2004 in Irish music

Summary

March

• Tickets for Oxegen 2004, the festival that would in years to come be a worthy successor to Witnness, went on sale on Friday 5 March. One-day tickets cost €59.50, two-day tickets were priced at €110.00 whilst a two-day ticket with camping included cost €130.00.

June

• On Friday 11 June tickets for Dido's August performance at Marlay Park in Dublin, supported by Scissor Sisters, went on sale priced at €55.
• On Saturday 12 June Red Hot Chili Peppers played Phoenix Park, supported by The Thrills, The Pixies, Groove Armada and Hothouse Flowers. It was their fourth consecutive year to appear in Ireland.
• On 25 June tickets for The White Stripes two August shows in Dublin's Marlay Park and the Belfast Botanic Gardens went on sale.
• On Wednesday 30 June it was announced that David Bowie would be unable to headline his scheduled slot on the Sunday night of Oxegen 2004.

July

• Oxegen 2004 took place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, headlined by The Darkness, The Strokes and The Cure. It was the natural successor to Witnness and like the previous year's festival was held at Punchestown Racecourse, County Kildare. It was the first of two new festivals this year that would leave a permanent mark on the Irish music scene in later years.

August

• On 24 August The White Stripes played Marlay Park in Dublin. On 25 August they played Belfast's Botanic Gardens. They were supported at both shows by New York Dolls.
• On 25 August Dido played Marlay Park in Dublin with support from Scissor Sisters.
• The first Electric Picnic was held at Stradbally, County Laois. Beginning as a one-day event, it was soon to become an international hit, and it wasn't long before it was catching up on Oxegen in popularity. Its patrons praised it for its unique atmosphere and, although it didn't attract the same internationally recognised acts as Oxegen, it became very much a fixture in later years.

November

• 19 November saw the Irish release of the internationally anticipated eleventh studio album by U2. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb debuted at #1 in 34 countries and worldwide sales as of 2006 number close to 10 million copies sold. The album was preceded by the lead single "Vertigo", released for radio airplay on 24 September, when it received extensive airplay and topped the charts in several countries when it was released on 8 November.

December

• On 1 December Foo Fighters were confirmed as the Sunday night headliner for Oxegen 2005.
• On 10 December The Prodigy were confirmed for Oxegen 2005.

Bands formed

• The Chakras
• Dark Room Notes
• The Flaws
• Glyder
• Lluther
• Travega
• Triega ''''

Bands disbanded

• Moloko

Bands reformed

• Planxty
• The Radiators from Space

Albums & EPs

Singles

• "Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?" – The Thrills
• "Not for All the Love in the World" – The Thrills ''''

Festivals

Oxegen 2004

Electric Picnic 2004

Heineken Green Energy

Slane 2004

Music awards

2004 Meteor Awards

Choice Music Prize