Slane opener Jamie McIntyre aiming to take advantage of the biggest stage of his career

Jamie McIntyre is relishing the biggest opportunity of his career this weekend as the Galway singer will open both days of Slane Concert with up to 160,000 people potentially attending the gigs.

The 24-year-old singer will warm up the crowd for headliner Luke Combs, as he is intending on making the most of the opportunity to play at the River Boyne.

McIntryre first started to draw eyes in 2024, with his viral hit ‘Over Galway Town’ amassing over two million views on YouTube. Since then, he has continued to build on his momentum with ‘Melbourne’ and his latest single ‘Off To America’, as he is preparing for a Irish tour from October to December.

2026 has been a major breakthrough year for the singer from the West of Ireland, as he has graduated from strictly doing pub shows to major stages around the UK and Ireland.

McIntyre has been involved in a busy summer so far, acting as the chief support to Cian Ducrot on his Irish tour, as well as being on the bill of Tom Grennan’s Cork show on Thursday (July 9). These shows come alongside a TRNSMT appearance in Glasgow, and an upcoming trip to Stradbally for Electric Picnic, meaning the singer is ready to take on Slane.

Speaking ahead of the Slane Castle show, McIntyre revealed that he had been kept in the dark about negotiations to play the venue for weeks, leading up to a life changing surprise.

“My manager called me and said, ‘Are you sitting down? Are you free on the 18th and 19th July? Because you’re opening for Luke Combs in Slane.’ I just dropped to my knees, I hadn’t a clue it was happening.

“It was in the works between my agents, manager, and Luke Combs’ team for five or six weeks. They didn't tell me because they didn't want to give me false hope… I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. It still hasn’t really sunk in.

“I just can’t get over the fact we’re playing Slane. Not once, but twice.”

Describing the original pitch to play Slane as being a ‘shot in the dark’, McIntryre revealed given the sheer volume of people who would’ve thrown their name in the hat, he felt honoured to be selected.

“The final decision was up to Luke Combs’ team and they picked me; it’s crazy. When you think of all the Irish talent we have, all the names that would’ve been involved. It’s the biggest privilege of my career.”

Although the singer has been able to list dream venues in his head, he told the Meath Chronicle that he had never envisioned Slane, simply because it felt too far from reality.

“It was never on my mind. It was never a thought that I would play Slane because I never thought it would get to that point where we had the opportunity. Slane Castle is the pinnacle of Irish music venues, to say I’ve played there will be incredible.”

Ahead of shows, McIntyre doesn’t tend to look up venues to embrace the feeling of the unknown. However, when it came to Slane Castle, he had to take a look. “I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been non-stop looking at pictures trying to wrap my head around it.”

Slane Castle have never orchestrated the concert bill as being top-heavy, as support acts of the past include the likes of Coldplay, Hozier, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Now that he is able to be put on the same list as such stars, McIntyre reflected on his short but fast-paced journey.

“This time last year, if you told me I would be playing two nights at Slane Castle, amongst all these superstars, I’d probably be laughing at you. I’m just a fella from the West of Ireland, but the story is amazing.

“I was only playing in pubs 10 months ago or nine months ago, and I decided to take the leap and start doing my own shows, and it’s gone on smoothly so far. Playing Slane is something I’ll tell my grandkids.”

Although being the opening act of a day-long festival can be tough for artists, McIntyre said that his supporting performances this year have acted as great preparation, and reassurance that he will have some fans in attendance have boosted his confidence.

“We’re learning how to open for big artists with Cian Ducrot, and I’ve already had so many messages from people who are going, so there’ll be people singing my songs back to me.”

As well as it being a feather in his cap, the budding star is eager to take advantage of the situation. “It’s a great opportunity. There’s going to be 160,000 people, if we can turn 5,000 of them into fans, we’d be happy with that. I want people to go home and think, ‘I really enjoyed Jamie McIntyre’s session’.”

For those who are planning on a later entry, the Galway man had a rallying call to get people down early to see him perform.

“Get yourselves down, enjoy the whole day. It’s not often you see an up-and-coming Irish artist supporting a global superstar, so get down and give me some support. You might end up enjoying my music, or even at one of my shows toward the end of the year.”