LIVE at the Marquee promoter Peter Aiken is already eyeing up 2019's concert series after a bumper year in 2018.

The Coronas are bringing the curtain down on the concert series tonight after performing to a sold-out tent last night.

Since the festival began in early June, nearly 100,000 people descend on the docklands site.

This year’s lineup brought a number of Irish and international music stars to Cork including Kraftwerk, Kodaline, A-ha, Don McClean, Nile Rodgers, James Bay, The Script, Christy Moore, Jack Johnson and Alanis Morrissette.

There was also comedy from Tommy Tiernan and Dara Ó Briain and tickets sales were healthy according to Peter Aiken, of Aiken Promotions, who added he felt this year has been special as it has coincided with a rare heatwave.

“We had nearly 100,000 people come through the gates this year. Ticket sales were very strong. It’s hard to pick one year over another but this year was very strong and the good weather added to it. Every year I’ve enjoyed it and this year was great again,” said Mr Aiken.

The 4.6-hectare site on which the huge Marquee tent is erected every year has been sold for €15m to Glenveagh Properties PLC but plans for next year’s concert series are continuing, said Mr Aiken, and he will meet with his team to review this year’s concerts and plan for 2019 once the tent has been taken down.

“There are few things in the pipeline,” he told the Evening Echo.

“We’re not really looking beyond next year yet. The last two nights will have 10,000 people come to it. We have to take the tent down and we are 10 days doing that so we don’t consider it until everything is down and packed away and we leave the site. Then we will sit down and review everything.

“There’s a few acts asking about different things for next year, not just Cork but other places, and we are weighing up different things and we will see what happens,” he added.

Mr Aiken has accepted the site will be redeveloped eventually but has ruled out looking at alternative sites in Cork until any plans are finalised for the former Ford depot.

Confirmation that next year’s Marquee series is in the works has been welcomed by Aaron Mansworth, general manager of Trigon Hotels, who run the Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel.

Mr Mansworth added that the calibre of acts and midweek concerts have added greatly to the local economy with a bump in visitors particularly for Norwegian pop act A-ha.

“There’s great positivity around the Marquee,” he said.

“What’s very interesting this year is that it with certain acts there was a massive bump. When A-ha played on a Tuesday night it brought loads of people because they were coming from all over Ireland to see them.

“Because it was Tuesday and it was their only Irish gig, it really stood out. People made a day of it which is great midweek.

“There has been great feedback and we would have been very happy with it. We ran 30 shuttles from the Metropole down to the Marquee and they were packed for most of the gigs.

“The Marquee is huge for the whole city and from start to finish, it’s fantastic. You have the development around the city, Ed Sheeran at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Spike Island, the Nano Nagle centre we can’t but be positive in the city.

“There is a new hotel going in at Parnell Place so it’s all looking good for the city.

“The only thing for me is that I’d like to see a bit more progress on the events centre as we’ve got to keep an eye on future demand.

“The Marquee is great and I’m looking forward to next year,” he added.

The success of the yearly series has prompted Cork Business Association president Philip Gillivan to suggest Mr Aiken deserves the Freedom of the City after successfully running the Live at the Marquee events for 14 years running.

Acts as diverse as Elton John, 50 Cent, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Christy Moore, Eric Clapton, Jay-Z, Morrissey, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Meat Loaf, Snoop Dogg, The Who, Paul Weller, Status Quo, Duran Duran, Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, The Cranberries and Bryan Adams have been brought to the city since the first Marquee concert in 2005.