Radiohead kick off concert cycle

Radiohead are playing two gigs while Bon Jovi entertain fans in Punchestown

Radiohead are playing two gigs while Bon Jovi entertain fans in Punchestown

Radiohead and Bon Jovi are just two of the big events being held this weekend as summer festivals get into gear.

Radiohead will open their highly anticipated European tour in Dublin this evening with the first of two shows at Malahide Castle.

The eco-friendly musicians from Oxford are encouraging fans to reduce carbon emissions by cycling to the event. A bicycle park catering for 1,000 bicycles has been set up in the castle grounds.

Special Dart services have also been laid on for the event, running from Connolly station to Malahide station, which is just 150 metres from the concert entrance. Dublin Bus will be running additional buses on the scheduled 42 bus route from the city centre.

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The band is due on stage at 8.15pm, but gates will open at 6pm in preparation for support act Bat for Lashes.

For fans of 1980s nostalgia, American rockers Bon Jovi will take to the stage at Punchestown Racecourse tomorrow evening, after support acts Razorlight and Kid Rock.

Dublin Bus is running special buses for concert goers. They will depart from Parnell Square West from 1pm to 6pm, every 20 minutes.

On Sunday night the Garda Band will perform a gala concert with Gloria, the Gay and Lesbian Choir, in the National Concert Hall. This marks the beginning of the Gay Pride celebrations, which will take place over the next three weeks, culminating in the Pride Parade on June 21st.

A Garda spokesman said the gardaí and the gay community had worked over the past ten years to develop a good relationship "and this concert is in many ways a celebration of that relationship".

In Carlow, the week-long Eigse Carlow Arts Festival gets under way tomorrow. It will feature visual arts, crafts, theatre, dance, comedy, music, street theatre, workshops and family entertainment. Highlights include the Singing the Real show curated by the RHA's Patrick J Murphy.

Thousands of motorbike enthusiasts are expected to attend the biker festival in Killarney, Co Kerry, this weekend. It includes motorbike demonstrations, live bands, a charity ride in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland on Sunday, and family entertainment.

Meanwhile, a week-long programme of events to mark Bloomsday will kick off in Dublin on Monday with the opening of Molly Bloom at Smock Alley Studio on Essex Street in Temple Bar.

Alison Healy

Alison Healy

Alison Healy is a contributor to The Irish Times