Derry's Ebrington Square all set for iconic UB40 performance

The stage is all set for iconic English reggae band UB40 to headline the stage in Ebrington Square.

Followers of the iconic eighties band can expect an evening of timeless hits such as “Red Red Wine”, “Kingston Town” and “I Got You Babe”.

The reggae band, shot to fame in the eighties and have sold millions of records — more than Oasis — and topped the charts on a number of occasions, will showcase their hits for the people of Derry on Friday, May 30.

The current lineup of the band consists of founding members Robin Campbell, Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer, and Norman Lamont Hassan, alongside Matt Doyle, Martin Meredith, Laurence Parry, Ian Thompson, Jahred Gordon, Gilly G, and Matt Campbell.

Organiser of the event Joe Gallagher hopes the UB40 concert is just the start of major acts adding Derry to their list of tour dates.

He said: “UB40 speak for themselves they have had endless hits over the years and so it is an honor to have them in Derry. I have been speaking to the band in the lead up to this weekend and they are excited for the gig.

“They will be releasing a new album next year and will be doing a headline tour throughout Ireland so we are lucky to have got them this summer.

“We really hope this is the start of bigger and better events coming to Derry. This city can warrant at least one major event every year. Ebrington is a great space for that.

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“Years ago we had massive acts like Byran Adams and Oasis come to Derry, it would be amazing to continue that legacy and bring acts of that calibre back to the city.

“We should've kept going at that time and continued to bring headline acts but let’s see if we can gain that momentum back. We specialise in nostalgic music so if I could have anyone here in Derry I would love to see The Corrs or Lionel Richie perform here. So watch this space!”

UB40, plus special guests, Dublin’s Irish rock band Hothouse Flowers and local Derry band The Mindbenders will perform at Ebrington Square on Friday, May 30. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster (scan QR code below to purchase).

The fun in Ebrington will continue on into Saturday, May 31. Derry Dance fans can look forward to performances from well-known Belfast DJ DAIRE along with other dance acts Jezza & Jod, NIFRA, The Rocketman, and Subtrax. Tickets for this event can be purchased from daire.glister.com.