GUINNESS 250

ARTHURS DAY

Everyone knows Guinness owns St Patrick's Day. To mark the celebrations of 250 years of the black stuff being brewed in St James Gate it needed its own day, its own moment. A second unmissable date, in the heart of the summer.

The answer was Arthur’s Day (“Our Thursday”): a global, music‑led celebration on 24 September, the birthday of the brewery’s founder Arthur Guinness.

Instead of buying into big festivals, the idea was simple: bring world‑class artists back to Guinness’s spiritual home — pubs and independent venues across Ireland and beyond. Tickets cost €17.59 (the founding year), with proceeds going to the Guinness Foundation. The twist? Audiences wouldn’t know which act they’d see until they stepped on stage.

At 17:59, celebrations began at the Guinness Storehouse, transformed into a live venue, media hub and broadcast centre, before rippling across Ireland and the world. Artists including Tom Jones, Kasabian, Estelle, Dizzee Rascal, The Kooks and Calvin Harris played intimate pub gigs, while acts such as The Black Eyed Peas headlined satellite events internationally.

The night generated huge global coverage, including a Sky TV broadcast, and an estimated 2.3 million people across 40 countries raised a glass “To Arthur”. The highlight? For one glorious week, Ireland debated whether Arthur’s Day should become a bank holiday.

Year two added more venues, more cities and artists including Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini, Biffy Clyro, Brandon Flowers and Westlife.

Across four years, the roll call grew to include Mumford & Sons, Fatboy Slim, Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics, Ed Sheeran and Bobby Womack.

Not bad for a Thursday!