Gavin James to play Waterford gig in December
Gavin James performing at Electric Picnic last year. Photo: Alan Betson, The Irish Times.
Irish pop star Gavin James will play a gig in Waterford on Saturday, December 21, at the Big Top Live on Brown's Lane. The gig will be part of Waterford's annual Winterval Festival, which is super-sized this year to honour Waterford holding the crown of the European City of Christmas for the first time.
Gavin James, 33, from Dublin, is a renowned Irish singer-songwriter who has won two Choice Music prizes for Irish Song of the Year in 2013 and 2016. He boasts an impressive 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 3 billion overall song streams.
His music has received success in the charts, too, with his debut album Bitter Pill peaking at number seven in the Official Irish Album charts, lasting for 35 weeks in the top 100 from its release in 2017.
His second album, less than two years later, was even more successful, peaking at number two, and staying in the top 100 for nearly five months.
He eventually topped the charts with his third album, Boxes, in 2020, before repeating the trick two years later with his album, The Sweetest Part.
James may have started his musical career as a busker and performing in pubs, but his newest album, scheduled for release later this year, is a collaboration with multi-platinum songwriter and producer Dan Dare, who has also worked with summer sensation Charli XCX.
MPI Artists, who are organising the event, said they “are delighted to present the Big Top Live as part of the award-winning Winterval Festival”. The Winterval Festival will have live music in Waterford every weekend from Friday, December 13, until Sunday, December 22.
MPI Artists said that the “next wave of acts will be announced Tuesday 8th October as part of the official program launch of Winterval 2024.”
The concert is being organised in conjunction with MCD Productions.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, Martin Nolan owner of MPI Artists said: "It's fantastic to have Gavin James as one of our headliners and it shows a big thumbs up for Waterford as a music destination.
"The Big Top will aim to compliment Waterford City's nightlife and will form a large part of the 'Winterval Afterdark' program."
The company are hoping to make the Big Top Live an annual occurrence again after an absence during the pandemic, Mark Dunne MPI promoter confirmed.
"We have an exciting lineup for the first year of the Big Top Live at Winterval, we are aiming to provide a little something to suit all tastes.
"Being part of the festival that brings so much life to the city was one of the main reasons for bringing the Big Top to Waterford City and we hope to make this an annual event.”
Tickets for the concert are priced at €45 with sales currently open, with tickets available online at www.bigtoplive.ie
