'Queuing disaster' fails to spoil Springsteen's Croke Park party

However, once the show kicked off about 15 minutes behind schedule, Springsteen, 74, rolled up his sleeves and rolled back the years yet again with an incredible three hour-plus show packed with hit after hit from across his remarkable career.

Having played sell-out concerts to some 200,000 people in Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork, and Dublin since May 9, last night’s gig — the veteran US rocker’s 35th Irish concert over the last 39 years — means he has sold an incredible 1.2m concert tickets here over the last four decades.

The Boss and the E Street Band opened last night’s show with ‘Lonesome Day’, and followed it with classics such as ‘Hungry Heart’, ‘The River’, and Patti Smith’s ‘Because the Night’, while he delighted fans with a tour debut of ‘Reason to Believe’.

As the sun set above the capital, Springsteen maintained his energy, enthusiasm and trademark connection with the fans, reading out messages displayed on banners in the crowd and playing requests.

Earlier though, dozens of fans took to social media to complain about “crazy crowd controls” on the red route approach to the stadium — which led to hour-long queues.

People inside the stadium, who had a view outside, posted video clips on social media showing hundreds of fans still streaming through the gates into the ground 10-minutes after Springsteen took to the stage just before 7.15pm with the pitch half empty.

One described unprecedented scenes not seen at any previous match or concert at the stadium, and said the queue stretched the whole way along Clonliffe Avenue to Drumcondra.

Another complained that all Cusack Stand and pitch ticket holders had been funnelled down Foster’s Terrace, and that it took 45 minutes to get off the street into the laneway, and another 45 minutes just to gain entry to the stadium.

Some fans complained about missing out on ‘pit bands’, which give you access to the special pit area just in front of the stage. Springsteen was seven songs in before the pitch looked full.

Aiken Promotions has not provided a response at the time of publication.

It is understood that all involved in staging the concert will attend a debriefing over the next 24-48 hours to identify the issues which contributed to the queueing issues.

Similar queuing issues occurred before the first of Garth Brooks’ string of gigs at the stadium in September 2022.

While some fans were concerned that last night’s gig might be Springsteen’s last ever Irish concert, it is understood that he has assured fans he’ll be back.

Fans can also look forward to the screening later this year of a documentary on life backstage with Springsteen and the E Street Band, which will include exclusive footage from the Irish leg of the tour, as well as rehearsals footage from January 2023, archival footage, and  interviews with band members and Springsteen.

The documentary, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, promises to open a new door to Springsteen’s creative process for fans around the world, and will share fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage.

Directed by Thom Zimny, a frequent Springsteen collaborator, the documentary is due to debut on Hulu and Disney+ in October.

The Boss departs Ireland for Britain on Monday ahead of the next concert of his European tour in Sunderland on Wednesday.

He then heads to France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway before jetting back to his homeland for North American gigs between August and November, during which time he will turn 75.