Duran Duran Live at Malahide Castle 2025: Full Setlist, Review, Videos & Fan Experience

From graveyards to menacing cloud cover, the June 30th Malahide show had it all, except Invisible, but hey, there was beer, merch, and John Taylor’s bassline, so we forgive them.

You haven’t truly lived as a Duranie until you’ve seen them perform “Secret Oktober” in the shadow of an actual Irish castle. On June 30, our synth-lords from Birmingham — Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor — descended upon Malahide Castle just outside Dublin and delivered a thunderous, rain-kissed show that managed to be both ethereal and euphoric. Basically: the most Duran Duran thing ever.

I fled America’s constitutional dumpster fire and crossed an ocean for this, my 16th Duran show (17th if you count the Power Station, which, really – you shouldn’t).

No regrets. The Irish welcomed us with open arms and better beer, and honestly? I’d defect for less. The local fans came fully loaded with pent-up Duranie energy (fair, it’s been a couple of years since the Durans last performed in Ireland). They were decked out in Duran tees from every era, plus bonus Juicy Couture sightings (a nod to Gela, queen of Y2K). Duranies are nothing if not devoted — and slightly feral when it comes to barrier spots.

Pro tip: hold your bladder and do not lose your spot for a bathroom break. These are the rules.

Watching this international audience pour through the ancient castle gates, past an old cemetery (👻 shoutout to Nick Rhodes, Patron Saint of the Macabre) to stand before their Paper Gods, it felt like exactly the kind of dramatic setting this band deserves.

Malahide Castle: A Venue Fit for the Kings of Pop Music

Built in the 12th century and family-owned for 800 years, the fairtytale-like Malahide Castle has survived battles, betrayals, and beheadings, which makes it the perfect backdrop for a band that’s endured every musical era while still commanding the stage like monarchs come to claim what’s rightfully theirs: our money, our devotion, and probably our souls.

Honestly? Love that for us. The castle grounds were lush and sprawling, and the beer lines were faster than light, and the fans were adoring in that warm and slightly mischievous way that only the Irish can deliver.

We came for the band, but the castle setting fully delivered the fantasy.

Also? Merch was cheaper. (I finally got the long sleeve tee without having to sell one of the kids.)

And the Punk Masters shirts we were wearing? They got nods from fellow hardcore Duranies who understood the assignment.

Secret Oktober? In This Economy?

Let’s talk about the setlist opener because the band really said, “No foreplay, just deep track penetration.”

Backlit and silhouetted, all four members emerged in dramatic fashion and launched into “Secret Oktober” — a track that lives rent-free in the hearts of us Real Ones™. It’s mysterious, it’s moody, and it was the perfect tease that tickled the OG fans, myself included. It brought Duranies to their feet, while everyone else remained seated and opened the Shazam app.

🎥 Watch: Duran Duran’s epic entrance at the Malahide show:

Wise or Naked in Secret Oktober?

For the uninitiated (ahem, casuals): “Secret Oktober” was originally a B-side to “Union of the Snake,” way back in the olden times of 1983, and over the years, it’s grown into a fan favorite. It’s a slow-burn kind of song that feels like a whispered secret. Playing it as the opener? That’s a cheeky gift to us old-timers. Thanks, guys!

🎥 Watch: Duran Duran Perform ‘Secret Oktober’ Live in Ireland

The Show: Duran Duran Giveth… and Taketh Away

From there, we got hit after hit. “The Wild Boys.” “Hungry Like the Wolf.” “A View to a Kill.”

Simon’s voice? Crisp. Strong. No water-spitting. (We’ve evolved!)

John Taylor? Serving his usual tall-drink-of-bass energy.

Nick? Casually bringing back shoulder pads from behind the keys.

Roger? Tighter than the Malahide noise ordinance, which yes, probably explains the slightly shorter setlist.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room (and we don’t mean the one from Sri Lanka that gave the band dysentery): They kept “Psycho Killer” (which they played as a mix with “Girls on Film”), and cut “Invisible.” We… have questions. We also have opinions. But we’re choosing inner peace and outer bops.

When you get a chance fellas, read our picks for the top 12 Duran songs we’d like to hear at the next show…

Openers, Legends, and One Epic Crowd

JC Stewart kicked things off with an impressive set (he’s the guy who went viral after Jennifer Aniston reposted his Friends parody). He was followed by the eternally chic Nile Rodgers & Chic, who basically turned the castle grounds into Studio 54: Ireland Edition. Nile introduced hit after hit like it was no big deal: “This one’s by Bowie. This one was sung by Madonna. This one helped invent disco.” Casual.

Save a Prayer (and an Umbrella)

During “Save a Prayer”, Simon stepped back, letting the crowd sing, just taking it all in like the real Greatest Showman that he is. Thousands of voices swelled through the castle grounds, a choir of Duranies singing their teenage hearts out in adult bodies. And maybe the sky approved, because the rain held off like it didn’t dare interrupt.

THIS is the greatest show.

🎥 Watch: Duran Duran Perform ‘Save a Prayer’ Live in Ireland as the crowd sings along

And let’s talk about “Evil Woman,” because Duran Duran ate.

Their cover of the Electric Light Orchestra classic was one of the night’s unexpected highlights. They didn’t just play it, they vibed it up. With Nick adding his signature wizardry and John sliding in with that effortlessly slick bassline, it felt less like a cover and more like a resurrection. ELO’s original, released in 1975, is classic banger of strings-meets-sass, but Duran managed to inject it with fresh attitude, a little edge, and a whole lot of typical Simon Le Bon strut.

Honestly? Jeff Lynne might owe them a thank-you card.

In other words, Duran Duran didn’t just play a gig. They threw a huge party on the grounds of a medieval fortress, surrounded by gravestones and Guinness. It was weird and wonderful. We danced. We sang. We howled. We drank Duran-themed cocktails.

We left damp, euphoric, and slightly feral. Just how they like us.

Hot Tip: If you ever see a show at Malahide, eat before the concert. Trust us. Because once the music ends and the crowd disperses, every restaurant in town turns into a ghost kitchen. Your only option? Ireland’s answer to Five Guys, but with more fish and chips.

Where’s Duran Duran headed next?

July 9, 2025: Starlite Festial Marbella Spain

July 12, 2025: Forte Arena Pula Sardinia

October 21, 2025: Zenith Paris La Villette

October 26, 2025: Motorpoint Arena Nottingham UK

October 31, 2025: Halloween at Co-Op Live Manchester UK

Learn more here

Looking for the full setlist from Duran Duran’s Malahide Castle show? We’ve got!

🎶 Duran Duran Full Setlist – Malahide Castle, June 30, 2025:

• Velvet Newton
• Secret Oktober (31st version)
• The Wild Boys
• Hungry Like the Wolf
• The James Bond Theme / A View to a Kill
• Notorious
• Nite-Runner / All She Wants Is
• Evil Woman (ELO cover)
• Careless Memories
• Ordinary World
• Come Undone
• (Reach Up for the) Sunrise
• Planet Earth
• The Reflex
• Girls on Film / Psycho Killer
  Encore:
• Save a Prayer
• Rio