ED SHEERAN
3Arena, Dublin
12th & 13th April 2017

ED CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE CHARTS WORLDWIDE WITH “SHAPE OF YOU” & “CASTLE ON THE HILL” (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

÷ (DIVIDE) OUT ON 3RD MARCH 2017

Set to be one of the most highly-anticipated tours of 2017, Ed Sheeran has announced an array of tour dates for the UK, Ireland, Europe. The tour will kick-off in Italy on March 17 and Ed will play 3Arena Dublin for two nights on 12th & 13th April, marking his first shows in Ireland since his two sold out dates at Croke Park in 2015. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 2nd February at 10am from Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.

The touring news comes straight off the back of a phenomenal few weeks for 25-year-old Ed Sheeran. Kicking-off music in 2017 and delivering the biggest musical comeback in recent years, Ed’s dual singles “Shape Of You” and “Castle On The Hill” have taken the globe by storm, hitting the #1 and #2 spots across the charts worldwide while seeing the Suffolk native break a magnitude of records along the way. On course to cement his third week at #1 & #2 respectively in the UK’s Official Singles Chart tomorrow [Ed made OCC history as the first-ever artist to land the two spots respectively with two brand new tracks], Ed recently conquered more milestones in the USA after landing his first-ever #1 as a performer on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Shape Of You” – with “Castle On The Hill” sitting closely behind at #6 on the chart, Ed also became the first artist to debut in Billboard’s ‘Top 10’ with two songs simultaneously. Not to mention the huge assortment of Spotify records broken by the troubadour this month, making history with their biggest-ever ‘one week’ and ‘one day’ streams for a track, globally with “Shape Of You” (the records were previously held by Drake’s “One Dance” and Adele’s “Hello”, respectively). Moreover, Ed topped the streaming service’s biggest-ever opening 24 hour streams with both singles, surpassing previous title holders, One Direction. Reaching 132 combined #1 iTunes positions around the world and accomplishing Apple Music’s biggest-ever ‘day’ and ‘one week’ streams, the two singles have accumulated over 370 MILLION worldwide streams to date. Launched on Monday, Ed’s official video for “Castle On The Hill”, which was shot in his native Framlingham, Suffolk, has already reached over 10 million hits!

In addition to Ed’s epic rise with his recorded music, the Suffolk-born artist has also broken records in the live sphere over recent years. In July 2015 Ed took to the stage of Wembley Stadium, solo, becoming the first-ever artist to headline the prestigious venue without a band – with just his trademark loop pedal and guitar – seeing him play to 240,000 people over three consecutive sold-out nights! Securing a very special collaboration with Sir Elton John on the opening night, Ed followed with the release of his live DVD ‘Jumpers for Goalposts’ at the end of 2015, documenting the lead-up and live performances from the Wembley weekend. Moreover, not only has Ed caught the headlines with his phenomenal solo concerts, he’s also been involved in an array of spellbinding collaborative performances over his career to date, further proving his colossal status in the musical world – in 2012, Ed performed at the London Olympics’ closing ceremony alongside members of Pink Floyd and Genesis for a very special version of “Wish You Were Here” and in 2015, Ed shared the stage with Beyonce and Gary Clark Jr. at that year’s Grammy tribute for Stevie Wonder.

Ed Sheeran’s genre-defying third studio album ÷ (divide) will be released on 3rd March through Asylum/Atlantic Records (available to pre-order http://bit.ly/DIVIDESHOP).

Tickets for Ed Sheeran at 3Arena Dublin on 12th & 13th April 2017 go on sale on Thursday 2nd February at 10am and will be available from:

All Ticketmaster outlets Nationwide

24hr Credit Card Bookings 0844 277 4455 (ROI) / 0844 277 4455 (NI)

Book on line www.ticketmaster.ie

ED SHEERAN UNVEILS THE OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR “CASTLE ON THE HILL”

“SHAPE OF YOU” & “CASTLE ON THE HILL” REMAIN AT #1 & #2 IN IRELAND’S OFFICIAL CHARTS FOR THE 2nd WEEK
ED LANDS HIS FIRST US #1 WITH “SHAPE OF YOU”

Chart-topping Ed Sheeran has unveiled the official video for “Castle On The Hill”. Shot in his native Framlingham, Suffolk, and directed by George Belfield, the coming-of-age video is a snapshot into Ed’s teen years alongside scenes of him returning home; the perfect accompaniment to the song’s beautifully honest storytelling.

Over the past two weeks, Ed has taken the globe by storm with the biggest musical comeback in recent years. Holding the #1 & #2 positions for the second week in the UK and Ireland’s Official Singles Chart [Ed made history as the first-ever artist to land the two spots respectively with two brand new tracks], last week, 25-year-old Ed accomplished yet more record-breaking acclaim: landing his first US #1 as a performer on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Shape Of You”. He also became the first artist ever to debut in Billboard’s Top 10 with two songs simultaneously, with “Castle On The Hill” debuting at #6.

To date, “Shape Of You” and “Castle On The Hill” have accumulated over an astounding 370 million combined, worldwide streams. Ed Sheeran’s third studio album ÷ (divide) will be released on 3rd March through Asylum/Atlantic Records (available to pre-order now).

2017 GRAMMY® NOMINEES ALBUM AVAILABLE NOW

Features 21 Hits From The World’s Biggest Superstars And Emerging Talent

The Recording Academy®’s GRAMMY Recordings® and Atlantic Records announce the release of the 2017 GRAMMY® Nominees album — which is now available in stores and via all digital retailers.

The 23rd installment of the best-selling series features 21 GRAMMY-nominated artists and hit songs from the world’s biggest superstars and hottest emerging talent, including Album Of The Year nominees Adele, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Drake, and Sturgill Simpson and Best New Artist nominees Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Maren Morris, and Anderson .Paak, among others.

A portion of the proceeds from album sales will benefit the year-round efforts of the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™ and MusiCares Foundation® — The Recording Academy-affiliated charitable organizations focused on music education programs and critical assistance for music people in need.

The 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live on CBS at 8p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

PURCHASE LINKS:
iTunes: https://atlanti.cr/grammysitunes
Google Play: https://atlanti.cr/grammysgp

2017 GRAMMY® Nominees Album
Track Listing

1. BEYONCÉ
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” Feat. Jack White
Album Of The Year

2. TWENTY ONE PILOTS
“Stressed Out”
Record Of The Year
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

3. SIA
“Cheap Thrills” Feat. Sean Paul
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

4. DRAKE
“Hotline Bling”
Album Of The Year

5. ADELE
“Hello”
Record Of The Year
Album Of The Year
Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Pop Vocal Album

6. JUSTIN BIEBER
“Love Yourself”
Album Of The Year
Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Pop Vocal Album

7. THE CHAINSMOKERS
“Closer” Feat. Halsey
Best New Artist
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

8. KELSEA BALLERINI
“Peter Pan”
Best New Artist

9. MAREN MORRIS
“My Church”
Best New Artist
Best Country Solo Performance
Best Country Song

10. STURGILL SIMPSON
“Brace For Impact (Live A Little)”
Album Of The Year

11. ANDERSON .PAAK
“Am I Wrong” Feat. ScHoolBoy Q
Best New Artist

12. DEMI LOVATO
“Confident”
Best Pop Vocal Album

13. ARIANA GRANDE
“Dangerous Woman”
Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Pop Vocal Album

14. KELLY CLARKSON
“Piece By Piece (Idol Version)”
Best Pop Solo Performance

15. LUKAS GRAHAM
“7 Years”
Record Of The Year
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

16. CARRIE UNDERWOOD
“Church Bells”
Best Country Solo Performance

17. KEITH URBAN
“Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Best Country Solo Performance
Best Country Song

18. BRANDY CLARK
“Love Can Go To Hell”
Best Country Solo Performance

19. THOMAS RHETT
“Die A Happy Man”
Best Country Song

20. MIRANDA LAMBERT
“Vice”
Best Country Solo Performance
Best Country Song

21. TIM MCGRAW
“Humble And Kind”
Best Country Song

GLOBAL SUPERSTAR ED SHEERAN RETURNS!
ED UNVEILS TWO COMEBACK SINGLES

“CASTLE ON THE HILL” & “SHAPE OF YOU”
AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES, SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC & DEEZER

WATCH THE ACCOMPANYING LYRIC VIDEOS

“CASTLE ON THE HILL”

“SHAPE OF YOU”

22 MILLION ALBUMS SOLD, WORLDWIDE!
4.7 BILLION SPOTIFY STREAMS!
3.5 BILLION HITS ON HIS OFFICIAL YOUTUBE!

Multiple Grammy and BRIT Award-winning international mega-star, Ed Sheeran, has kicked-off music in 2017, unveiling TWO brand new singles – “Castle On The Hill” and “Shape Of You” – out now on Asylum Records and available through iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music here.

Ed Sheeran’s two comeback singles – “Castle On The Hill” and “Shape Of You” – mark a hugely exciting return and another forward-thinking move for the multi award-winning, modern-day troubadour. Unveiled in the early hours of this morning, the singles are Ed’s first releases since 2015 and showcase two very different sides to his unparalleled musical palate. “Castle On The Hill”, written by Ed and Benny Blanco (also on production), pays homage to growing up in Framlingham, Suffolk. Driving beats and Springsteen-esque riffs collide to create another stadium-ready anthem. “Shape Of You”, written by Ed, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac (also on production), dismantles and rebuilds modern-pop music using little more than a loop pedal. The record is an extension of the sound for which Ed’s become so well-known and has set him apart from his peers – something he first showcased in 2010 with his pivotal SBTV live performance of “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”, and executed on his debut EP ‘No.5 Collaborations Project’ (staring an array of grime artists including Wretch 32, Wiley + more), following in 2011.

Speaking about his monumental comeback, 25-year-old Ed commented – “Hello 2017! I’ve been working hard on the new material and I hope you can be as excited about it as I am. I really wanted to show two different sides to my music that I’m equally as passionate about and I just knew I wanted to roll with two songs at the same time. I’m absolutely buzzing to be back.”

Despite being out of the spotlight for a year on a well-deserved break, Ed’s name was still associated with some of 2016’s biggest hits. As one of the world’s most in-demand songwriters, he penned “Cold Water” for Major Lazer and “Love Yourself” for Justin Bieber; further proving his versatility and unique flair for penning global #1 records. Rewind to June 2014 to see Sheeran releasing his second studio album ‘x’ (pronounced “multiply”,) which has gone onto become one of the most significant and record-breaking albums of this millennium! Bolstered by the likes of Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams and Benny Blanco on production, ‘x’ charted at #1 both sides of the Atlantic upon release, landed a further 95 #1 slots on iTunes across the globe and spawned his global no. 1, biggest-selling single to date – “Thinking Out Loud”. ‘x’ has now landed a staggering 90 x platinum certifications worldwide and was recently named one of the Official Chart Company’s biggest-selling albums of all time, having amassed over 3.4 BILLION streams! Breaking through to the mainstream in 2011 with his debut album ‘+’ (“plus”), the Suffolk native quickly made a name for himself as one of the hottest up-and-coming talents of that year, setting his musical trajectory to an extraordinary level from the off; Ed won his first Ivor Novello Award in 2011 for his breakthrough single “The A Team”, which also went onto become that year’s biggest-selling debut single.

*Please see below for a wealth of Ed’s record-breaking accolades across his two albums: ‘x’ & ‘+’*
In addition to Ed’s epic rise with his recorded music, the Suffolk-born artist has also broken records in the live sphere over recent years. Ed took to the stage of Croke Park, solo, in July 2015, becoming the first-ever artist to headline the prestigious venue without a band – with just his trademark loop pedal and guitar – seeing him play to 160,000 people over three consecutive sold-out nights! He followed with a live DVD titled ‘Jumpers for Goalposts’ at the end of 2015, which documented the lead-up to the Wembley weekend, including an array of live performances. Moreover, not only has Ed caught the headlines with his phenomenal solo concerts, he’s also been involved in an array of spellbinding collaborative performances over his career to date. In 2012, Ed performed at the London Olympics’ closing ceremony alongside members of Pink Floyd and Genesis for a very special version of “Wish You Were Here”. Go to 2015 and not only did Ed share the stage with Beyonce and Gary Clark Jr. at that year’s Grammy tribute for Stevie Wonder, at the aforementioned Wembley Stadium shows, Ed performed with Sir Elton John on the opening night, further proving his colossal status in the musical world.

Ed Sheeran, who was awarded an honouree degree from University Campus Suffolk in 2015 for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’, has won an astonishing array of awards during his flourishing career to date. Sheeran is now the proud possessor of: 4 x BRIT Awards, 2 x Grammys, 2 x Ivor Novello’s, 1 x Q Award, 1 x MTV VMA Award, 1 x American Music Award, 1 x BBC Music Award, 2 x People’s Choice Awards, 3 x Teen Choice Awards, 2 x MTV European Music Awards, 1 x 1Xtra Power List and more. Adding further strings to his bow, he also unveiled his very own record label ‘Gingerbread Man Records’ last year (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records UK), which has kick-started the burgeoning career of #1 recording artist and Ivor Novello-winning, Jamie Lawson, along with the inimitable talent that is Foy Vance.

As Ed kicks-off music in 2017, watch this space to see one of the world’s most-loved, talented and in-demand recording artists continue to make history.

‘x’ (“multiply”) – 2014
• Ed worked with Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams and Benny Blanco on the LP
• Charted at #1 on both sides of the Atlantic upon release
• Landed 95 x #1 spots on iTunes across the globe
• 14 x Platinum in Ireland // 90 x platinum certifications, worldwide
• 13 million global sales
• 3.4 billion streams to date
• 2014’s Christmas #1 album
• Spent 84 consecutive weeks in the Top Ten In Ireland
• 2014’s most-streamed album on Spotify, globally
• Longest consecutive reign in the UK’s Top 10 Official Albums Chart for a British artist ever at 77 weeks (taking over Adele’s “21”)
• Biggest-ever ‘week one’ album streams in Spotify history (up until very recently) with 23 million & went onto become the most continuously played album on Spotify since release
• One of the Official Chart Company’s 60 biggest-selling albums of all time with 13 million global sales
• ‘Album of the Year’, BRIT Awards (2015) // ‘Songwriting of the Year’, Ivor Novello’s (2015)
• In the summer of 2015 – a year on from release – ‘x’ was still the most-streamed album in the world
• The album spawned an array of colossal #1 singles including the 18 x platinum “Sing”, the 18 x platinum “Don’t”, “I See Fire” (soundtracked The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), “Photograph”, “Bloodstream” and the timeless 68 x platinum “Thinking Out Loud”
“Thinking Out Loud”
– First song ever to reach 500 million Spotify streams (over 780 million streams to date)
– #1 on iTunes in 85 markets upon release
– Won 2 x Grammy Awards in 2016: ‘Song of the Year’ and ‘Best Solo Pop Performance’
– BMI Award for ‘Song of the Year’ last October
– 1.5 billion hits on the official video

‘+’ (“plus”) – 2011
• 8.8 million global sales
• Spawned Sheeran’s breakthrough single “The A Team”
• 45 x platinum certifications, worldwide
• The album was home to Sheeran’s other breakthrough hit singles: “Lego House”, “Small Bump”, “Give Me Love” and “Drunk”
“The A Team”
– won ‘Best Song Musically and Lyrically’ at the Ivor Novello’s (2011)
– Best-selling debut single of the year in UK

KEHLANI DEBUT ALBUM ‘SWEETSEXYSAVAGE’ OUT JANUARY 27TH
Plays The Academy, Dublin on February 28th

Pre-order the album here.

‘Future Female Pop Star of 2016’- The Guardian G2
‘A Major Label’s Brightest Hope’ Clash Magazine & The Fader
‘Ones to Watch for 2017’- MNE Magazine
Over 50 million global streams

Incredible collaborations with Zayn (only featured artist on his debut album), Chance The Rapper & Featured on The Suicide Squad soundtrack

Kehlani tells it like it is. Whether in conversation or on stage, the Oakland-born R&B singer and songwriter gives the straight truth about her life, pain, passion, love, triumph, and everything in between with collected calm and confidence. It’s that type of honesty that makes her music resonate with the depth of classic Motown and a vividly confessional lyricism reminiscent of Neo Soul. At the same time, her 2015 mixtape, ‘You Should Be Here’, tells a story that distinctly belongs to her.

In late April 2015 she shared ‘You Should Be Here’ Mixtape with the world, which earned Kehlani her very first GRAMMY nomination at the 58th GRAMMY Awards for “Best Urban Contemporary Album.” Upon its release Billboard immediately called this project “The year’s first great R&B album”. Amongst their great review, You Should Be Here has seen quite a bit of success on the charts. Aside from being the top R&B debut of the week, it also came in at #1 on the US iTunes R&B/Soul chart and #2 on both the US Overall R&B Albums and Current R&B Albums chart.

And most recently she features in the ‘Best Album category’ at 2016 GRAMMYs and for ‘Gangsta’ off of the ‘Suicide Squad’ Soundtrack for 2017 GRAMMYs.
KEHLANI’s highly-anticipated debut album SWEETSEXYSAVAGE – available for pre-order now. All album pre-orders will receive 3 instant grat tracks – “CRZY,” “Distraction,” & “Advice”

The album and official tour announcement follows the release of KEHLANI’s sexy visual for “Distraction.” The video has seen quite a bit of success thus far bringing in 11.5 million views.

28 February The Academy, Dublin Tickets are on sale now!

COLDPLAY TO RELEASE NEW VERSION OF EVERGLOW & WILL PERFORM THE SINGLE ON TONIGHT’S GRAHAM NORTON SHOW!
STRIPPED-BACK SINGLE INSPIRED BY GLASTONBURY PERFORMANCE.

Coldplay have today announced that the fifth single to be taken from their acclaimed A Head Full Of Dreams album will be a newly-recorded version of Everglow. The single is out today on all download and streaming sites.

At the band’s triumphant Glastonbury Festival headline performance in June, a technical mishap meant Chris Martin was forced to deliver an unrehearsed solo performance of Everglow. The band liked it so much that they recorded a new, similarly stripped down version of the song for release as a single. A newly posted clip on Instagram shows Chris recording the new version.

The single version also features an audio excerpt of Muhammad Ali speaking to a live studio audience in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1977.

God is watching me
God don’t praise me because I beat Joe Frazier
God don’t give nothing about Joe Frazier
God don’t care nothing about England or America as far as real wealth… it’s all His.
He wants to know how do we treat each other?
How do we help each other?
So I’m going to dedicate my life to using my name and popularity to helping charities, helping people, uniting people, people bombing each other because of religious beliefs. We need somebody in the world to help us all make peace.
So when I die – if there’s a heaven – I’m gonna see it.

A Head Full Of Dreams has sold more than 5 million copies since its December 2015 release, spawning the hit singles Adventure Of A Lifetime, Hymn For The Weekend, Up&Up and A Head Full Of Dreams. The four singles have amassed more than two billion YouTube and Spotify plays between them.

Since March of this year, the A Head Full Of Dreams Tour has played to 2.5 million people across Latin America, the US and Europe. In the coming months, the band will perform further stadium dates in Australasia, Asia, Europe and North America including a SOLD OUT date in Dublin’s Croke Park on July 8th

NPG RECORDS & WARNER BROS. RECORDS ANNOUNCE TWO NEW PRINCE RELEASES, BOTH WITH PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MUSIC FROM THE VAULT
GREATEST HITS COLLECTION PRINCE 4EVER ARRIVES ON NOVEMBER 25
REMASTERED, DELUXE VERSION OF PURPLE RAIN DUE IN EARLY 2017

NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records announced two new Prince releases that will celebrate the iconic artist’s music and introduce fans to previously unreleased material from his legendary vault. This will mark the first Prince recordings released since his passing on April 21st of this year.
Released on November 22nd in the U.S. and November 25th around the world, Prince 4Ever will bring together 40 of Prince’s best-loved songs, including the blockbuster hits “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Kiss,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Purple Rain,” “Raspberry Beret,” “Sign O’ The Times,” “Alphabet Street,” “Batdance,” “Cream,” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.”

Prince 4Ever includes “Moonbeam Levels” — a previously unreleased song originally recorded in 1982 during the 1999 sessions and later considered for the never released Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album. Prince 4Ever will also arrive with a 12-page booklet of never-before-seen photos by acclaimed photographer Herb Ritts.
In addition, early next year will see the release of the much-anticipated remastered, deluxe version of Purple Rain, plans for which were agreed with Prince before he passed away. The remaster of the classic Purple Rain will arrive with a second album of previously unreleased material.

More details will be revealed closer to the release date.

Pre-order on CD here or on iTunes here.

The track-listing for Prince 4Ever is as follows:
1. 1999
2. Little Red Corvette
3. When Doves Cry
4. Let’s Go Crazy
5. Raspberry Beret
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover
7. Soft and Wet
8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad
9. Uptown
10. When You Were Mine
11. Head
12. Gotta Stop (Messin’ About)
13. Controversy
14. Let’s Work
15. Delirious
16. I Would Die 4 U
17. Take Me With U
18. Paisley Park
19. Pop Life
20. Purple Rain
21. Kiss
22. Sign ‘O’ The Times
23. Alphabet Street
24. Batdance
25. Thieves In The Temple
26. Cream
27. Mountains
28. Girls & Boys
29. If I Was Your Girlfriend
30. U Got The Look
31. I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man
32. Glam Slam
33. Moonbeam Levels
34. Diamonds and Pearls
35. Gett Off
36. Sexy MF
37. My Name Is Prince
38. 7
39. Peach
40. Nothing Compares 2 U

COLDPLAY TO PLAY 13 STADIUM SHOWS ACROSS 9 COUNTRIES

“Kings of the stadium… a dazzling slice of pure paradise”
London Evening Standard
“A planet-sized visual spectacle” The Guardian
“A colourful, vibrant celebration of life” The Telegraph

Coldplay have today announced the first 2017 shows of the A Head Full Of Dreams Tour.
The new European dates are as follows:

Tue June 06 – Olympiastadion, Munich GERMANY
Thu June 08 – Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon FRANCE
Sun June 11 – Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna AUSTRIA
Wed June 14 – Red Bull Arena, Leipzig GERMANY
Fri June 16 – HDI Arena, Hannover GERMANY
Sun June 18 – PGE Narodowy, Warsaw POLAND
Wed June 21 – Koning Boudewijnstadion, Brussels BELGIUM
Sun June 25 – Ullevi, Gothenburg, SWEDEN
Fri June 30 – Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt GERMANY
Mon July 03 – Stadio San Siro, Milan ITALY
Sat July 08 – Croke Park, Dublin IRELAND
Tue July 11 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff UK
Sat July 15 – Stade de France, Paris FRANCE

Since March of this year, the A Head Full Of Dreams Tour has played to 2.5 million people across Latin America, the US and Europe, including four sold-out nights at London’s Wembley Stadium. The show was created by the band alongside celebrated production designers Misty Buckley and Paul Normandale. The tour reaches Australia and New Zealand in December.

Tickets for Croke Park, Dublin are priced from €69.50 incl. booking fee and go on sale at 9am on Friday 7th October from www.ticketmaster.ie. Subject to license.

A Head Full Of Dreams has sold more than 4 million copies since its December 2015 release, spawning the hit singles Adventure Of A Lifetime, Hymn For The Weekend and Up&Up, with over a billion YouTube video views between them. A fourth single, the album’s title track, has just been released. Last week, the band were nominated for four awards at this year’s MTV EMAs, including Best Live Act.

IRON MAIDEN CONTINUE THE BOOK OF SOULS WORLD TOUR INTO 2017

Rock legends IRON MAIDEN continue their hugely successful The Book of Souls World Tour into 2017 with a series of European arena shows opening in Antwerp, Belgium on April 22, Maiden’s first visit to this city since 1981 on the Killers Tour! The band then travel to Germany for shows in Oberhausen, Frankfurt and Hamburg before heading into the UK and Ireland for an extensive series of concerts in May including a return to Dublin, their first visit here in seven years, for a date at the 3Arena on May 6.

Maiden founder member and bass player Steve Harris says,

“The whole band is really enjoying this tour and though we love playing festivals and stadiums, it is terrific to return to the intimacy and atmosphere of arenas for a few shows. The songs from The Book Of Souls album and the new Maya-themed Eddies and stage sets have gone down really well and fan reaction has been amazing. And of course we know our fans appreciate us playing a lot of the older songs too, which we will continue to do. “

The dates are:

APR 22 BELGIUM ANTWERP SPORTPALEIS
APR 24 GERMANY OBERHAUSEN KÖNIG-PILSENER-ARENA
APR 28 GERMANY FRANKFURT FESTHALLE
MAY 02 GERMANY HAMBURG BARCLAYCARD ARENA
MAY 04 ENGLAND NOTTINGHAM MOTORPOINT ARENA
MAY 06 IRELAND DUBLIN 3ARENA
MAY 08 ENGLAND MANCHESTER ARENA
MAY 10 ENGLAND SHEFFIELD ARENA
MAY 11 ENGLAND LEEDS FIRST DIRECT ARENA
MAY 14 ENGLAND NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA
MAY 16 SCOTLAND GLASGOW SSE HYDRO ARENA
MAY 17 SCOTLAND ABERDEEN AECC GE OIL & GAS ARENA
MAY 20 ENGLAND LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA
MAY 21 ENGLAND BIRMINGHAM BARCLAYCARD ARENA
MAY 24 WALES CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA
MAY 27 ENGLAND LONDON O2 ARENA

No further European cities will be added to this schedule for 2017
Special Guests on all shows will be American arena headliners SHINEDOWN www.shinedown.com
Shinedown’s Zach Myers comments,

“Iron Maiden are the kings of metal and one of the greatest live bands of all time. It’s an honour to be touring with them in Europe and in their home country and to play in front of their fans. We can’t wait to see you in 2017!!!”

Tickets go on-sale Friday 30th September at 9am from www.ticketmaster.ie As usual, there will be an exclusive pre-sale for IRON MAIDEN Fan Club members, details of which can be found on www.ironmaiden.com along with information on how Fan Club members can participate in the draw to be “First To The Barrier”.

IRON MAIDEN continue to be actively dedicated to ensuring their fans always have full access to the best possible tickets in the fairest possible way. Their latest stance on combatting ticket touts for the 2017 Irish and UK dates utilises Paperless Ticketing:

What is Paperless Ticketing?
•Seating information is assigned to a customer’s credit card.
•Cardholder presents credit card, along with a valid photo ID, at venue door.
•Card is swiped and validated via printer and AccessManager scanner.
•Seat locator slip is printed.

Why Paperless Ticketing?
•Eliminates/minimizes the resale of tickets.
•Reduces fraud by requiring the cardholder/purchaser to be present at venue entry.
•Reduces will call lines

Making Customers Aware of Paperless during Purchase Process
•An accept & continue question is put in place to alert customers to their chosen delivery method i.e. paperless ticketing:
•Reminder Email sent to customers who purchased and chose paperless as their delivery method

The Book Of Souls World Tour opened in Florida, U.S.A in February 2016 visiting 36 countries using their new 747 jumbo jet Ed Force One piloted by Bruce which flew band, crew and 22 tonnes of equipment over 61,500 miles (99,000 km) across six continents during the 72 date leg playing to around 1.5 million fans. The Book Of Souls is Maiden’s first ever double studio album and their most successful chart-wise to date, debuting at the #1 spot in over 40 countries around the globe.