The Shamrocks

The Shamrocks bring their debut UK tour to Symphony Hall on Saturday 17 October, one of the first dates of their first run of shows across the country. They're a five-piece cross-community harmony and multi-instrumental group from Northern Ireland, formed in 2018, and they've built a reputation for bringing a traditional Irish pub atmosphere to the concert hall. The set is built around the songs you'll recognise from any good session: they reimagine classics like Danny Boy, Wild Rover and Whiskey In The Jar, and play them alongside their own original compositions.

There's a family thread running through the line-up. The group brings together brothers Jack and Raymond Walsh, brothers Jimmy and Nathan Johnston, and Matthew Campbell, and they're billed as 'one of Northern Ireland's greatest ever exports'. They've played a fair few stages on their way over here, from the Sydney Opera House to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and they played a sold-out West End debut at the Adelphi Theatre. They also headlined the BBC's St Patrick's Day coverage with a concert recorded at Belfast's Ulster Hall, which aired across the US and won two regional Emmy Awards, including Best Entertainment Programme. On top of that, they performed to 10 million people on America's Today show, live from New York's Times Square.

It's a night of Irish pub music, then, but on a larger scale than the pubs it comes from. The set runs from 7.30pm to 9.45pm, and tickets are £24 to £39.