Sell-out Wolfe Tones and Hozier shows help 3Arena to €71.37m box office for 2024

Eric Clapton generated a €1m box office from his sell-out show to 8,767 fans. 

Sell-out shows by Olivia Rodrigo, Girls Aloud, Hozier, Vogue Williams & Joanne McNally and the Wolfe Tones helped the 3Arena in Dublin to bumper box office revenues of €71.37m last year.

That is according to new figures by US trade industry journal, Pollstar which also show that from one night’s work at the 3Arena last July, the singer-songwriter of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, generated €1.9m at the box office on the back of ticket prices ranging from €140 to €302.

The €71.37m at the box office was generated from over a million fans paying at the door of the 3Arena in 2024 and the €71m is a 3.5% decline on the €74m box office for 2023.

The venue was the 8th ranked European arena venue in terms of box office revenues in 2024 while the number one venue globally was the Sphere in Las Vegas with a box office receipts of $367m with U2’s string of dates the chief factor behind its poll-topping performance.

The Pollstar figures — based on returns made by the 3Arena and concerning events from mid-November 2023 to mid-November last — show that a number of Irish performers recorded bumper box offices during the year.

The figures show that Niall Horan generated €2.65m for three nights at the venue in February while Hozier’s three nights in December 2023 made €1.74m at the door.

Folk veterans, Wolfe Tones played to sell-out crowds over three nights last October and generated €1.84m at the box office from the 39,882 fans across the three nights.

The 2 Johnnies departed from their popular afternoon 2FM show during 2024 and it is not difficult to see why when the Pollstar figures show that the two generated €702,170 for one night’s work as 12,791 paid to see them perform in December 2023.

One of the most talked about breakthrough entertainment acts of recent years is Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally where the two have capitalised on the popularity of their podcast, My Therapist Ghosted Me with sell-out live shows across the globe.

The Pollstar figures show that the two generated €2.36m at the box office from five sell out shows across the 12 months before a combined audience of 39,873.

The figures show that Nadine Coyle’s decision to re-unite with her Girls Aloud band-mates has paid off with Girls Aloud's two gigs at the Dublin venue generating €1.89m at the box office last May.

The Corrs — on a break as a band since 2006 — sold out the 3Arena last November and generated a box office of €691,446,.

US Country music superstar, Morgan Wallen, sold out two shows at the venue last September and generated €3.4m at the box office in his first ever gigs here on the back of average ticket prices of €134.

Last June, The Killers played to 39,478 fans across three gigs and generated €3.47m at the box office. In May, Olivia Rodrigo played to 12,631 fans generating €1.1m at the box office while Take That’s two gigs in April recorded a box office of €2.4m.

Liam Gallagher will be returning her as part of a reformed Oasis later this year and the Pollstar figures show that he was enjoying a lucrative career without brother, Noel where his two June gigs at the 3Arena generated a combined box office of €1.86m.

Last May, Eric Clapton generated a box office of €1m from his sell-out show to 8,767 fans who paid an average ticket price of €121 while Depeche Mode who made their breakthrough in the early 1980s, generated €1.23m at the box office from their February gig. 

Comedy was also a big draw last year with Michael McIntyre’s May gig making €571,978 while John Bishop’s October date made a box office of €434,736. Box office receipts are shared between performer, promoter, ticket seller and venue operator.