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05th Jul 2014

Concert promoter Peter Aiken: Garth Brooks won’t back down on Croke Park issue

The singer remains adamant that he will play 'five or no shows' at the end of the month.

Tony Cuddihy

The singer remains adamant that he will play ‘five or no shows’ at the end of the month.

Concert promoter Peter Aiken says that Garth Brooks will not back down from his threat to pull out of all his Croke Park appearances if two of his shows remain cancelled.

Dublin City Council announced earlier this week that Brooks’ shows on July 28th and 29th could not go ahead due to planning issues.

Brooks immediately came out and said he would either do the five shows originally planned or none at all, with Aiken stating on RTÉ this morning that moving the gigs to the Phoenix Park is not an option at such short notice.

“The show that he wanted to put on was going to be a spectacular show,” said Aiken.

“Garth Brooks is the type of guy that if he was only going to do three shows it would be a huge anticlimax for him”

Aiken was then asked if Brooks would back down and only perform three times at the venue: “No I don’t think so. Garth has made it clear that it’s five or none, and I don’t think he’ll back down.

“Of course I would like him to do the three shows. He wants five.”

On the possibility of moving the shows to the Phoenix Park, Aiken was clear.

“There’s no where else to do it. There’s no other place for the show. It takes 10 weeks for us to get the licence for it.

“Garth Brooks says that Croke Park is the best stadium he was ever in and when he heard that it had been renovated he knew this was the place he wanted to go to.

“The graphics for the show are designed for Croke Park and there is no other venue in the country that will be able to host the occasion.”

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