Mumford & Sons returned to Dublin’s Marlay Park on Sunday night with the kind of homecoming show that reminded everyone why Ireland has always held a special place in the band’s touring calendar. From the moment they opened with the reflective “Begin Again”, it felt less like another date on the Prizefighter tour and more like a reunion between old friends and a devoted audience.
Marcus Mumford made that bond explicit during the evening, telling the crowd: “We love coming to Ireland, Keep asking us to come back.” Judging by the deafening response, Dublin was more than happy to re-oblige.
Musically, the set was expertly paced. Early favourites “Babel”, “Little Lion Man” and “White Blank Page” reignited memories of the band’s breakthrough years before newer material such as “Rushmere”, “Prizefighter”, “Badlands”and “Truth” demonstrated how the band has evolved without losing the original emotional weight that first won over audiences.
There was plenty of room for quieter moments too. “The Cave” and “Roll Away Your Stone” had the entire park singing every word, while the intimate B-stage performance of “Where Are You Now” and “Ghosts That We Knew”brought the enormous crowd together in near silence before another huge finish.
Marcus also provided one of the night’s lighter moments with a bit of World Cup football chat. Spotting an Ireland jersey in the crowd, he confidently predicted that Mexico would beat England in their Round of 16 clash later that night. The match didn’t kick off until 1am Irish time, so the verdict was still out as the band left the stage. By morning, however, Marcus’s prediction hadn’t aged well, with England emerging 3-2 winners in a dramatic encounter to book their place in the quarter-finals.
The encore delivered exactly what a summer outdoor concert should. A surprise appearance from Hozier elevated “Rubber Band Man” and “Awake My Soul”, before “The Banjo Song” set the stage for an inevitable, euphoric finale. As fireworks exploded over Marlay Park during “I Will Wait”, tens of thousands of voices sang back every line, bringing the evening to a fittingly joyous conclusion.
Nearly two decades into their career, Mumford & Sons remain masters of balancing intimacy with scale. Their songs still carry the warmth of campfire folk, but live they expand into arena-sized celebrations powered as much by the audience as the band themselves. If Marcus wondered why they keep returning to Ireland, Sunday night provided the answer: because few places make a Mumford & Sons concert feel quite so much like home.
The afternoon’s support acts ensured the crowd was well warmed up long before the headliners appeared. Dublin favourites Pillow Queens were greeted like hometown heroes, delivering a confident with crunchy indie rock, earning a warm reception from an early-arriving audience.
The War on Drugs then raised the bar with a cinematic performance built on shimmering guitars and expansive soundscapes. Opening with “Harmonia’s Dream,” “Red Eyes” and “Pain,” the Philadelphia band immediately settled into their trademark blend of heartland rock and atmospheric Americana. Adam Granduciel’s intricate guitar work and the band’s immersive sound perfectly complemented the warm, sultry summer evening, their sprawling melodies drifting effortlessly across Marlay Park as the sun slowly dipped, providing the ideal bridge between Pillow Queens’ energy and the emotional sweep that Mumford & Sons would later deliver.
Pillow Queens photos:
The War on Drugs photos:
Mumford & Sons photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Begin Again
Babel
Little Lion Man
White Blank Page
Rushmere
Lover of the Light
Hopeless Wanderer
Prizefighter
Badlands
Believe
Truth
Ditmas
The Cave
Roll Away Your Stone
Here
Delta
The Wolf
B-Stage
Where Are You Now
Ghosts That We Knew
_________________________
Rubber Band Man – with Hozier
Awake My Soul – with Hozier
The Banjo Song
I Will Wait
Photos & words – Wayne Polley @hawkeye_polley_photography
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