THE days of going to a gig or a festival without worrying about a deadly virus seem like a distant memory.
Thanks to Covid, the way we socialise has changed for many more years to come.
And just when it looked like gigs, concerts and festivals were back on, the Omicron variant has meant many acts have had to cancel or postpone shows.
And while stars like Christy Moore and Dermot Kennedy decided to perform with half the venue’s capacity, others such as Damien Dempsey have decided to hold a virtual performance instead.
Smaller crowd numbers, personal pods, masks, and social distancing are here to stay at gigs — for the time being at least.
But there is still the hope next year’s shows will go ahead as planned. Here NICOLA BARDON looks ahead to some we can expect over the next 12 months.
JANUARY
Rockers WOLF ALICE are at Dublin’s 3Olympia this month, as are THE KOOKS.
Legend CHRISTY MOORE, below, will play at Vicar Street.
And in Kilkenny SHARON SHANNON, FRANCES BLACK and MARY COUGHLAN will share the stage.
Country star MIKE DENVER is touring with dates including in Athlone and Monaghan.
FEBRUARY
TEXAS will get to play their rescheduled shows at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre. The same venue hosts KSI, DENISE CHAILA and TOM ODELL.
AIMEE plays the Academy Green Room and MAVERICK SABRE is at a series of spots.
Fans of ANDY IRVINE and PAUL BRADY can see them at Vicar Street and RONAN KEATING will perform too.
MARCH
COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY returns to the 3Arena for a weekend of cowboy hats in March.
And it will be a different scene at the same Dublin venue a couple of days later for FATBOY SLIM. SAM FENDER and COUNTING CROWS both have shows too.
JASON DONOVAN plays the 3Olympia Theatre, as does KODALINE and DR HOOK.
APRIL
Fans of ED SHEERAN, below, in Cork and Dublin will get to see the Bad Habits singer at Croke Park and Pairc Ui Chaoimh, while DUA LIPA, is coming to the 3Arena.
Rapper STORMZY will be taking to the stage in the 3Arena while it may be the last chance to see LITTLE MIX before they go on the long break they announced this month.
MAY
Fans of ED SHEERAN in Limerick and Belfast get two nights with him. Over at the 3Arena, SHAWN MENDES, ANDRE RIEU, DAVID GREY and BRYAN ADAMS all have shows.
LINDSEY BUCKINHAM plays Dublin’s Helix, and MARINA and CHARLIE XCX will both headline the 3Olympia, while if you fancy a 90s flashback, JOJO is at the Academy.
JUNE
The 3Arena is hosting a number of superstars over June, with CELINE DION and BILLIE EILISH playing. THE SCRIPT, YUNGBLUD and ALANIS MORRISSETTE also have gigs.
In St Anne’s Park, DERMOT KENNEDY, right, LIONEL RICHIE and NOEL GALLAGHER will play.
And THE EAGLES will be taking it easy in the Aviva.
JULY
ALL TOGETHER NOW is taking place in Waterford at the end of the month as the festivals we’ve missed finally return.
The Iveagh Gardens have a number of good gigs, from FONTAINES DC to DAMIEN DEMPSEY and SINEAD O’CONNOR.
WESTLIFE are at the Aviva Stadium for two nights in July and BECK is playing Trinity.
AUGUST
The return of INDIEPENDENCE in Cork is here with FATBOY SLIM, and BASTILLE among the headliners.
WESTLIFE head to Cork, MADNESS play the 3Arena, while IDLEWILD celebrate their 25th anniversary at Dublin’s Button Factory.
THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT play Limerick and DANIEL O’DONNELL is at the INEC in Killarney.
SEPTEMBER
The biggest shows of the month, year and decade will be GARTH BROOKS’ five sold out gigs at Croke Park. The country singer, finally makes it here after his planned 2014 gigs were axed.
It will be a month for music, with the return of ELECTRIC PICNIC after two years away and ASLAN, ANDREA BOCELLI and JAMES TAYLOR are all at the 3Arena too.
OCTOBER
The 3Arena hosts the first Irish gig of the reunited SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA, while BON IVER also play the Dublin venue, as does DON MCLEAN.
MARY BLACK has announced a fully-seated show with her legendary band in the Olympia and Vicar Street.
PILLOW QUEENS are also in Vicar Street as well as at Cork’s Cyprus Avenue.
NOVEMBER
In support of his 31st studio album The Tears of Hercules, ROD STEWART is taking to the 3Arena stage in 2022, as is CAMILE O’SULLIVAN.
JACK LUKEMAN will also be performing there and THE PROCLAIMERS are in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
And PETER HOOK, of Joy Division, will play a date at the 3Olympia Theatre.
DECEMBER
Spreading a little early Christmas cheer in December 2022 will be the HAPPY MONDAYS at Dublin’s Vicar Street.
Meanwhile, 1990s rockers PLACEBO will play 3Arena as will Eighties icons THE CURE fronted by ROBERT SMITH, right.
Finally, THE CORONAS play a set of Christmas shows at the Olympia delayed by a year by Covid.