Blab Music
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Revive Rare Tracks at Malahide Castle in First European Tour of 2026
Under the moonlit arches of Malahide Castle & Gardens, outside Dublin, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds opened their 2026 European summer tour with a headline show that felt both familiar and freshly unsettling. The historic estate, spread across 267 acres of parkland, hosted a crowd that found itself swept into a sonic journey that mixed recent material with songs that had been absent from live sets for years.
The concert opened with the rousing “Get Ready For Love,” setting a tone of urgency that carried through to “From Her to Eternity” and “Wild God.” A highlight came when the band revived “Train Long‑Suffering,” a track from the 1985 album The Firstborn Is Dead that had not been performed live since 1989. The Bad Seeds also re‑introduced “Nobody’s Baby Now,” a 1994 song that had been omitted from setlists since 2017, and “Hiding All Away” from 2004, which was played for the first time since 2013 before segueing into “White Elephant.”
The encore was a masterclass in nostalgia and reverence. “Stranger Than Kindness,” a 1986 song from Your Funeral… My Trial that the band had not played live since 2015, opened the final section. According to the setlist, Cave introduced the track as “the Bad Seeds song that I really love the most.” It is worth noting that the song was originally written by Blixa Bargeld and Anita Lane, not by Cave himself. The night closed with a cover of The Pogues’ “A Rainy Night In Soho.” Cave had performed the song at Shane MacGowan’s funeral in 2013, and the Bad Seeds had not played it as a band since 1997. The Irish audience responded enthusiastically, a reaction that underscored the band’s ability to blend their own catalog with well‑chosen covers.
The full setlist, as recorded by setlist.fm, comprised 24 songs: 1. Get Ready For Love 2. From Her to Eternity 3. Wild God 4. O Children 5. Train Long‑Suffering 6. City Of Refuge 7. Nobody’s Baby Now 8. Tupelo 9. Carnage 10. Joy 11. Rings Of Saturn 12. Bright Horses 13. Henry Lee 14. The Mercy Seat 15. Red Right Hand 16. Into My Arms 17. Hiding All Away 18. Hollywood 19. Stranger Than Kindness 20. Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry 21. Jubilee Street 22. The Weeping Song 23. Wide Lovely Eyes 24. A Rainy Night in Soho
The setlist also featured several tracks from the band’s 2024 album Wild God, such as “Carnage,” “Joy,” and “Rings Of Saturn.” The inclusion of these newer songs alongside older material illustrates the Bad Seeds’ strategy of balancing recent releases with fan‑favourite classics.
The Malahide performance was part of a larger European run announced in October 2025. According to the band’s official tour page, the Bad Seeds will perform outdoor headline shows and festival appearances across the continent, beginning at Malahide Castle and continuing through Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The schedule also lists dates in Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, with a final stop in London.
The Irish Times reviewed the show, highlighting the band’s “cantankerous old songs, expansive newer ones, deep cuts, anthems, a fully seasoned band with gospel‑style backup singers.” The review noted that the Bad Seeds delivered a “fully seasoned” performance, with the band playing “The Mercy Seat,” “Red Right Hand,” and “Into My Arms” back‑to‑back.
While the setlist was largely composed of songs that have appeared on the Bad Seeds’ discography, the inclusion of rare tracks such as “Train Long‑Suffering” and “Stranger Than Kindness” provided a fresh experience for long‑time fans. The performance also demonstrates the band’s continued relevance in the live music scene, as they continue to tour and release new material.
In sum, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ opening show of their 2026 European tour at Malahide Castle showcased a blend of new and old material, including several songs that had not been performed live for more than a decade. The concert set the tone for a summer of outdoor headline shows and festival appearances across Europe, reaffirming the band’s status as a staple of contemporary rock touring.
The concert opened with the rousing “Get Ready For Love,” setting a tone of urgency that carried through to “From Her to Eternity” and “Wild God.” A highlight came when the band revived “Train Long‑Suffering,” a track from the 1985 album The Firstborn Is Dead that had not been performed live since 1989. The Bad Seeds also re‑introduced “Nobody’s Baby Now,” a 1994 song that had been omitted from setlists since 2017, and “Hiding All Away” from 2004, which was played for the first time since 2013 before segueing into “White Elephant.”
The encore was a masterclass in nostalgia and reverence. “Stranger Than Kindness,” a 1986 song from Your Funeral… My Trial that the band had not played live since 2015, opened the final section. According to the setlist, Cave introduced the track as “the Bad Seeds song that I really love the most.” It is worth noting that the song was originally written by Blixa Bargeld and Anita Lane, not by Cave himself. The night closed with a cover of The Pogues’ “A Rainy Night In Soho.” Cave had performed the song at Shane MacGowan’s funeral in 2013, and the Bad Seeds had not played it as a band since 1997. The Irish audience responded enthusiastically, a reaction that underscored the band’s ability to blend their own catalog with well‑chosen covers.
The full setlist, as recorded by setlist.fm, comprised 24 songs: 1. Get Ready For Love 2. From Her to Eternity 3. Wild God 4. O Children 5. Train Long‑Suffering 6. City Of Refuge 7. Nobody’s Baby Now 8. Tupelo 9. Carnage 10. Joy 11. Rings Of Saturn 12. Bright Horses 13. Henry Lee 14. The Mercy Seat 15. Red Right Hand 16. Into My Arms 17. Hiding All Away 18. Hollywood 19. Stranger Than Kindness 20. Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry 21. Jubilee Street 22. The Weeping Song 23. Wide Lovely Eyes 24. A Rainy Night in Soho
The setlist also featured several tracks from the band’s 2024 album Wild God, such as “Carnage,” “Joy,” and “Rings Of Saturn.” The inclusion of these newer songs alongside older material illustrates the Bad Seeds’ strategy of balancing recent releases with fan‑favourite classics.
The Malahide performance was part of a larger European run announced in October 2025. According to the band’s official tour page, the Bad Seeds will perform outdoor headline shows and festival appearances across the continent, beginning at Malahide Castle and continuing through Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The schedule also lists dates in Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, with a final stop in London.
The Irish Times reviewed the show, highlighting the band’s “cantankerous old songs, expansive newer ones, deep cuts, anthems, a fully seasoned band with gospel‑style backup singers.” The review noted that the Bad Seeds delivered a “fully seasoned” performance, with the band playing “The Mercy Seat,” “Red Right Hand,” and “Into My Arms” back‑to‑back.
While the setlist was largely composed of songs that have appeared on the Bad Seeds’ discography, the inclusion of rare tracks such as “Train Long‑Suffering” and “Stranger Than Kindness” provided a fresh experience for long‑time fans. The performance also demonstrates the band’s continued relevance in the live music scene, as they continue to tour and release new material.
In sum, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ opening show of their 2026 European tour at Malahide Castle showcased a blend of new and old material, including several songs that had not been performed live for more than a decade. The concert set the tone for a summer of outdoor headline shows and festival appearances across Europe, reaffirming the band’s status as a staple of contemporary rock touring.
