Led by the magnetic Grian Chatten, Fontaines D.C. have become a vanguard voice in contemporary rock and counter-culture. Formed in Dublin, the quintet channel the grit, soul, and poetry of their hometown a style that’s raw, immersive, and unapologetically their own.
Having just released their fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, Fontaines have much musical wind in their sails. With hype and mainstream popularity at an all-time high, Rockhal's announcement that they are to play at Open Air Belval 2027 on 13 June, 2027, might well make them a highlight of next year's cultural calendar.
The Grammy-nominated Brit Award winners have enjoyed a steady rise to stardom since the release of their debut LP, Dogrel, in 2019. From the rugged post-punk energy on this first record, their sound has gradually adopted smoother, airier, more haunting soundscapes.
And whilst Fontaines D.C. certainly retain that rock-informed core, their 2024 album Romance solidified this new direction succinctly – and allowed the band to cross from the indie sphere into the mainstream musical zeitgeist. Fontaines, frankly, where everywhere in 2024 and 2025, with tracks like Starburster and Favourite soundtracking the popular counter-culture of the mid-2020s.
Fans were thus eager to hear their fifth studio LP, Dopamine Chamber. Ahead of its release on 16 October, 2026, RTL Today Radio listeners heard the three leading singles, Marianne, Tongue, and Where is Gone – and have gotten to hear many more choice selections from the record since.
RTL Today Radio was also invited to Rockhal's press breakfast on 19 October, where the line-up for Open Air Belval 2027 was announced. Including names like Sting, Angèle, and die Fantastischen Vier, prospective guests already had reason to be excited.
Listen back to this episode of the Song 2 podcast, in which Stephen Steps Lowe analyses Fontaines D.C.'s Starburster to determine whether the second song on this (or any) album is the most important.
But members of the press were also told of a secret, fourth act, that could not be divulged until Monday, 26 October.
The cat is out of the proverbial bag now: Fontaines D.C., soundtrackers to the tumult of the 2020s and one of the world's most hyped rock bands, will be playing at Belval Open Air 2027 on Sunday, 13 June.
The exclusive presale begins on Thursday, 29 October at 11:00am, which can be signed up for with an email address.
