My Warrior's Dance experience in Dublin

I remember it was around November of 2025, when the boys announced that the Warriors Dance Festival would be returning in the summertime of 2026, with four dates across the UK and Ireland. So i instantly booked the first date, in Dublin - a city that I've never visited before.

First of all, hats off to the lovely and incredibly welcoming Dubliners, the excellent food (Irish stew is top of the list), the pints (Guinness for the win), and the natural beauties of the city (e.g. St. Anne's Park). Dubliners are so genuine and willing to help even though you haven't even asked for it. I was so impressed! Coming from Athens with temperatures of around 36°C, straight to Dublin's 15–17°C during the day was quite a big swap - but it all went well. 

This trip offered more than meets the eye. While meeting many wonderful Dubliners, I also had the pleasure of finally meeting in person Mike Mannix, the founder and editor-in-chief of Iconic Underground Magazine, where I’ve been an author since 2019.

Dublin's Warrior's Dance Festival.

Regarding this year's Warrior's Dance Festival, it's the fourth edition, following the ones in Tokyo 2009, Milton Keynes in 2010 and Belgrade 2012. This year though is about to be split in four different venues across UK and Ireland, as aforementioned.

On the Dublin's event held at IMMA (Irish Museum Of Modern Art), there was one main stage, hosting a lineup that included Arvenee (remember his "Thunder remix"?) reggae and dub legend David Rodigan, Carl Cox and, of course, The Prodigy.

One thing I noticed before the event was the strict timetable. Everything had to finish by 22:30, in order to comply with local noise regulations and outdoor event licensing conditions, as well as to minimise late-night disruption for residents in the surrounding Kilmainham area. 

What suprised me was the fact like an hour after the gig ended, heading to the centre I could hardly find anything to eat. Coming from Greece, where finding food late at night or heading to a pub after a gig is practically part of the experience, this felt rather unusual to me.

But, let's get into the first stop of Warrior's Dance.

Just for the record this was only the second Warrior's Dance event I've attended, following the 2012 edition in Belgrade. I arrived in time to catch Carl Cox, having missed David Rodigan and Arvenee. Coxy delivered exactly what you'd expect, dropping some oldskool rave classics,  almost like a mini lecture for the younger crowd standing in front of him, while also mixing in some newer D&B and jungle killers. It was a great way to build anticipation for what was still to come.

Around half an hour before The Prodigy were due to hit the stage, I was already staring at the setup. The stage looked incredible, dressed with those two huge Guns, the Warrior's Dance visuals and all the other familiar elements of the band's aesthetic.

Then the clock turned 21:00.

Drinks in hand and the anticipation reached its peak and “Omen” kicked things off nice and easy! "Voodoo People" came up next and the youngsters in front of me set a frenzy moshpit, followed by “Need Some1”. The place went absolutely mental. So, I jumped straight in.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, came the first melodies of “Wind It Up”. The oldskool heads knew exactly what was coming. Maxim screamed, “This one's brand new to you… wait for it!” and then chapter 2 dropped. I think it sounded like "Rewound". Last time we heard "Wind It Up" live was in 2009.

The flame was already set up propa. Right after, the boys paid their well-known tribute to the late Keith Flint with “Firestarter”, accompanied by the laser show projecting Keith's Firestarter outline across the stage. In the meatime, Maxim stood completely still and upright with his hands behind his back to pay his own tribute to his late friend. The classic banger closed with Andy C's remix, that can be found on the 30th anniversary 12" vinyl of "Firestarter". It was a sacred memorial this live play.

But one of the biggest surprises for me and most of the oldskool crowd was “3 Kilos” - a tune that last time was played out live in 1994 and it's one of a few downtempo moments from the "Music for the Jilted Generation" era. There is something wonderfully euphoric about the beginning of that track before it takes you into the heavy, narcotic atmosphere of the album's concluding trilogy, "The Narcotic Suite."

 

Then “No Good (Start the Dance)” kicked in, followed by those unmistakable breakbeats of “Break & Enter”. Damn, that combination is badass for the oldskool souls! "No Good" was one of the tracks that introduced me to The Prodigy's sound 31 years ago, and it remains deeply embedded in me. Needless to say, I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Right after that, came “Roadblox”, although one thing left me slightly puzzled. Suddenly it felt as if Maxim had disappeared from the stage, and the track was performed almost entirely as an instrumental.

But then...

"Are you still with us? On this cold fookin night, music keeps us fookin hot. Bassline keeps us fookin sweat!" - Maxim

“Get Your Fight On!”, “Their Law” and “Smack My Bitch Up” brought the first main part of the performance to an explosive conclusion.

Then came the encore. They returned with “Breathe”, which I think is almost the perfect encore. It's a certified classic, and one of those tracks capable of uniting different generations of Prodigy listeners  - in the words of Maxim said: "we're all one here, all under the same Prodigy roof."

And then, of course, “Warriors Dance” kicked in. Because that's what this whole thing was about. "Out Of Space" dropped in and the whole venue were singing along the Max Romeo lyrics.

Afterwards, Maxim told the crowd something along the lines of: “You know Liam wants one more. This hit's gonna kill you all. All the weak stay at the back and all the hardcore come to the front!” Challenge accepted and “Comanche”, from the Invaders Must Die era, was the final smasher of the night.

And what a night it was!

All in all, there is a certain magic attending to a Prodigy gig. That's exactly what I was saying afterwards to friends living everywhere from Italy to the US: everyone should get at least one Prodigy dose a year. It's pure energy, and somehow, you feel better afterwards.

After the gig my friend and I ended up walking all the way towards Temple Bar, still wearing those huge smiles on our faces, replaying the night in our heads and discussing what we'd just witnessed.

What was impressive was the fact that even the weather was by our side all night. I mean it wasn't bocketing at all. Despite temperatures dropping to around 9°C that night, with plenty of humidity, after coming from a 36°C Athens, that was quite an achievement.

If I had one criticism, though, it would be the presentation of the Warrior's Dance concept itself. I wish there had been more of those huge Warrior's Dance flags, banners and visual elements at the venue and around the city centre (like many bus shelter WD ads I saw in the last one on Belgrade). For an event carrying the Warrior's Dance name, I sometimes felt that it looked more like “IMMA presents The Prodigy” than The Prodigy presenting their own Warrior's Dance festival.

The merchandise selection was fine, although nothing particularly blew me away. I did end up grabbing a white Warrior's Dance T-shirt because I really liked the design. Personally, though, I would have preferred to see a few more options that weren't dominated by black color. But again, this is my personal point of view and just minor to how I enjoyed the whole thing in overall.

The important thing is that, once the lights went down and The Prodigy stepped onto that stage, none of it mattered.

In the end, the ant warriors of different ages have been there and Dublin got its right dose to keep warm for the rest of the night.

 
 Setlist - Warrior's Dance Festival @ IMMA, Dublin (20th August 2026) 

Omen
Voodoo People
Poison
Need Some1

Light Up The Sky
Wind It Up
Firestarter
Invaders Must Die
3 Kilos
No Good (Start The Dance)
Roadblox
Get Your Fight On
Their Law
Smack My Bitch Up

Encore:
Breathe
Take Me To The Hospital
Warrior’s Dance
Out Of Space
Comanche