Slane Festival


The Slane Festival is a recurring concert held most years since 1981 on the grounds of Slane Castle on the outskirts of Slane in County Meath, Ireland. The castle is owned by The 8th Marquess Conyngham, who was known by the courtesy title the Earl of Mount Charles from 1974 until 2009. Slane lies between Navan and Drogheda, about 45 km northwest of Dublin. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from 12:00 to 22:00.
The sloping grounds of Slane Castle form a natural amphitheatre 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.'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 invited artists such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen 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 and the second by Eminem, who had controversially cancelled his 2005 Slane appearance after entering drug rehabilitation.
The most recent Slane Festival took place on 10 June 2023, headlined by Harry Styles.

Multiple appearances

, the Rolling Stones 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.
ActYears
Guns N' Roses1992, 2017
Foo Fighters2003, 2015
Oasis1995, 2009
Red Hot Chili Peppers2001, 2003
Robbie Williams1998, 1999
The Rolling Stones1982, 2007
Stereophonics1999, 2002
Thin Lizzy1981, 2011
U21981, 1983, 2001

Some acts, listed below, have appeared more than once but never as a headline act:
ActYears
Ash20011, 2015
Big Country1983, 1987
James1993, 1998
Dara2000, 20011
Moby2000, 20011
The Charlatans2002, 2007

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 1981 by the Earl of Mount Charles. Concerts followed each year until 1987. The seven concerts of the 1980s were headlined respectively by Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones, U2, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen and David Bowie. 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 Racecourse in Dublin 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 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

This year, the concert was held at the Phoenix Park Racecourse in Dublin.
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 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
  • The Fountainhead
  • The Bangles
  • Queen

    1987

  • Aslan
  • Big Country
  • The Groove
  • David Bowie

    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 Guns N' Roses, Neil Young, R.E.M., The Verve and Robbie Williams. 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 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 and also Robbie Williams who would return the following year to headline. Stereophonics played support in 1999 and returned to headline in 2002.

1992

  • My Little Funhouse
  • Faith No More
  • Guns N' Roses

    1993

  • The Blue Angels
  • 4 Non Blondes
  • James
  • Saw Doctors
  • Van Morrison
  • Pearl Jam
  • Neil Young

    1995

On 22 July 1995, R.E.M. played Slane on their first concert following Mike Mills's appendectomy. They were supported by Oasis, whose album Morning Glory? 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
  • Spearhead
  • Belly
  • Sharon Shannon
  • Oasis
  • R.E.M.

    1998

  • Finlay Quaye
  • Junkster
  • James
  • The Seahorses
  • Robbie Williams
  • Special Guests Manic Street Preachers
  • The Verve

    1999

28 August 1999
  • Simon Carmody
  • David Gray
  • Gomez
  • Placebo
  • Happy Mondays
  • Stereophonics
  • Robbie Williams

    2000s

The eight concerts of the 2000s were headlined respectively by Bryan Adams, U2, Stereophonics, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Oasis. Unusually, two concerts were held during 2001, both headlined by U2 and both featuring an entirely different set of support acts that brought the Slane debuts of Coldplay, Nelly Furtado, Ash, Kelis, The Walls and JJ72 whilst offering returns to Moby 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 Eminem cancelled his appearance after the event sold out. The promoter, MCD Productions, 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, Kasabian, Glasvegas and The Blizzards.

2000

  • Macy Gray
  • Muse
  • Eagle-Eye Cherry
  • Dara
  • Screaming Orphans
  • Melanie C
  • Moby
  • Bryan Adams

    2001

U2's headlining appearance sold out in 45 minutes. The first concert occurred the week after Bono's father died. The second concert coincided with the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 2 match between the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands, 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
1 September 2001
  • Moby with Ardal O'Hanlon
  • Ash
  • Nelly Furtado
  • The Walls
  • Dara
  • U2 - Elevation Tour

    2002

Saturday 24 August 2002
  • Ocean Color Scene
  • Nickelback
  • Counting Crows
  • Doves
  • The Revs
  • The Charlatans, special guests
  • Stereophonics

    2003

Saturday 23 August 2003
The Red Hot Chili Peppers concert was filmed for the live video Live at Slane Castle.
The Madonna concert at Slane was compared to a football match by one manager, Johnny McDonnell. The Irish Times 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 and the Stooges
  • Paul Oakenfold
  • Madonna

    2007

The Irish Independent 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
  • The Hold Steady
  • The Charlatans
  • The Rolling Stones