CMAT Brighton 2026 | Ireland’s unmistakable voice of Euro-country
When CMAT takes the stage at the Brighton Centre on 9 March 2026, it will mark a significant moment in the rise of one of the most inventive and irreverent voices in contemporary pop music
Born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (CMAT) in Dublin and raised between the city and County Meath, the singer spent the best part of the last decade crafting a sound that’s as witty as it is heartfelt, a musical fusion she’s now proudly labelled “Euro-Country.”
CMAT’s journey to arena stages like Brighton’s has been anything but conventional. Early in her career she moved to Manchester with her boyfriend to pursue music, performing in a band called ‘Bad Sea’, but later described that period as creatively stifling and personally draining. It was only after heeding advice from Charli XCX, who urged her to rethink her approach to music that she returned to Dublin, embraced her own voice, and began releasing material independently online.
Her first two albums, ‘If My Wife New I’d Be Dead’ (2022) and ‘Crazymad, for Me’ (2023), quickly attracted attention for their blend of sharp humour, emotional candour and genre-blurring theatrics. Both debuted at number one in Ireland, establishing her as a breakout star in the Irish and UK music scenes.
But it was with her third album, ‘Euro-Country’, released in August 2025 that CMAT’s vision truly came to fruition. Unlike previous records, Euro-Country isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a defining musical manifesto. Across tracks she explores themes ranging from heartbreak to socioeconomic isolation, Ireland’s shifting cultural identity, and the often absurd collision between European heritage and contemporary pop life.
The album’s title track even opens with her singing in Gaeilge (Irish) a deliberate nod to her roots and a pushback against a romanticised, export-friendly vision of “Irishness”. In interviews with outlets like Glamour UK, CMAT has been candid about this duality: celebrating her homeland while interrogating its myths. “There’s this very romantic version of Ireland that gets claimed by outsiders,” she told the magazine, “but I grew up somewhere very normal and that mismatch had to be reckoned with.”
This blend of humour and depth is central to CMAT’s appeal. Songs like the viral hit ‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me’ brim with contagious pop energy and tongue-in-cheek defiance, while tracks like ‘When a Good Man Cries’ layer traditional instrumentation with introspective lyricism. Major outlets have taken note: The Guardian has praised her work as “mournful yet accessible, emotionally literate and cleverly crafted, but crucially with a huge sense of humour.”
Her live performances reflect that same spirit. Reviews from recent shows including a dramatic and joyful night at the Brighton Dome in late 2025, describe a performer who refuses to separate earnest musical expression from playful spectacle. She dances, chats with her band, teases the crowd and even stops mid-song to make them part of the moment. Her ethos on stage is simple: have fun, and let the music connect people.
Audience reactions at these gigs tells its own story. Flocks of fans young and old, Irish and international turn up in rhinestone cowboy boots and DIY merch, chanting lyrics back to her with exuberance. One Brighton reviewer noted how easily CMAT turns a theatre crowd into a barn-dance congregation, infusing every performance with an irresistible blend of playfulness, poignancy and party energy.
Her rise hasn’t been without challenge. Social media virality has brought both acclaim and harsh scrutiny, something she confronts directly in her songwriting and public persona. Whether tackling beauty standards or dissecting the pressures of modern womanhood, CMAT does so unflinchingly, often with a wink and a smirk.
This honesty and authenticity has helped solidify her connection with fans, particularly within Irish LGBTQ+ communities, where her music and presence feel like a rallying cry for joy. That connection is reflected in the demand for her shows. As part of her 2026 tour, her March dates including Brighton Centre, Manchester, Edinburgh and London’s Alexandra Palace have been billed as her “biggest shows ever”, testament to her rapidly expanding audience and the contagious energy she brings to the stage.
For Brighton specifically, the March 9 gig feels almost like a homecoming. CMAT has played in the city before at smaller, sold-out venues, building a local fanbase who now get to see her step up to arena level.
From intimate acoustic sets in Brighton’s North Laine to fronting festival crowds and now headlining a major venue, her trajectory mirrors the shift in the way music, and especially pop music, connects artists and audiences in the digital era.
What can fans expect at the Brighton Centre? Based on the Euro-Country tour so far, expect a dynamic setlist that weaves humour and heartbreak, high-energy anthems and introspective moments. She’s known to toss in unexpected covers, banter with the band, and moments of pure theatre, whether that’s mid-song dance breaks or singalongs that turn thousands of strangers into a single voice.
And while CMAT’s sound is rooted in country pop (a genre she has proudly claimed as her own) her appeal transcends categories. Her music draws on classic influences like Shania Twain and Dolly Parton, but also nods to contemporary voices such as Phoebe Bridgers and Charli XCX. Critics have highlighted her ability to blur lines between alt-pop, country, and indie storytelling, creating something that feels both timeless and distinctively modern.
In a cultural moment where audiences crave honesty and escapism, CMAT delivers. Her lyrics are witty and direct; her melodies are sticky and memorable. By the time she steps onto the Brighton Centre stage in March, CMAT will be more than just a familiar name, she’ll be a full-blown pop force whose star is still on the rise. For fans old and new, it promises to be an exhilarating night of camp, catharsis, and country-infused pop glory.
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Book tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3E006313DFF31B16
