Live music finally returned to Ireland on Thursday night with a concert hosted at Dublin's Iveagh Gardens.
The concert, which was attended by 500 people, is the first in a series of live events in an attempt to facilitate the return of live audiences.
Irish singer James Vincent McMorrow headlined the event along which featured special guest Sorcha Richardson.
While tickets for the concert, which permitted guests to attend in pods of four people, sold out instantly, the show was also streamed online for free:
James Vincent McMorrow told RTÉ that he was looking forward to a positive and emotional experience on Thursday night. He said that the pilot concert would be a poignant moment for the audience and also for his 40-person band and crew. who have been out of work since the beginning of the pandemic.
Ahead of the show, organizers said they would be trialing several health and safety measures at the concert, including staggered access, socially distanced queuing systems, hygiene stations, and socially distanced pods for attendees. Concert-goers will also be required to wear a face mask when outside their own socially distanced pod.
Organizers additionally asked customers not to attend the concert if they develop any symptoms of COVID-19 and say that tickets will be fully refundable in that case.
The concert was organized by the National Concert Hall with the support of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Office of Public Works, and Dublin City Council.
Robert Read, CEO of the National Concert Hall, said that the venue was "thrilled" to be leading the return of live music in Ireland.
Three more pilot events, all sporting matches, will take place in Ireland tomorrow, June 11. You can see the list of the planned pilot events here.
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