Elton John FAQs: All you need to know for his gig at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
Elton John plays at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on Friday. Suzan Moore/PA Wire
The Páirc Uí Chaoimh gig will possibly be the last opportunity for a Cork audience to see Elton John. Now 75, he says he is retiring from touring.
His current run of stadium shows was intended to be his grand farewell, but with a previous arena tour rescheduled to early next year because of Covid-19, this Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour is now being specifically hyped as his last run of outdoor gigs.
Unforgivably, this robs Cork of richly-deserved bragging rights as the site of his last-ever Irish show, because said arena tour takes in a date at the former Point Theatre in Dublin.
As one of the great pop showmen bows out of life on the road, these gigs are one of the last chances he'll have to bust out all of the hits.
A quick look at setlist.fm reveals that he's been doing so at a fairly reliable rate, with 'Rocket Man', 'Cold Heart', and 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' being the big prospective sing-alongs, going by recent setlists.
Some tickets are still available via TicketMaster; general tix are going for various sections at €96 apiece, while VIP and Platinum packages are, at the time of writing, sold out.
The ticketing giant is the gig's official seller, and promoters are asking prospective gig-goers to be wary of bogus ticket-sellers, and avoid buying tickets from any other source.
Promoters are also asking people to keep their physical tickets safe, and check them for the approach route before leaving home.
Digital ticket-holders are asked to have their tickets downloaded to their Ticketmaster app's digital wallet, their phone charged up, and the screen brightness turned up for scanning.
Doors open at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork at 6pm on Friday, July 1. Promoters are saying that queueing won't be allowed in the area beforehand.
There won't be a support act on stage (which seems like a missed opportunity to put some much-needed post-Covid-19 shine on a local artist) and the Rocketman is due on stage around 8pm.
Recent big-gig events at the venue have come with good, albeit completely anecdotal, reviews for the in-house food and drink options.
On the way to the Cork stadium, the nearby area, outdoor and converted-warehouse markets, like The Marina Market (on the Marina) and the Black Market (on Monahan Road), will be open, with all manner of options for a variety of tastes.
In addition to regular bus services, Bus Éireann will operate an enhanced Route 202, with a direct bus from Lapp's Quay to Monahan Road every 10 minutes from 5pm to 8.30pm.
An Garda Síochána will have a traffic-management plan in operation — click here for that.
As befitting the GAA mecca of the country's real capital, Páirc Uí Chaoimh is well-served by public transport, with national bus and rail options dropping you within walking distance, from Parnell Place and Kent Station, respectively. Online travel planning is available at the TFI website.
It's an outdoor gig, and will happen rain, hail or shine — prepare accordingly and check the weather forecast for any changes. It's been raining heavily in Cork on Friday, and more rain is expected during the night.
The stadium is about a 25-minute walk from the city centre, or 10 minutes from Ballintemple village.
Gig-goers have been advised not to bring backpacks or large bags — bags larger than A4 size will not be permitted into the venue.
