Hundreds of die-hard fans arrived five days early to queue to see Bruce Springsteen at the RDS – even before The Boss arrives in Ireland.
Organisers at Aiken Promotions were forced to send fans away on Monday after they began queuing five days early to see the American superstar at the Dublin venue.
Springsteen is set to play three nights - Friday May 5, Sunday May 7 and Tuesday May 9. The singer last performed in Dublin in 2016 in Croke Park. He has played at the RDS with The E Street Band 11 times.
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Peter Aiken, of Aiken Promotions, revealed: "He’s played here 11 times and his daughter (Jessica) show jumped here three times.
"I think this will probably be his youngest audience. A lot of kids are coming. We even see now people outside wanting to queue. They’re coming earlier and earlier. When we did Garth Brooks, we thought we’d get a lot of people because we were operating a pit then but it is nothing on the scale of Bruce.
"We had hundreds of people here yesterday. Hundreds. We had to send them away. Official queuing will start in a couple of days or so, but they want to be in the pit.
"Those couple of thousand people at the front of the stage… they create the atmosphere.
"They’re Bruce Springsteen fans and they sit and reminisce about the great shows. They all know each other. A lot of them are going for three nights. They were from everywhere.
"We’ll start it probably on Thursday afternoon. We don’t want them out there all night. You have to look after them as well as we have the residents to think about and the minute they take a photograph of 500 people standing there, there will be 5,000 people in no time.
"So we have all the security around the place, nobody is allowed to queue. They love it. I’ve never seen happier people in my life – Springsteen fans. They get handed these wrist bands and they are like gold dust."
Springsteen is set to perform with his E Street Band and an 18-piece band, and Peter said not much will be changed to his setlist.
"There will be only one or two changes. The setlist will be the setlist. When you’ve got an 18-piece band, you can’t make too many changes. It’s okay when it’s The E Street Band on their own but when you’ve got a whole lot of brass section, an extra drummer… they just wouldn’t be up to speed with all the songs."
At the Garda press briefing on Tuesday, organisers told how Springsteen is set to play for three hours at each show, which kicks off at 7pm sharp.
Fans can expect "a fantastic time" with "a multitude of hits" to be performed across three hours, with no support act, Aiken promoters said.
And after a surprise appearance from Michelle Obama at Springsteen’s recent concert in Barcelona last weekend, fans are wondering if there will be a surprise guest at his Dublin concerts.
But unfortunately, event controller Shane Mates, head of operations at Aiken Promotions and event controller for Springsteen, poured cold water on rumours of any special guests.
He said: "I’m not aware of any special guests that may be appearing on stage with Bruce. That’s not to say there won’t be any, but I’m certainly not aware of any."
Fans have been told the RDS gates open at 5pm each day with the shows beginning at 7pm sharp. Early queuing will not be permitted in the streets surrounding the venue as they are residential areas. Bags are also not permitted at the venue unless they are less than A4 size.
Concert-goers should use the barcodes from their ticket on their Ticketmaster account to gain entry to the events. It was advised that ticket holders download the Ticketmaster app in advance of show day, where they can find their tickets under ‘my events’ and by selecting the relevant show.
The barcode on this page will be used to enter the RDS for each concert. Screenshots or printouts of the digital tickets will not be accepted for entry. Those who do not have a smartphone need to collect their tickets at the box office nearby.
It was advised that those attending the gigs "make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave the house and ensure the brightness on your phone is set at maximum as you enter the scanning area".
There will be colour-coded details for entry routes into the RDS and signage at the venue directing ticket holders to the appropriate entrance and seating or standard area.
"We would strongly encourage concert goers to use public transport," said Shane, as there is no parking available on the streets in the immediate vicinity of the RDS Arena.
Springsteen has not yet arrived in Ireland but would be here "well in advance" of Friday’s first concert, with Shane adding: "This place certainly holds a special part in his heart. It’s a second home for Bruce. It’s a long time coming. I’m sure everyone coming is in for a real treat and whilst I am not from these shores, I had the privilege of working on multiple Springsteen tours in Melbourne.
"I know first-hand that everyone coming are in for an absolutely fantastic time."
Superintendent Garda Tim Burke has advised patrons to "travel early" and use public transport. The stadium is served by bus, rail, and DART services.
He said fans should be aware of the colour coded entry system to the routes into the venue "which are clearly identifiable on your tickets".
Meanwhile, Springsteen’s three concerts could be a washout and punters are told to dress for the weather.
Met Eireann has warned that Friday will feature a "dull and damp" start with outbreaks of rain continuing to affect much of the country.
"A dull and damp start to the day with outbreaks of rain," its forecast reads.
"The rain will clear northeastwards around lunchtime, followed from sunny spells and slow-moving scattered showers from the southwest.
"Some showers will be heavy at times and there is the chance of isolated thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees, possibly reaching 19 degrees, in mostly light southwesterly breezes."
As for Sunday concert-goers, the weather forecast states: "A mix of cloud and sunny spells to start the day along with well-scattered showers.
"Heavy outbreaks of showery rain will build from the west later in the day.
"Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees generally in light to moderate south to southwest winds."
The final forecast for Tuesday has yet to be published, however, the Irish forecaster says: "Current indications suggest that it will be unsettled early next week with spells of rain and showers.
"Mild again for Monday before turning cooler with temperatures reaching the low to mid-teens for most."
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