From the singing pubs of Temple Bar to the songwriter nights along the quays, Dublin has always been a city where music happens at arm's length. But you don't need a venue, a ticket or a late bus home to experience it. A house concert brings the music to you - an intimate, unforgettable evening with a handpicked musician playing just for you and your guests, in your own sitting room, kitchen or back garden. Discover brilliant Dublin and Irish artists before they're playing the big stages.
Find artists in DublinIn Dublin the house concert is not a new idea - it is close to the oldest one. The Irish session has always been something that happens in a circle of chairs, in a kitchen or a snug, with no stage and no amplification. The city layered other things on top: the trad pubs, the Grafton Street busking pitches that have launched real careers, and a rock lineage from Thin Lizzy through U2. The Liberties, Stoneybatter and Phibsborough all keep a working, unpolished music life going.
So a house concert in Dublin lands on very familiar ground. People here already know how to sit in somebody's sitting room and listen, and Irish artists are used to playing without a barrier between them and the room. Whether you want trad, contemporary folk, a singer-songwriter or a jazz duo, the format needs no explaining - you invite people, you make space, and the music does the rest.
A living room concert is exactly what it sounds like: a professional musician plays a full set in a private home, for an audience the host has invited. You will see the same thing called a house concert, a house show or - because of where we started - a SofaConcert. They all mean the same evening.
There is no stage, no ticket desk and no support act. A typical concert in Dublin runs 60 to 90 minutes, often split into two sets with a break, in front of anywhere from 15 to 50 guests. Most take place in a sitting room, a kitchen or a back garden. The artist brings whatever they need; you provide the room and the people.
Everything you need to plan, folded into the order you'll actually do it.
Pick a date and a room - thirty people fit a living room more easily than you'd think. Then browse the artist list for a singer-songwriter, duo or band.
Send as many free enquiries as you like. Each artist replies with a non-binding offer, so you can weigh up a few before choosing. Settle the scope in writing in the booking system - that written record is what the contract is based on.
Confirming creates the contract and reserves your date. You deposit the fee plus the booking fee, which is held in trust and only released to the artist after the concert. You then get their contact details to sort out the last bits.
Browse Dublin and Irish acts, send free enquiries and book the one that fits your evening.
A few of the acts playing around Dublin.
List your space for free and touring artists apply to play your living room. You pick whoever you like the sound of, and you're never obliged to say yes - here is what hosting involves.
You would be joining people all over Europe who open their doors a few times a year and have turned their living room into somebody's favourite venue.
Some of the most recent spaces to join.
The choice can feel overwhelming. Don't worry - we'll help you.
Tell us the details of your concert and any particular wishes, and we'll do the rest.