Whelans Live

There’s always decent music on in whelans and they have some nice smoking areas, not prices either

Went here for a gig last Saturday. The band were excellent. Great age mix and vibe. We then moved downstairs to meet some friends. Great spot for a live session and a few laughs with a group. Worth a drink or two or three…

If you are bored of going to the typical pubs in city centre maybe you should walk a little bit and find this pub in Candem street. It is a great place to drink and dance with your friends without the crow of the pubs in the centre.

I stopped in Whelans to check out a beer and burger event, hoping to also catch some live music. After all, when you Google «best live music in Dublin», Whelans pops up as one of the main venues. It also pops up when you type in «traditional Irish music.» Although it was early when I arrived – around 6:45 pm, the only music there was the radio, playing rather old American hits. But, I got my beer (they were out of the free burgers) and hung out for awhile. There was going to be live music later in the evening, but it wasn’t a line up of traditional music, so I finished my beer and left.
Bottom line: Standard bar. Fine for going out, but not for that uniquely Irish experience.

Ah Whelans…
I have been to Whelans pretty regularly since I was about 18 years old — I absolutely love it. They’ve expanded it lots over the years (the smoking area used to be ground floor adjacent to the main bar, if I remember correctly!) So it’s now got… I’m going to guess four bars? Plus the private one or whatever upstairs. There’s a lovely intimate stage in the main bit where they hold most of their gigs, plus a smaller area upstairs that bands can also play where the light a fire in winter time.
Whelans is one of my favourite spots for going out dancing. It’s like the opposite to the likes of Coppers et al (Although the dj has on occasion been known to slip in a bit of 5ive now and then) The music is mostly of the NME variety. Expect to hear Common People, a bit of Nirvana and some Blur, pretty much every weekend.
They charge in usually a tenner after 11pm on weekends, but if you’re out for the night it’s generally worth it as they don’t tend to close up until after 3ish!
In terms of music — it’s a fantastic venue for a gig. I’m always delighted when a band I want to see chooses Whelans to play in, it’s just a great size & shape.

Big one, with rooftop and multiple scenes. good for dancing. Super crowded. But nice looking people. I will come back.

Great spot for small, intimate gigs.
It was really a great night but there was not A/​C so after 20 minutes people started boiling, it was ridiculously hot but other than that it was awesome, really.
Great smoking/​beer garden area with lots of air. I would like to go back here sometime for another gig.

Cool, great hip variety of people here. Nice drink, it’s a Dublin icon you need to check out. They also have live bands that play.

I’m new to Dublin, but enjoy going to gigs in the United States. I saw Father John Misty was playing here, and decided to go with a friend. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the experience, compared to most gig experiences in the states was phenomenal.
It was an intimate place. No one was rowdy, all had a good time.
The show did start a little late, so arriving about 20 minutes after the doors opened was enough time to get a drink and a relatively good spot up front without waiting. About 45 minutes after doors opened it did start to get packed, however I never felt my space was invaded, which is rare back home. So kudos to that! The list of gigs that go on there is quality. I definitely recommend Whelans for a gig to a music lover in Dublin.

Good place for a cheap drink. They were serving Gin and Tonic (the tonic was a splash) for € 5 which is cheap. It filled up with students around 10.30 so I am guessing word is out! Its a grand spot for a drink and a chat especially if you are younger than 30.

This is an institution for live music in Dublin (25 years now).
Has a few different areas and stages. Defo recommend catching a gig here, because they always have quality musi

Get lost! Dungeon of bars and stages.

It’s Whelans. I never had a bad night in here nor seen a bad gig. I perfected the ‘hold-​up-​dress-​with-​left-​hand-​pushing-​door-​closed-​with-​right-​hand-​whilst-​crouching-​down-​handbag-​between-​chin-​and-​chest’ in their bathrooms but hey, that move came in handy many times on my travels.
It’s Whelans and I love it!

This place is like the twilight zone, if you want to get lost in a pub then this is the place to go. There seems to be new rooms added every time you go. Mad pub. But seriously though, good music good atmosphere. Would recommend :)

Whelans is a mandatory stop for anyone who’s into music in Dublin.
Either for that band you really want to see live or just a casual walk-​in to see what they have going that night, you’ll probably have a good time listening to some interesting music and, maybe, even end up broadening up a bit your musical horizons.
Downstairs/​through the back door is where most gigs go down, there’s a big room with a stage, some seating on one of the sides, a counter and toilets.
From that room you have a door leading to the more normal pub area, that you can access from their main entrance, which looks more traditional and quaint.
Upstairs you have another smaller stage and a more intimate concert room.
It gets very crowded everywhere — with a good mix of people — and the beer choice is a bit limited, but then again, Whelans selling point is not the drinks they serve, is the music they showcase.

25 years old this year — an institution for live music — up and coming bands/​singer-​songwriters — a venue that has kept its old charm yet moved with the times. I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t like this place or hasn’t at least one experience from a crazy night here — perhaps I meet like minded people ;)

Was at a gig here in the small upstairs room.. It held about 120 people I’d guess. Because it is small and very nicely appointed (very much like myself when you think about it), it makes for lovely cosy gigs where you can just sit back and enjoy.
There is a likewise small bar beside the room and while it is not particularly well stocked with palatable beers, it is convenient.
The smoking area in Whelans is a joy, it almost feels like it is indoors, really very civilised!

Whelans does some things really well, however, as far as pubs and venues go it wouldn’t be high up my list.
There are two areas for live music. A small intimate space upstairs, however it is an L shaped room which is far from ideal for the audience. There is a larger space downstairs but is still is small enough to remain fairly intimate. As far as sound goes, I’m not that impressed with the sounds quality, especially in the small upstairs venue.
The bar is fairly typical Dublin bar, however where it comes into it’s own is on lazy weekday evenings when random performers setup and play in the front window. I have accidentally stumbled upon some great and quirky muscians while rambling down Wexford/​Camden street, for me this is what Whelans does best.

Whelan’s is another great Dublin live venue. With Gigs galore all year round. Its quite a small venue so don’t expect to see any massive acts playing there. Its a great place to find new bands/​acts to see without breaking the bank.
I’ve been to several gigs at whelan’s, my favourite being new years eve 2010 when I saw «And So I Watch You From Afar» which was a brilliant night out.
I’ve given Whelan’s 4 stars due to the toilets and bar being a bit below standard.
However the ambience and history of the place (how many films has it been in?) make up for anything like that.
Check out the website to see whose on!

Happened across Whelan’s on the way back to my hotel after a long journey around town.
Big draw was the perfect music pouring out onto the street from the opened windows.
Walked in and kept there by the perfect music from this quartet (I’d put the video on here if Unilocal had that option).
I’ll always stop in here on every Dublin visit.

Le Whelan’s est une institution à Dublin, pour les amateurs de rock et bonne musique. (ce qui se fait rare)
On peut assister à des gigs vraiment sympa (rock, folk), vous pouvez simplement y boire un verre ou dansez à l’arrière du pub.
Atmoshpere décontractée.