The Slane Festival (often referred to as Slane) is a recurring concert held most years since 1981 on the grounds of Slane Castle near Slane,

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The castle is owned by The 8th Marquess Conyngham, who was known by the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

the

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009. Slane lies between Navan and

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

, about 45 km northwest of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from 12:00 to 22:00. The sloping grounds of Slane Castle form a natural

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

which is ideal for concerts. As many as 70,000–110,000 people usually attend. One of the venue boundaries is the River Boyne. Two people died while trying to swim the river to gain free access to

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

's concert in 1995. The minimum age of admission to the Slane Festival was reduced in 2006 from 18 to 16 because of complaints.

Aiken Promotions Aiken Promotions is a music promoter operating in Ireland. It is a former co-organiser of the annual Electric Picnic festival at Stradbally, County Laois, and also organises the Live at the Marquee event in Cork. Founded by Jim Aiken, the compan ...

invited artists such as

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

, and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

to perform during the 1980s. 2001 and 2013 are the only years in which two concerts were held in the same year. In 2001, both concerts were headlined by U2. In 2013, the first concert was headlined by

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...

and the second by

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

, who had controversially cancelled his 2005 Slane appearance after entering drug rehabilitation. The most recent Slane Festival took place on 8 June 2019, headlined by

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Multiple appearances

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

and U2 are the only bands to have headlined the event more than once, and U2 have played twice in one year. Thin Lizzy are the only band to headline and come back as a support act. Several other acts, listed below, have supported a headliner and returned as a headliner themselves. Some acts, listed below, have appeared more than once but never as a headline act: ^{1. The second of two concerts that occurred in this year.}

List of Slane lineups

1980s

The first Slane Festival was held on 16 August 1981U2 October Tour: 1 October leg: Europe: 1981-08-16: Slane Castle - Slane, Ireland
U2gigs.com. Retrieved: 2013-07-19. by the

of Mount Charles (as The 8th Marquess Conyngham was then known). Concerts followed each year until 1987. The seven concerts of the 1980s were headlined respectively by Thin Lizzy,

, U2,

and

. For the third concert in 1983, headlined for the first time by U2, Slane Castle was refused permission to hold a concert, so it was held in the

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...

Racecourse in

on 14 August 1983, the only occasion it has been held outside Slane. U2 appeared at Slane in 1981 and 1983, whilst in 1984

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

performed a duet with Bob Dylan during the latter's encore. This was the last appearance by a member of U2 on the Slane stage until their unique double-headliner in 2001. Thus, Bono has appeared at Slane on a total of five occasions, three of these being in the first four concerts.

1981, 16 August

* Mama´s Boys * U2 -

October Tour The October Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2 that took place in 1981 and 1982 to support the band's second studio album, ''October'', which was released in October 1981. Itinerary The tour followed a similar pattern to the previou ...

Hazel O'Connor Hazel Thereasa O'Connor (born 16 May 1954) is a British singer-songwriter and actress. She became famous in the early 1980s with hit singles " Eighth Day", " D-Days" and " Will You?" She also starred in the 1980 film '' Breaking Glass''. Caree ...

's Megahype * Rose Tattoo *

Sweet Savage Sweet Savage are a heavy metal band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1979. Future Dio and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was an early member. Since forming in 1979, Sweet Savage have released three studio albums, three single ...

* The Bureau * Thin Lizzy ( headliner)

1982, 24 July

The J. Geils Band The J. Geils Band was an American rock band formed in 1967, in Worcester, Massachusetts, under the leadership of guitarist John "J." Geils. The original band members included vocalist Peter Wolf, harmonica and saxophone player Richard "Magic ...

* The Chieftains * George Thorogood and the Destroyers *

(headliner)"Rainy days & festivals"
''Irish Independent''. 10 July 2004.

1983, 14 August

This year, the concert was held at the Phoenix Park Racecourse in Dublin. * Perfect Crime * Steel Pulse * Big Country *

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...

* U2 -

War Tour War is an intense armed conflict between State (polity), states, governments, Society, societies, or paramilitary groups such as Mercenary, mercenaries, Insurgency, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violenc ...

(headliner) * after the show the fans went on to sing 40 for over 15 minutes

1984, 8 July

In Tua Nua IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Indepen ...

* UB40 *

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

(headliner) with guests

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, and

during encores.

1985, 1 June

and the E Street Band played their debut Irish concert in front of 100,000 people, and performed for nearly three hours with no support acts. While Springsteen sang ''The River'', footage of the nearby River Boyne was shown on video screens; the footage was retained for the rest of his tour.

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

and members of Spandau Ballet and U2 were the then Lord Mount Charles's guests who enjoyed smoked salmon and champagne on the day.

1986

* The Hits *

Chris Rea Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, fie ...

The Fountainhead ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect, who battles against conventional standards and refuses to com ...

* The Bangles *

(headliner)

1987

* Aslan * Big Country * The Groove *

(headliner)

1990s

After a five-year absence, the longest since the event began in 1981, Slane Festival returned in 1992. The five concerts of the 1990s were headlined respectively by

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

, The Verve and

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

. The 1995 concert, headlined by R.E.M., was notable for the death of someone who attempted to swim the nearby River Boyne to reach the concert area. The same concert marked the debut of

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

on the Slane stage; they returned in 2009 to headline the event. The 1998 event was headlined by The Verve, their last appearance in Ireland until Oxegen 2008; in 1998 the band appeared alongside special guests

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...

and also Robbie Williams who would return the following year to headline.

Stereophonics Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley, Wales. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocals), Adam Zind ...

played support in 1999 and returned to headline in 2002.

1992

My Little Funhouse My Little Funhouse were a rock band from County Kilkenny, Ireland in the early 1990s. After winning the Carling Hot Press band competition, they got signed to Island Publishing and went on, in late 1991, to sign what was Geffen Records' larges ...

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

(headliner)

1993

* The Blue Angels * 4 Non Blondes *

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

Saw Doctors The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts fo ...

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

(headliner)

1995

On 22 July 1995,

played Slane on their first concert following

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...

's appendectomy. They were supported by

, whose album ''

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by English rock band Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The struc ...

'' would be released 3 months later and would return to headline the event in 2009. One fan threw a rock at the stage as Oasis prepared to play " Roll with It". This provoked Liam Gallagher to say, "If you don't like it, go fucking hang yourself". In 2009, this performance was described as being by "a lairy mob with attitude and half a dozen memorable songs to their credit". The following performed at Slane Festival in 1995: *

Luka Bloom Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore. Early life Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His pare ...

* Spearhead *

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cent ...

Sharon Shannon Sharon Shannon (born 8 June 1968) is an Irish musician, best known for her work with the button accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 debut album, ''Sharon Shannon,'' was the best-selling ...

(headliner)

1998

* Finlay Quaye *Junkster *

The Seahorses The Seahorses were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1996 by guitarist John Squire, following his departure from The Stone Roses. The band released their debut album ''Do It Yourself (The Seahorses album), Do It Yourself'' in 1997, a ...

*Special Guests

* The Verve (headliner)

1999

28 August 1999 *

Simon Carmody The Golden Horde were a neo-psychedelic, post-punk, garage rock, band based in Dublin, Ireland. They formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. Simon Carmody, John Connor, Des O'Byrne, Peter O'Kennedy & Sam Steiger, are the most renowned line-up o ...

* David Gray * Gomez *

Placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...

* Happy Mondays *

(headliner)

2000s

The eight concerts of the 2000s were headlined respectively by Bryan Adams, U2 (twice),

, Red Hot Chili Peppers,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and

. Unusually, two concerts were held during 2001 (the

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

asked the Minister for the Environment to fast-track some new legislation to allow the second concert to happen), both headlined by U2 and both featuring an entirely different set of support acts that brought the Slane debuts of Coldplay,

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

, Kelis,

The Walls The Walls are an Irish rock band. They were formed in 1998 by two ex-members of The Stunning – brothers Steve and Joe Wall. Their debut album ''Hi-Lo'' was released in 2000 and included the singles "Bone Deep", "Something's Wrong" and "Some ...

and

JJ72 JJ72 were an alternative rock band from Dublin, Ireland. After forming in 1996, they signed to Lakota Records in 1999 and released two albums before splitting in 2006. History Formation and early years The band was formed in 1996 by lead singer ...

whilst offering returns to

Moby Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the ...

and Dara. Red Hot Chili Peppers also appeared for the first time and would return to headline the 2003 event. The 2005 concert was intended to centre on rap instead of rock music, but

cancelled his appearance (due on 17 September that year with support from 50 Cent, D-12, Obie Trice, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Olivia, Atlanta's Stat Quo and Flipsyde) after the event sold out. The promoter,

MCD Productions MCD Productions is an Irish concert promotion company. Established in 1980, and headquartered in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. History The company was founded by Eamonn McCann and Denis Desmond, the company name MCD is made up of their ini ...

, sought damages in the High Court. The resultant two-year break in 2005 and 2006 was followed by a return to Slane by The Rolling Stones, only the second artist after U2 to headline the event in two different years, and marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of their first appearance in 1982. Henry Conyngham's delay in the picking of suitable acts led to no concert in 2008; however Oasis headlined the final concert of Slane's third decade in 2009 with support from

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karlof ...

, Glasvegas and The Blizzards.

2000

* Macy Gray *

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

Eagle-Eye Cherry Eagle-Eye Lanoo Cherry (born 7 May 1968) is a Swedish singer and stage performer. His 1997 single "Save Tonight" achieved commercial success in Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom, and was voted song of the year in New Zealand. Cher ...

*Dara *

Screaming Orphans Screaming Orphans are a Pop and folk band from Bundoran, County Donegal, Ireland. The band consists of the four Diver sisters – Joan, Angela, Gràinne and Marie Thérèse. The group combines their own original melodic old-school pop songs wit ...

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

* Bryan Adams (headliner)

2001

U2's headlining appearance sold out in 45 minutes. The first concert occurred the week after

's father died.U2 and Slane Castle gear up for 20-year reunion
RTÉ. The second concert coincided with the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 2 match between the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

and

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and was shown between Nelly Furtado and Ash at the request of fans. The second show was also filmed for the live video '' U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland''.

=First concert

= 25 August 2001 * Relish * Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication Tour * Coldplay * Kelis *

* U2 - Elevation Tour (headliner)

=Second concert

= 1 September 2001 *

with Ardal O'Hanlon *

(replacement for

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...

) *

*Dara * U2 - Elevation Tour (headliner)

2002

Saturday 24 August 2002 * Ocean Color Scene * Nickelback *

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...

* Doves *

The Revs The Revs are an indie rock band from Kilcar, County Donegal in Ireland. The group consisted of three childhood friends: Rory Gallagher (named after the famous blues guitarist Rory Gallagher and who had previously released the album ''20th Centur ...

* The Charlatans, special guests *

(headliner)

2003

Saturday 23 August 2003 The Red Hot Chili Peppers concert was filmed for the live video '' Live at Slane Castle''. *

Halite Halite (), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, p ...

* Morcheeba * Feeder"Feeder are added to '03 Slane bill"
RTÉ. 6 March 2003. *

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...

* Red Hot Chili Peppers -

By the Way World Tour The By the Way Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in support of their eighth studio album, ''By the Way''. A DVD of the August 23, 2003 concert in Slane Castle, titled Live at Slane Castle, was released after the tour ...

(headliner)"Chili Peppers Slane show confirmed"
RTÉ. 26 February 2003.

2004

The Madonna concert at Slane was compared to a football match by one manager,

Johnny McDonnell Johnny McDonnell was an Irish soccer player during the 1900s and 1910s. He was born in Kilcolgan Co Galway on 8 October 1885. He started his footballing career with Athlone Town FC and then played for the amateur Bohemian F.C., Bohemians durin ...

. ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' selected "This is the big time, it's like Madonna coming to Slane" as one of its quotes of that year. * The Darkness *

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

and

the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

* Paul Oakenfold *

(headliner)

2007

The ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'' described The Rolling Stones playing to "a mostly middle-aged crowd who were content to stand back, shielded from the rain in their wax jackets, and let the concert wash over them". * Frankie Gavin *

Tinariwen Tinariwen (Tamasheq: , with vowels , pronounced ''tinariwen'' "deserts", plural of ''ténéré'' "desert") is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's guita ...

The Hold Steady The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...

* The Charlatans *

(headliner, in front of 68,647 people)

2009

Oasis were joined by family members, including their mother Peggy, for the show. They began their performance with "

Rock 'N' Roll Star "Rock 'n' Roll Star" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is the opening track from their debut album, ''Definitely Maybe'' (1994). Like the majority of the band's songs from this era, it was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, who ...

" and finished with " Live Forever" and then returned for an encore of "

Don't Look Back in Anger "Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris. Released on 19 February 1996 as the fifth single fro ...

", "

Falling Down ''Falling Down'' is a 1993 American action film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe Roe Smith and released by Warner Bros. in the United States on February 26, 1993. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster, a di ...

", " Champagne Supernova" and " I Am the Walrus". Liam Gallagher shouted at the fans: "Slane Castle, you've been fucking biblical". Oasis split up two months later. Several Irish celebrities attended the concert, including footballers Gary Kelly,

Stephen Ireland Stephen James Ireland (born 22 August 1986) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Ireland began his career with Cobh Ramblers before joining English club Manchester City in 2001. He made his profess ...

and John O'Shea and

solicitor A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and ...

Gerald Kean Gerald Kean (born 1957) is an Irish solicitor from County Cork. He is regularly the subject of social columns, particularly in the Sunday newspapers which have reported his lavish spending sprees and sun holidays involving his wife and other peo ...

. Ten people were detained on public order offences throughout the day of the concert, including two people who were arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. MCD Productions asked fans to report any problems after complaints regarding transport facilities. Fiach Kelly, writing in ''

The Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Republic of Ireland, Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditional ...

'', reported on the "yoof element" where "you could be forgiven for thinking you had arrived at a rather large teenage disco". * The Blizzards * Glasvegas *

(headliner)

2010s

2010

There was no concert in 2010. Henry Conyngham had written in an '' Evening Herald'' column in February that Slane 2010 would take place in August and that it would involve an "international artist" but that he was still organising the event with Denis Desmond. However, he said during an interview in April on

RTÉ Radio RTÉ Radio is a division of the Irish national broadcasting organisation Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Radio broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels nationwide. Founded in January 1926 as 2RN, the first broadcaster in th ...

that there would not be a concert that year.

2011

Kings of Leon played what was announced by the band onstage as their longest set ever. * The Whigs * Mona * Thin Lizzy * White Lies * Elbow * Kings of Leon (headliner)"Full line-up for Slane is confirmed"
RTÉ. 5 April 2011.
RTÉ. 27 May 2011.

2012

In April 2012, Slane Castle's official

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

page announced there would be no concert in 2012. The message read: "Good Morning guys, Lord Henry has announced this morning 'there will be no Slane this year, but 2013 will be busy'".

2013

=First Concert

= 15 June 2013 * Ham Sandwich *

Bressie Niall Breslin (born 22 October 1980), known as Bressie, is an Irish musician, former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster Rugby player. Breslin found success as the lead singer, guitarist, songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-w ...

The Coronas The Coronas are an Irish rock band that originated in Dublin. They release their music by their own independent record label, 3ú Records, and are based between Dublin and London. They have released seven studio albums, '' Heroes or Ghosts'' ...

- Because We Can - The Tour (headliner)

=Second concert

= 17 August 2013 A capacity crowd of 80,000 watched

. *

Chance The Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' in 2012. He ...

Slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...

* Yelawolf * EarlWolf *

Plan B Plan B typically refers to a contingency plan, a plan devised for an outcome other than in the expected plan. Plan B may also refer to: * Plan B, a brand name of levonorgestrel, an emergency contraception drug Film and television * Plan B En ...

(Headliner)

2014

On 13 February 2014, Lord Henry Mountcharles announced that there would be no concert in 2014 as he could not find a good enough act. Lord Henry stated the reason for the break in 2014 was that "there really wasn't an act that grabbed my imagination for this year." He went on to say that Slane would be back in 2015.

2015

On 26 November 2014, it was announced that Foo fighters, along with Kaiser Chiefs, Hozier and two other unannounced bands would play Slane on 30 May 2015. *

The Strypes The Strypes were a four-piece rock band from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2010 consisting of Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Peter O'Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums). The band played ...

Hozier Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes. He had his interna ...

* Kaiser Chiefs *

(Headliner)

2016

There was no concert at Slane in 2016. There were persistent rumours in 2015 and early 2016 of either

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

, Coldplay or the then newly reunited classic line up of

featuring original members Axl Rose, guitarist

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

and bassist Duff McKagan playing a concert at Slane during Summer 2016. However, on 15 February 2016, it was announced that no concert would take place at Slane Castle in 2016 due to difficulties in staging the concert as construction work on the Slane Castle Distillery was taking place at the castle. It was announced that a concert would take place in Summer 2017 once construction work on the Distillery is complete.

2017

In early December 2016, promotional posters for the rock band

appeared in Dublin City. This fueled speculation of a forthcoming announcement that the band were going to play at Slane in Summer 2017. On 5 December 2016, after many months of rumours and speculation, it was officially announced that Guns N' Roses would headline Slane 2017. The announcement was made by Lord Henry Mountcharles's son Alex and daughter Tamara during a press conference at Bruxelles pub in Dublin City Centre. It was the second time that Guns N' Roses played at Slane, having first played there 25 years previously, in 1992. On 4 April 2017 the full lineup for the 2017 concert was announced, it featured: * Otherkin *

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the St ...

Royal Blood A royal descent is a genealogy, genealogical Kinship and descent, line of descent from a past or present monarch. Both geneticists and genealogists have attempted to estimate the percentage of living people with royal descent. From a genetic ...

(Headliner) Guns N' Roses played the

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

song ' Black Hole Sun' as a tribute to Soundgarden's singer Chris Cornell, who died on 18 May. The

positively reviewed the concert and commented that "Twenty-five years after they first played Ireland's biggest gig, Guns N' Roses came, saw and conquered Slane Castle all over again."

2019

The 8 June 2019 lineup was: *

(Headliner) *

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

* Stiff Little Fingers * Bokassa * Fangclub

2020s

2023

Slane will return in 2023 after a four-year hiatus.

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor''. Following hi ...

was announced as the headliner on 26 August 2022. *

(Headliner) * Inhaler *

Wet Leg Wet Leg are a British indie rock band from the Isle of Wight, founded in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. They debuted with the single "Chaise Longue (song), Chaise Longue" in 2021. Their Wet Leg (album), self-titled debut album deb ...

Future

Red Hot Chili Peppers member

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...

has stated that he "wouldn't mind doing Slane again" saying the band "had an awesome time last time".

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

's Billie Joe Armstrong has spoken to '' Hot Press'' magazine of his admiration for U2's shows at Slane and, in relation to his band performing there in 2010, commented: "It's something that's being looked at". However, the rumour, a recurring one in recent years, was dismissed for 2010 when the band opted to play a show in

Marlay Park Marlay Park () is an suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometres (5.5 miles) from Dublin city centre, the parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks. Recreational spaces inclu ...

instead. Green Day played at the lower capacity

Royal Hospital Kilmainham The Royal Hospital Kilmainham ( ga, Ospidéal Ríochta Chill Mhaighneann) in Kilmainham, Dublin, is a former 17th-century hospital at Kilmainham in Ireland. The structure now houses the Irish Museum of Modern Art. History A priory, founded in 11 ...

venue in Dublin on their Revolution Radio Tour in 2017. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that the band will ever play at Slane. Lord Conyngham has stated on radio that he will secure

to perform at the venue in the future in response to repeated calls by fans.

Controversies

The Marquess Conyngham insists that the venue be played by rock bands and will not allow so-called 'manufactured bands' such as

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

, Take That or Boyzone to play at his castle grounds. Westlife and Boyzone manager Louis Walsh maintains that Westlife have no interest in playing at Slane, saying a

Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...

concert would be a "dream come true" for his band and that it would be "a far better venue than a field in Meath". The 2004 concert attracted protests from the people of Slane, as it was to be held on a Sunday. The inhabitants were afraid of repeats of the civil unrest that had occurred the last time a concert was held on a Sunday, in 1984. This was due to concert-goers arriving the day before, Saturday, and consuming large amounts of alcohol before the Sunday concert. The matter was resolved by postponing the start of the concert and having a notably smaller lineup than other years. In 2009,

Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...

did not provide enough transport for those who purchased a return ticket, and there were no

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...

near the buses. The concert ended between 22.30 and 23:00, yet thousands did not get a bus seat until 03:00. Lord Conyngham expected improvements for 2010.

2013 "Slanegirl" incident

After the 2013 Eminem concert, photographs were posted to social media websites showing a 17-year-old schoolgirl from the west of Ireland

fellating Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act involving a person stimulating the penis of another person by using the mouth, throat, or both. Oral stimulation of the scrotum may ...

two men in public at the concert and kissing one of them while he fondled her vulva.{{cite news, url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda%C3%AD-expect-formal-complaint-from-girl-in-sex-act-video-1.1500301, title=Gardaí expect formal complaint from girl in sex act video, last=Lally, first=Conor, date=21 August 2013, accessdate=21 August 2013, newspaper=Irish Times Video footage posted at the

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

website showed men groping and jeering the girl as she kissed another man, while male and female teenagers encouraged her to fellate him.{{cite news, url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gardai-to-question-slane-teenager-in-the-next-day-or-so-240608.html, title=Gardaí to question Slane teenager "in the next day or so", first=Conall, last=Ó Fátharta, date=22 August 2013, accessdate=26 August 2013, newspaper=Irish Examiner{{cite news, url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/gardai-investigate-new-slane-video-showing-schoolgirl-groped-by-gang-29516742.html, title=Gardai investigate new Slane video showing schoolgirl 'groped' by gang, last=Foy, first=Ken, date=21 August 2013, accessdate=21 August 2013, newspaper=Irish Independent As the images spread quickly and widely across social media sites under the

hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...

"#slanegirl," posters directed a barrage of abusive and mocking online comments at the young woman, who became so distraught that she was hospitalized and sedated. One of the men pictured in the photographs, a 19-year-old former amateur boxer from Belfast, went into hiding to escape media attention. The incident received international publicity, sparking intense debate about issues such as teenage sexual behaviour, double standards, cyberbullying, and slut-shaming.{{cite news , last=McDonough, first=Katie , accessdate=26 August 2013 , ref=none , work=Salon.com , url=http://www.salon.com/2013/08/20/sexual_double_standards_slut_shaming_and_slanegirl/ , title=Sexual double standards, slut-shaming and #Slanegirl, date=20 August 2013 Lord Conyngham refused to comment, saying that it would be inappropriate for him to do so. The

investigated the incident, while social media companies including

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, and

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

moved to curb circulation of the photographs by deleting pages or suspending user accounts for violating their terms of service.{{cite news, date=20 August 2013, accessdate=20 August 2013 , first=Elaine , url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/social-media-firms-try-to-block-images-of-slane-sex-act-1.1499695 , title=Social media firms try to block images of Slane sex act, last=Keogh, newspaper=Irish Times It later emerged that the girl had reported a sexual assault at the concert venue, unrelated to any incidents depicted online, and that she had been treated at a sexual assault unit. Gardaí subsequently confirmed that the girl had given a statement to them in the days following the concert, but said that she had made no official complaint and that no charges would be issued over the matter.{{cite news , date=8 November 2013 , url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/no-charges-in-slane-girl-case-29737095.html, accessdate=6 December 2013 , title=No charges in 'Slane Girl' case, last=Foy, first=Ken, newspaper=Irish Independent

DVD and video

: 1984, 45 minute audience video * Bryan Adams: ''

Live at Slane Castle, Ireland ''Live at Slane Castle, Ireland'' is a concert film by Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. It was filmed on 26 August 2000 at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland. The video recorded during the Slane Festival in which Bryan Adams is the headliner. ...

'' (

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

) *

: '' Everywhere but Home'' ( UMD, partial concert) *

: 1 hour 51 minute audience video *

: ''

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret ''I'm Going to Tell You a Secret'' is a 2005 American documentary film that follows singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the film premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005, and was released on DVD on J ...

'' *

: 1993, 81 minute audience video *

: 1986, 63 minute audience video * Red Hot Chili Peppers: '' Live at Slane Castle'' (DVD) *

: ''Live at Slane'' (DVD) *

: 2007, 1 hour audience video * U2: '' U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle'' (DVD) * U2: 25 August 2001, first night 1 hour audience video * Kings of Leon 2011, 34 minute video *

: ''Metallica Mondays: Live at Slane Castle'', 2 hours 28 minutes (Live Stream)

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Official website for Slane concerts
* '' Hot Press'' photo albums
"Oasis for Slane: Noel and Gem helicopter in to the Castle""Oasis live @ Slane 09"

'Slain' 2009 review
{{Irish Festivals {{Authority control {{Coord, 53.70917, N, 6.55986, W, type:event_region:IE-MH, display=title 1980s in Irish music 1990s in Irish music 2000s in Irish music 2010s in Irish music Tourist attractions in County Meath Rock festivals in Ireland Music festivals established in 1981 1981 in Irish music