What to Wear and Bring to an Outdoor Concert in Ireland

An outdoor concert is one of the great Irish nights out, and this is the busiest stretch of the year for it. Over the next few weeks the gigs come thick and fast across the country, with Slane Castle, Marlay Park and Malahide Castle filling up in Dublin, Thomond Park in Limerick and Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork drawing huge crowds, and All Together Now bringing the festival faithful to Curraghmore House in Waterford. Whether you have tickets for a stadium show, a castle lawn or a field in the middle of nowhere, the one thing every open-air gig in Ireland has in common is the weather, and it pays to dress for it.

The trick is to plan for sun and rain in the same evening, because you will often get both, and to keep it all small enough to carry. Most venues limit the size of bag you can bring in, so the aim is a light, layered kit that packs down into a small backpack and still keeps you comfortable from the first support act to the encore. Here is what to wear and bring to an outdoor concert so the weather never decides how your night goes.

Dressing for an outdoor concert in Ireland

There is no shelter in the middle of a concert field, so you carry your own. The golden rule is layers you can add and shed as the evening turns, rather than one heavy thing you are stuck with. Start with a breathable base you are happy to stand in for hours, add a light layer for when the sun drops, and keep a packable waterproof rolled up in your bag for the shower that almost always arrives. An afternoon that starts in glorious sun can be cold and wet by the time the headliner walks on, and the people who planned for both are the ones still smiling at the end.

Start with sun protection

It is easy to forget sun cream at a gig that starts in the evening, but a long day on your feet in an open field adds up to hours of direct sun, and there is nowhere to hide from it. Put on a high-factor sun cream before you leave and carry a small tube to top up every couple of hours, paying attention to the easy-to-miss spots like ears, the back of the neck and the parting of your hair. Even on a grey Irish day the UV gets through, so it is worth doing.

A hat does the rest of the work. A wide-brimmed sun hat shades your face, ears and neck far better than a cap, and the Trekmates Crookstone GORE-TEX Hat is a clever pick for an Irish gig because it shades you in the sun and keeps the rain off your head when the clouds roll in. Trekmates make lighter packable sun hats too, and a pair of sunglasses finishes the job by saving your eyes from a long evening squinting into a low sun. You will find the full range of brimmed hats and UV layers in our sun protection collection.

T-shirts and layers you can peel on and off

The bit you wear all day wants to be comfortable and breathable, so a soft men's t-shirt or women's t-shirt in a technical or cotton-blend fabric beats anything heavy that will cling once you warm up in a crowd. The real save, though, is the layer you bring for later. Irish evenings cool down faster than people expect, and a light fleece or midlayer is the difference between staying for the encore and leaving early because you are cold. A half-zip from Columbia or The North Face packs down small, weighs almost nothing and lives in your bag until you need it.

Always pack a waterproof

If you bring one thing on this list, make it a waterproof. Irish weather can turn in minutes, and a downpour with no cover is the quickest way to ruin a great gig. What you want is a lightweight, packable rain jacket that rolls down small enough to forget about until the first drops fall, which also keeps you on the right side of venue bag rules. The Regatta Pack-It is a brilliant value option that does exactly that, stuffing into its own pocket and weighing next to nothing, and there are heavier, more technical shells in the range if you want something for the hills as well as the gig. A cheap poncho will get you through a shower in a pinch, but a proper jacket keeps you warmer and far drier, and you will actually wear it again.

Footwear: shoes you can stand in for hours

You will be on your feet for the guts of a day, often on grass that turns to mud the moment a field of thousands gets going, so footwear matters more than people give it credit for. Closed-toe shoes win every time in a crowd, where sandals and flip flops leave your toes at the mercy of everyone around you. A comfortable, cushioned pair of walking shoes with decent grip is ideal, and brands like Merrell build exactly the kind of all-day comfort you want. Two rules save your feet: wear shoes you have already broken in rather than a box-fresh pair, and if you are heading to a muddy festival field, go for something sturdier with a proper sole.

The extras that make a long day easier

A few small things round out the kit. A refillable water bottle is near the top, since most venues have water points and staying hydrated through a hot, busy day keeps you going. Pack a power bank and a cable, because your phone is your ticket, your wallet and your way of finding your friends, and it will not last the day on its own. Bring only a small bag, and check the venue's bag policy before you travel, as many limit the size and refuse large rucksacks at the gate. A thin spare layer, a small pack of wet wipes, and ear protection for any little ones with you are all worth the space. You can browse refillable bottles and flasks in our hydration range.

Camping at the gig as well?

If your concert is part of a festival weekend and you are staying over, the clothing here is only half the story, and you will want a tent, sleeping kit and the rest of the camping essentials sorted too. Our festival camping checklist runs through everything to pack for a weekend in a field, from the tent to the small bits that quietly save the trip. And if the forecast is kind and the sun is splitting the stones, our guide on how to stay cool in hot weather has more on getting through a scorcher in comfort.

Ready for the gig

Get the kit right and the weather stops being a worry, leaving you free to enjoy the music. Pack for sun and rain, dress in layers you can add and shed, and keep it light enough to carry in one small bag. If you would rather see any of it in person before the big night, pop into your nearest 53 Degrees North store and the team will help you put it together. Browse the waterproof jackets and the rest of the summer range when you are ready, and enjoy the show.