Páirc to be Rod’s only Irish show next year

ROD Stewart's show in Páirc Uí Chaoimh is set to be his only Irish appearance this year, according to promoters.

The veteran rocker was yesterday announced for a standalone show in Cork on May 25, 2019, with tickets due to go on sale next week.

It is the first concert announced for the stadium next summer and follows Ed Sheeran's three sold-out shows earlier this year.

The 73-year-old Scot has previously played the Live at the Marquee concert series to a tent of about 5,000 people.

The Páirc represents a much more daunting prospect, with capacity crowds of 45,000 people attending each of Ed Sheeran's three concerts over the May bank holiday weekend.

Stewart's last Cork show was in 2009. In the years since, he has returned to Ireland to play in Kilkenny's Nowlan Park and in the 3Arena in Dublin on several occasions. He also staged an outdoor show at Dublin's RDS in 2013.

The concerts in May will be his first in Ireland in three years by the time they come around.

It is in support of his 30th studio album 'Blood Red Roses', which will be released next week.

Tickets, which are priced from €73 to €131, will go on sale on Thursday, September 27 from 9am from all usual outlets.

Pre-sale tickets will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday, September 25. Access to the presale can be obtained by pre-ordering the new album from Rod Stewart's official store.

Already, city businesses are bracing for a boost next summer.

Ray Kelleher, sales and marketing director at Trigon hotels, said that city centre hotels are optimistic about the impact the concertgoers will have in the city.

"The addition of Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a huge bonus, not just for concerts but also in sporting terms," he said.

"But we saw last year just how big the spin-off from these events could be. When Ed Sheeran was here, bars were full, restaurants were full and hotels were busy.

"It was quite a substantial increase on the May bank holiday weekend. This concert puts us on people's radar nationally and internationally."

As well as the Cork concert, Stewart announced a string of dates in the UK. However, cities like Manchester, Birmingham and London are not included. Mr Kelleher said this could work to Cork's advantage too.

"I would expected inquiries from UK visitors to start coming in over the weekend," he said.

"No doubt, this will be a huge boost and we are already quite excited."