Live: Em Beihold in Dublin 2026
Don’t even ask me how long I’ve been waiting for this concert! Em performed at The Road to the Great Escape festival in Whelans in mid-May.
I came across Em Beihold a few years ago while doomscrolling through Instagram, where she was promoting her new single Numb Little Bug. The song caught my attention right away because it is catchy and the lyrics are very relatable.
I immediately added it to Spotify and that year this song was in the first place of the songs I listened to the most. Em continued to release more songs, but somehow I didn’t like them. Last year, she released the first single from her debut album Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter. And what can I tell you, I’m obsessed. In my opinion, this is one of the best albums that came out this year.
Of course, Em also went on tour to promote the record, but Dublin was missing from the list of stops (unfortunately a classic). After a few weeks, however, I found out that she would be in Dublin as part of The Road to the Great Escape festival, which is held in Dublin every year. It runs for two days and different artists play their sets in several venues. It is not only Irish artists, but they also appear in the lineup.
Em got a slot on Monday 11th May at Whelan’s. She shared the lineup with two other female artists – Elle Coves and Jessica Baio. They played first and I was in the first row because the night was not sold out. Actually, there weren’t many people there and quite a few left before Em. Which I thought was crazy, but then again I understand that a person came to listen to their fav and then went home. If Em played first, I would probably do the same.
They all played for about half an hour, which was a shame because I was hoping to hear the whole album, but then again, I’m glad I heard anything at all. The setlist consisted mainly of new songs and then a few older ones and I just kept on dancing. Em brought a smaller band with her – a drummer and another on guitar and fiddle! She took turns playing the piano herself.
She also tried to talk between songs and we learned that on the way to the club she took a taxi, the driver listened to her music and recommended her so much that a few people came to the concert unplanned. In addition, Em also told us that she lived in Kilkenny for a few months a year before covid (her mum is a producer and was here for work). It’s just a small world.
However, I am very glad that I went, because there are no concerts waiting for me in the fall and winter. I only have one left to go this year and I don’t have many behind me, and Em was divine live. The album is great and hearing it live so soon after release is always a win. Well, as always – I’ll go again next time.
