Tom Jones brings a voice that connects generations
Tom Jones is coming to Palmerstown House Estate in Johnstown, in Ireland's County Kildare, with a concert that brings together more than six decades of his career in a single summer evening. The gates open at 18:00, and the venue is designed as an outdoor event beneath a large covered marquee on a grass surface. This means the audience gets the atmosphere of a summer concert on an estate, while the main concert area is also protected from the rain.
For many people, the main reason for attending will be songs such as "It's Not Unusual", "Delilah", "Green, Green Grass of Home", "What's New Pussycat?", "Kiss" and "Sexbomb". However, for years Tom Jones has not performed as an artist who merely repeats old arrangements. His recent concerts feature a programme in which major hits meet blues, soul, country, gospel, rock and carefully selected covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Terry Callier, Cat Stevens and other songwriters.
That breadth is precisely the key to understanding the concert at Palmerstown House Estate. The audience can expect familiar choruses, but also a deeper, quieter part of the evening in which the voice, lyrics and interpretation take the leading role. Ticket sales for this event are currently under way.
A career that has not remained trapped in the past
Tom Jones became internationally recognised in the mid-1960s, when his powerful baritone found a place in pop, soul and rhythm and blues. His style has never belonged to only one genre. The same concert catalogue includes dramatic ballads, dance-pop, gospel, country, funk and songs shaped like classic soul performances.
This diversity explains why his concerts attract audiences from different generations. Long-time fans attend because of songs that have been present on radio and television for decades, while younger listeners often know him through "Kiss", "Sexbomb", television appearances or more recent albums. Admirers of vocal interpretation get a singer who transforms familiar lyrics into a personal story.
His latest studio album, "Surrounded By Time", was released in 2021 and introduced a new phase of his career. The album reached number one on the UK chart, and Jones became the oldest male artist to top it with an album of new material. Songs such as "I Won't Crumble with You If You Fall" and "Talking Reality Television Blues" demonstrate why today's performances are not merely retrospective. They address themes of time, loss, endurance and perspectives on the contemporary world.
The hits remain important, but the arrangements change
Recent performances confirm that Tom Jones does not treat his best-known songs as museum exhibits. At a concert in Madrid in late July 2026, reviewers particularly highlighted his ability to move from country and rhythm and blues into funk, gospel and psychedelic rock. Familiar hits received different instrumental colours, including accordion and Hammond organ.
This does not mean that the same details will be repeated in Johnstown. The set list, song order and arrangements for this performance have not been announced in advance. Nevertheless, recent practice provides a useful framework for expectations: recognisable choruses, several quiet and introspective moments, a powerful backing band and interpretations that do not rely solely on nostalgia.
At concerts during 2025, he often opened with "I'm Growing Old", followed by songs such as Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" and Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet". Later in the evening, "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat?", "Sexbomb", "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "Kiss" raised the energy. This is not a confirmed list for Palmerstown House Estate, but an example of how he has structured the dramatic progression of performances on recent tours.
- The opening often emphasises the voice, lyrics and themes of time.
- The middle section connects soul, blues, country and carefully selected covers.
- The major hits appear in arrangements that leave room for the audience to sing.
- The finales of recent performances have combined emotional ballads, funk and gospel energy.
What kind of experience the audience can expect
Tom Jones does not try to portray a performer from 1965 when he takes the stage. His current strength lies in the colour of his voice, precise phrasing and sense of timing. Recent reviews often mention humour between songs, short stories from his career and direct communication with the audience. The concert can therefore feel intimate and expansive at the same time: intimate when only the voice and quieter accompaniment remain, and expansive when several thousand people take over a chorus that has been familiar for decades.
This is particularly appealing to audiences who appreciate performers with extensive catalogues but do not want a concert made up solely of identical reproductions of studio recordings. Jones changes the emphasis, slows down certain songs and allows the band to bring them closer to blues, soul or gospel. His live repertoire functions as a cross-section of his career, but also as a reflection on the years that have passed.
For long-time fans, the strongest moments will probably be the communal singing and the recognition of the opening notes of major singles. For the wider audience, the fact that the concert is not narrowly confined to one genre may be more important. Soul and blues enthusiasts will hear a deep, distinctive voice; pop fans will hear songs that have remained part of popular culture; and singer-songwriter fans will hear interpretations of Cohen, Dylan and other writers.
It is worth securing tickets in good time, especially for visitors who are travelling and need to coordinate transport and accommodation in advance.
Palmerstown House Estate as a summer concert venue
Palmerstown House Estate is located in the green surroundings of County Kildare, near Johnstown and Kill, along the N7 road. The estate includes a historic residence, gardens, a golf course and spaces for large gatherings. The organisers describe the concert as Tom Jones's return to Ireland and a performance in surroundings approximately a 20-minute drive from central Dublin, depending on traffic.
For this event, the specific layout of the venue is particularly important. The FAQ states that this is an outdoor event held in a large marquee erected on grass. The main arena will be covered, but the route from the car park, the bars and the toilets will not be under cover. Visitors should therefore choose footwear suitable for grass and potentially wet ground, rather than considering only clothing appropriate for a concert.
The covered concert area may create a more concentrated atmosphere than a completely open field. The audience is protected above the main area, while the surrounding estate retains the character of a summer event. The capacity and final zoning arrangement for Tom Jones have not been publicly specified, so it would not be justified to claim in advance how close the audience will be to the stage. It is known, however, that the event is planned as a standing concert.
The estate also has a Walled Garden, a level space surrounded by walls that the venue describes as having amphitheatre-like acoustic characteristics and a capacity of up to 5,000 people. It has not been announced that the concert will take place there specifically, so this is merely context about the venue rather than a confirmed plan.
An important date in the summer tour schedule
The County Kildare performance is positioned within a busy European summer run. According to the tour schedule, Tom Jones will perform at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London several days earlier, while concerts at Custom House Square in Belfast and Chester Racecourse will follow Palmerstown House Estate. Johnstown is therefore an Irish stop between major British dates, rather than an isolated performance without a broader touring context.
The programme follows a series of European stages in Italy, Spain, Austria and the United Kingdom, so the audience can expect a well-rehearsed band and a repertoire developed over the course of the summer tour. Details may nevertheless change from one city to another.
On the event page, the label "& Guests" appears beside the name Tom Jones, but the names of the guests or supporting acts have not been announced. Visitors should therefore not count on particular performers until the organisers publish a specific line-up. The same applies to the exact stage time of the main artist, the duration of the performance, intervals and any production effects.
Arrival, parking and movement around the venue
For visitors from other parts of Ireland or from abroad, the most important consideration is not to treat Palmerstown House Estate like a venue in a city centre. The location is outside Dublin, and the end of the concert may create heavier traffic at the exits from the estate and towards the N7. Return transport should be arranged in advance, particularly when planning to use a taxi or organised transport.
According to the currently published FAQ, visitor parking will be available on the estate free of charge and without advance booking. Even so, arriving earlier reduces pressure at the entrance and allows time to walk from the car park to the concert area. Information about special buses and coach transport has been announced for publication at a later date.
- The gates open at 18:00.
- The main concert area is covered, but the access routes, bars and toilets are not.
- The event is standing, and personal folding chairs are not permitted.
- A limited number of seats will be available in the food and hospitality area, without a direct view of the stage.
- There is no cloakroom, storage lockers or cash machine at the venue.
- Sales points and bars will accept card payments.
- For accessible parking and other requirements, the event organisers must be contacted in advance.
Visitors with accessible tickets should monitor messages sent to the address used for the purchase. According to the FAQ, information about priority access to accessible parking is sent approximately two weeks before the event. People who have a standard ticket but require an accessible parking space must submit a request no later than three days before the concert. The number of such spaces is limited.
Preparing for a standing concert on grass
The most practical choice is layered clothing, closed footwear with good soles and lightweight rain protection that does not obstruct other visitors. Although the arena is covered, part of the evening will be spent outside it: on the route from the car or other transport, while purchasing food and drinks and when using the toilets. After sunset, the outdoor temperature may be noticeably lower than it was upon arrival.
Since there is no cloakroom or storage lockers, visitors will carry everything they bring with them throughout the evening. Folding chairs and other personal seating are not permitted. This is important for people who find prolonged standing difficult: before purchasing a ticket or arriving, they should check the available accessible options, because the standard area cannot be regarded as a seated concert.
It is advisable to arrive with a fully charged phone and with the information required for entry saved in advance. There is no cash machine at the venue, although card payments will be available at sales points and bars. Age rules differ between events, and the organiser does not recommend large outdoor events for children under the age of five. Every person entering requires their own ticket.
A musical evening for fans of soul, pop and great interpretations
The concert at Palmerstown House Estate will appeal most to those who want to hear familiar songs performed by the voice that made them recognisable, as well as those who follow the later, more serious phase of Tom Jones's career. "Surrounded By Time" demonstrated that his artistic relevance does not depend solely on hits from the 1960s and 1970s. Recent tours have further reinforced that direction through a combination of his own catalogue and covers that address time, transience, resilience and life experience.
Palmerstown House Estate adds a different setting from that of a traditional arena. Those who arrive early, choose suitable footwear and arrange their return journey in advance can focus on the voice, the band and songs that cross the boundaries of pop, soul, blues and country.
Sources:
- Live at Palmerstown House - concert date, gate opening, event description, parking, standing format, covered arena, accessibility and venue rules
- Tom Jones - artist biography, tour schedule, best-known songs, the album "Surrounded By Time" and reports from recent performances
- Palmerstown House Estate - location of the estate, facilities, Walled Garden, capacity of that space and description of its acoustic characteristics
- LOS40 - report from the Madrid concert during the "Come Gather Round" tour and description of recent arrangements and stylistic range