Wolfe Tones announce 60th anniversary gig after Electric Picnic controversy

Following a huge gig at Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois, at the weekend, the Wolfe Tones have announced a huge 60th anniversary gig at the 3Arena next year.

The band teased a "big announcement" on Monday and the news of a huge anniversary gig was announced on Wednesday by MCD Productions. 

The gig itself is over a year away and will take place on Saturday, October 12, at the Dublin venue. The promoters have also said some special guests will join the iconic Irish rebel band on stage.

Tickets for the gig will go on sale on Friday, September 15, 2023, but a presale will open to fans on Wednesday, September 13. Details of the presale can be found here.

The news comes following the band's much-talked-about performance at Electric Picnic where they attracted the largest crowd ever at the Electric Arena on the site.

There was some controversy in the wake of the gig after the young revellers sang along with the band's Irish rebel anthems, including Celtic Symphony which contains the infamous 'Ooh, Ah, Up The Ra' chant. 

After setting record attendance numbers at Electric Picnic’s Electric Arena over the weekend, join @TheWolfeTones with very special guests at the @3ArenaDublin on Saturday 12th October 2024 to celebrate their 60th Anniversary.

✅ Register for MCD presale at… pic.twitter.com/oyzSjVJiRs

— MCD Productions (@mcd_productions) September 6, 2023

Clips of the performances have now gone viral on social media but have attracted some backlash with Newstalk Breakfast hosts Shane Coleman and Ciara Kelly suggesting the song and revellers run the risk of 'romanticising' the IRA and the Troubles.

"I think there is now a mythology about the Troubles and the 25 years from 1969 to 1994 that it was a kind of a glorious war," Coleman said.

"I think people who were at that gig yesterday are too young – they weren't even born when it happened, and they're too young to remember that it was horrible and it was ugly."

"You can say it's harmless singing these songs, but it makes me nervous," Coleman added.

In reply to the Newstalk hosts, Irish Times reporter Conor Lally offered a different view and said: "Not sure people are "romanticising the Troubles" by singing 'Up the Ra' with the Wolfe Tones. It's an anti-establishment thing at this stage, a backlash against the tut-tutting about the lyrics."

Another user on X, formerly Twitter, said it was "embarrassing stuff to have this in Ireland."

He added: The Wolfe Tones on the ticket turned a lot of people off @electricpicnic this year.

A second person said: "These disgraceful old codgers still belting out sectarian lines is one thing. The enthusiasm of the young crowd singing ‘Up the ‘Ra’ is incredibly depressing."

Another said: "Twitter is really over analysing the Wolfe Tones performance at EP. The vast majority of people I know who went to see them didn’t have some hidden political agenda, they went for the Craic… Most of them wouldn’t vote SF in a month of Sundays."

While a fourth pondered: "Seriously??? We were singing to the Wolfe Tones years ago and no panic, get over yourselves, its only music!"