Morgana at The Academy Dublin on Thursday 9th October 2026

One of Belfast’s most exciting up and coming singers Morgana entranced the crowd last Thursday night as she and her band took the stage at The Academy on Abbey Street. From the minute she started the show, you could feel the anticipation of the singer reaching this milestone only a couple of years into her post-Saint Sister project.

Dublin’s Last Apollo opened the night with her powerful vocals showcasing her own explosive artistry on stage. Between her and the piano, she sang a set of mainly sad songs with the emotion expertly executed and primed to pull in the attention of the slowly filling room. With “one happy song for six sad ones” Last Apollo lifted the mood with a more upbeat song, raising the level of giddiness by a couple degrees and with her exit the anticipation coiled into the room like a fog.

As we were all eagerly watching the stage, Morgana was one step ahead of us. Spotlight shining, she launched into the evening at full speed, unexpectedly singing from the balcony like a siren calling from a rock far off on the horizon. And just like that, we were at the disco, though whether the night would end in tears had yet to be decided.

Morgana emerged in a long sleeve red dress, with matching nails, looking every part of the iconic pop sensation in the making that she is. Each member of the band also had some accent of red, the coordination was a nice touch along with an oddly glowing red orb in the back of the stage, it gave the evening a sense of grander things to come on bigger stages, while the music was performed expertly. Morgana’s voice is absolutely stunning, and the fact that she is able to show off her more classically trained voice while making sad, disco-heavy bangers like Party Killer and Power Cuts – completely unironically – is one of the reasons she is not to be missed.

After a bit of a false start with I’ll Cry When I’m Dead, Morgana proclaimed they had to do better justice to the first song she released under this moniker, and from there she and her band really showed what they can do. It’s hard to balance fun and musicality, as sometimes the balance leans too far in one way but not with Morgana – she is spellbinding and makes every moment of the concert feel like you’re witnessing a special moment in time.

Hearing these songs just off the streets that inspired so many of them does add an extra layer of appreciation, so when Morgana and band perform one about being priced out of crying in the streets of Dublin, it hits a little closer to the heart than it may do elsewhere.

Although the staging was simple; a mirrorball helmet and a glowing red orb used to good effect can certainly elevate a concert. Morgana took us to space wearing a reflective helmet in the middle of the crowd, showing that it doesn’t take a million euro budget to put on a great show – just creativity and talent. Finally, the night ended raucously with the crowd screaming along to I’m Not Going Anywhere whilst throwing around 20 light-up beach balls.

Once the evening came to an end and the electricity in the room started to dissipate, there was no question that we’d had an evening to remember with a legendary artist. If you ever get the chance to see Morgana, take it, it’s a decision you won’t regret.