Alanis Morissette review: Musgrave Park is in her pocket as Cork rocks despite the heat
Alanis Morissette at Musgrave Park (Virgin Media Park) in Cork. Picture: Celeste Burdon
There’s no escaping the heat in Musgrave Park (Virgin Media Park) on Wednesday evening, as an anticipatory crowd waits for Canadian rocker Alanis Morissette.
It's 25C when the support acts take to the stage — and it shows no signs of cooling down. It’s a dead heat, not what you’d call classic Irish gig-going weather.
All around, the mainly female Gen X audience are wilting in the sunshine, using everything from flyers to paper plates as makeshift fans. The warm weather means outfits are largely made up of shorts and sundresses; sunglasses are mandatory.
Make no mistake, though, this 15,000-strong crowd came to rock. And the heat takes a back seat when Alanis Morissette takes to the stage, greeted by rapturous cheers from the rallying crowd.
She kicks off with the iconic and she immediately has the crowd in the palm of her hand. She paces the stage, flashing a grin when the crowd sing her words back at her. And then she's straight into the revved-up .
A huge screen behind her flashes images and statistics, a mix of sobering facts and her official videos.
Morissette hasn’t played in Ireland since 2018, when she appeared on the Live at the Marquee stage in Cork.
This is her only Irish date on what is a limited run of six shows in Ireland and the UK.
She's currently touring for the 30th anniversary of her monumental 1995 album , which netted her four Grammys in 1996, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album.
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Unsurprisingly, the set is packed with tracks from that album. Now. 30 years later, the songs still feel fresh and relevant, and the crowd eagerly sing along, clearly relishing the edgy lyrics on hits like You Oughta Know and Right Through You.
Hits like see Morissette take up a sparkly gold guitar, showcasing her musical chops and rock energy.
Across the city at Live at the Marquee, where Leeside’s Millennial women are, British boyband Five are cranking up the crowd with tracks like and .
Back in Musgrave Park, Morissette, with her trademark long hair, powers out her songs with an enduring passion and quirkiness. She's a magnetic and charismatic performer, wrapping the crowd in her energy.
Earlier, London-based indie rockband The Big Moon were first up. Then British rock band Skunk Anansie, who disbanded in 2001 before reforming again in 2009, stormed onto stage, ramping up the crowds with hits including and . As support acts go, they were more than impressive; with lead singer Skin's contagious energy flowing through the crowd.
And just like that, there are two concerts left at Musgrave Park for summer 2026.
Next up on Thursday, June 25 is American folk-rock group The Lumineers, who will play their first ever gig in Cork, followed by Amble on June 26.
