Country legend Garth Brooks returns to Belfast with 2027 gigs

American country music legend Garth Brooks will return to perform in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1998 with two gigs in Belfast in May of next year.

Brooks will play two outdoor concerts at Boucher Road Playing Fields on 21 and 22 May 2027.

His last gigs in Northern Ireland were a five-night run at the King's Hall in Belfast in November 1998, after which he said the reaction from fans left his ears "ringing for three days".

Next year's concerts in Belfast will be the first of 10 on the island of Ireland, with two shows each in Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Cork.

In a post on X, Brooks said: "I've been dreaming of this a long time, Ireland... love, g."

Some of the Oklahoma singer's biggest hits include Friends in Low Places, If Tomorrow Never Comes and Callin' Baton Rouge.

Brooks is the biggest selling artist in US history as the only artist to pass 200 million albums sold.

In a promo for next year's shows, Brooks said: "This has been a dream of mine since the first time we played Ireland. Once you get a taste of how the Irish love music, you can't play there enough."

Brooks last performed in Ireland in September 2022.

More than 400,000 tickets were sold for five concerts at Dublin's Croke Park.

In 2014, Brooks cancelled a five-night run at Croke Park after Dublin City Council granted licences for just three of the five.

During the controversy, Brooks said: "I have faith that Dublin City Council will make the best decision for the people of Ireland.

"For us, it is five shows or none at all. To choose which shows to do and which shows not to do, would be like asking to choose one child over another."

Dublin City Council said at the time, that it would "not be appropriate to grant five consecutive nights of concerts".

They said the scale of the concerts was "unprecedented" and would lead to "an unacceptable level of disruption" for residents and businesses near Croke Park.

Residents near the GAA stadium had threatened legal action after the initial two concerts were increased to five.

After Brooks pulled out of the concerts, it led to the Irish government announcing new licensing laws.

It meant concert promoters in the Republic of Ireland would not be allowed to sell tickets before consulting with local authorities.

The five Dublin concerts in 2022 were also described as "unacceptable" by a residents group representing people who live near Croke Park.