical surgery during the Dance Fever Tour, her healing journey deepened her exploration of mysticism, with the new record examining themes of femininity, love, growing older, and facing death.
Over five acclaimed albums—from Lungs to Dance Fever—she has cemented her status as a defining artist of her era, celebrated for her incomparable voice and devastating live shows.
David Keenan
Self-educated and guided by his grandfather’s storytelling gift, David Keenan has established himself as a uniquely poetic singer-songwriter. His debut album “A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery” (2020) reached number one in the Irish indie charts, followed by the critically acclaimed “WHAT THEN?” a year later. With a reputation as a relentless live performer, he has toured across Ireland, the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, including two headline nights at Dublin’s Olympia theatre, the main stage of Electric Picnic, and appearances at Glastonbury and SXSW. His intimate storytelling makes for an unforgettable evening.
BIIRD
Live at the Big Top, Friday April 17.
This brand new Irish trad supergroup comprises 11 of Ireland’s finest musicians, singers, lilters and lunatics. After bursting onto the scene on St Patrick’s Day 2024 at Trafalgar Square to 10,000 people, BIIRD caused an immediate fandom-frenzy, selling out three headline shows and packing the big tent at ATN in August. These 11 talented women bring a unique collective energy to the stage, delivering performances that have audiences dancing wildly one minute and weeping with pride the next. Don’t miss your chance to see this rising phenomenon before they become a household name.
A River Runs Through It
Photography Book
For those preferring something to unwrap on Christmas morning, this second print of Keith Kelly’s wonderful book beautifully captures the Limerick music scene through the eyes of its artists.
Featuring 40 photographs of musicians holding their favourite Limerick albums against the city’s iconic landscapes, this artistic tribute connects past and present talent.
Proceeds support The Limerick Civic Trust and The Learning Hub Limerick, making it a thoughtful gift with a cause. Available at O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Steamboat Music, Downbeat Records, and The People’s Museum.
Kings of Leon
Thomond Park, Wednesday July 1.
Recognised as one of the world’s biggest alternative rock bands of the last 20 years, Kings of Leon bring their electrifying live show to Limerick. The Followill brothers—Caleb (guitar/vocals), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and Matthew (guitar)—have headlined festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and previously played Slane Castle in 2011.
Since their 2003 debut, they’ve released nine albums, sold over 20 million albums and nearly 40 million singles worldwide, and collected three Grammy wins amongst numerous other accolades.
Their rich catalogue spans from early hits to their latest release ‘Can we please have fun’ (2024).
Block Rockin Beats
Block Rockin Beats returns next summer as a live stage performance version of Dec Pierce’s Today FM radio show. 2025 marked 30 years since Dec Pierce first began his journey as a DJ in 1995.
“The show is all about energy—it’s a concert, but we want you to lose yourself for a few hours,” says Pierce. “We want you to go back in time to experience these classic anthems with a full live band. It’s a unique music and visual experience. The crowds we get at our shows come out for a party!”