Peter Kay is one of the UK’s most popular comedians, known for his observational comedy and sharp wit. He rose to fame in the early 2000s with shows like That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights, and Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere. In recent years, he has toured record-breaking stand-up shows across the UK and Ireland. His 2010 tour still holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest selling stand-up tour of all time, playing to over 1.2 million people.
So naturally, when rumors started circulating earlier this year that Peter Kay was planning a new tour in 2023, fans in Ireland were eager to find out – is he coming to Dublin? Let’s take a look at what we know so far about whether Peter Kay will bring his new show to the Irish capital in 2023.
What Peter Kay has said about touring
Peter Kay has been largely absent from the public eye for the last few years, after cancelling his last tour in December 2017 due to “unforeseen family circumstances”. Since then, he has kept a low profile, with only occasional public appearances.
In January 2022 he made his return to the stage, performing two charity Q&A shows in Manchester. During this show, he suggested that a new tour could be on the cards, saying “I really miss it” and that he would “love to do it again”.
In August 2022, he then announced he would be doing monthly shows at the O2 Apollo Manchester from November 2022 to April 2023 to trial new material. This led to speculation that a full nationwide arena tour could follow in 2023.
So while Peter Kay has not directly confirmed a full tour, his recent comments and return to more regular live performance suggest that a new arena tour in 2023 is likely.
History of Peter Kay touring in Dublin
Peter Kay has a long history of performing in Dublin, regularly including it on his nationwide tours over the years.
Some of the major Peter Kay shows that have come to Dublin include:
Tour | Year | Venues |
---|---|---|
Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour | 2002 | Vicar Street |
Live at the Top Tour | 2003 | Vicar Street |
Stand up UK/Ireland Tour | 2004 | Vicar Street, The Point |
The Peter Kay Tour | 2006 | The Point |
Peter Kay’s Special Kay Tour | 2007 | The O2 |
The Tour That Doesn’t Tour Tour | 2010 | The O2 |
As you can see, Dublin has been a regular feature on Peter Kay’s stand-up tours over the last 20 years. He clearly has a strong fanbase in Dublin who have supported his shows year after year.
What Dublin venues could host Peter Kay?
Based on the venues for previous tours, if Peter Kay announces a new tour for 2023, there are two likely venues he could perform at in Dublin:
- 3Arena – With a capacity of up to 13,000, the 3Arena is Ireland’s premier venue for major music and comedy acts. It has hosted the majority of Peter Kay’s tours since the 2000s. If he wanted to reach the maximum number of fans, multiple nights at the 3Arena seems the obvious choice.
- Vicar Street – For smaller warm-up shows, Vicar Street would be an option. With a capacity of 1,500, Kay has performed here multiple times early in his career. It offers a more intimate setting for trying out new material.
Of course, if it is a massive arena tour like his 2010 tour, he may look to do even more shows at venues like Croke Park with a capacity upwards of 80,000. But for a regular arena tour, the most likely Dublin venues based on history would be the 3Arena or Vicar Street.
When could Peter Kay tour Dublin?
While no official tour dates have been announced yet, we can make some educated guesses on when Peter Kay might schedule Dublin shows based on the typical pattern of his previous tours:
- Tours often take place in spring/autumn – His last 4 major tours took place in autumn and spring months, usually avoiding the summer. This suggests autumn 2023 as a possible timeframe.
- Weekday shows likely – In Dublin, his tours typically schedule shows midweek, Tuesday-Thursday. Weekends are less common.
- Multiple Dublin dates likely – For major tours, he often does 3-5 shows in Dublin on consecutive nights or weeks. So fans may get multiple chances to attend.
- Dublin mid-tour – Dublin tends to come somewhere in the middle of his UK and Ireland tours, not at the very start or end.
Looking at these past patterns, the most likely scenario seems to be that Peter Kay would schedule multiple Dublin shows on weekday nights sometime between September-November 2023, as part of a wider UK and Ireland arena tour.
Of course, this is just speculation based on previous tours. The exact dates won’t be known for certain until Peter Kay formally announces the tour. Some fans are hopeful he might even schedule some surprise warm-up shows in Dublin earlier in 2023 to test out new material. So Dublin fans will want to keep their eyes peeled for any tour date announcements.
How to get tickets
Based on past tours, if Peter Kay announces a Dublin show as part of a new tour, demand for tickets will likely be extremely high. Here are some tips for Irish fans to give yourself the best chance of getting seats:
- Register on Ticketmaster for pre-sale access – This will allow you to book tickets a day or two before the general onsale.
- Follow Peter Kay’s social media – Official tour news and onsale announcements will likely come via his official Facebook or Twitter first.
- Join fan forums – Peter Kay fan groups on Facebook can be great for sharing tour rumors and onsale info.
- Be online right on time for onsale – Have all the links ready and be poised to select seats as soon as ticket sales begin.
- Aim for midweek shows – Weeknight shows often sell slower than weekend dates, meaning you might have a better chance at good seats.
- Have a back-up date – In case your first choice sells out instantly, have a second or third Dublin show date in mind to try for tickets.
With high demand expected, the key will be moving as quickly as possible to secure tickets in the online queues. So use all the tools you can to get the pre-sale links and be ready to buy at the stroke of the onsale time. With smart preparation, Dublin fans should still be able to secure seats to finally see Peter Kay’s hotly anticipated return to stand-up comedy.
Conclusion
In summary, while Peter Kay has not officially announced a new tour for 2023 yet, all signs point towards Dublin being a very likely stop on the schedule based on his history of touring here. Fans could expect multiple shows on weeknights sometime between September-November 2023, if he follows previous tour patterns. The 3Arena seems the obvious venue choice, with Vicar Street an outside bet for smaller warm-up gigs. Tickets will be in very high demand, so registering for pre-sales, closely tracking tour news, and being online the moment sales open will all be key to securing seats. The long wait for Irish fans eager to see Peter Kay’s comedy comeback appears nearly over, so get ready for more of his brilliant observational wit and down-to-earth humor hopefully coming to Dublin in 2023!