Dublin Beatles festival for fab four anniversary

DUBLIN will play host to a special Beatles festival next year to mark the 50th anniversary of the band’s performance in the capital in 1963.

John, Paul, George and Ringo played Dublin’s Adelphi Cinema on Middle Abbey Street (now Arnott’s car park) on Thursday November 7 that year in two electrifying performances that helped kick-start a new youth culture in 1960s Ireland.

The shows sparked riots in the city centre that evening, with cars overturned as the Gardaí battled to maintain control of the ecstatic fans who struggled for a glimpse of the iconic band.

Now 50 years later, the Dublin Beatles Festival intends to reignite Beatlemania in Dublin – minus the riots – through an exciting four day programme of music and arts events in a number of popular city centre venues.

Three of the band, John, Paul and George, were especially proud of their Irish roots and earlier this month in Dublin, Yoko Ono again referred to Lennon’s love of Ireland and said that he sometimes considered himself 100 per cent Irish.

A number of international and Irish musicians will feature on the festival line-up that’s designed to appeal to devoted Beatle fans and all music lovers. There will also be several cross-disciplinary events alongside the music events.

A selection of Dublin Beatles Festival 2013 highlights will be released in November on www.dublinbeatlesfestival.com and via a special Facebook page at facebook.com/dublinbeatlesfestival.