On September 3, 1965, The Rolling Stones played at the Adelphi Theater in Dublin, but fans were so overcome with “Stone mania” that they rushed the stage after 12 minutes.
On September 3, 1965, The Rolling Stones came to Ireland to play two gigs in Dublin. At the time, their first number-one single “Out of Our Heads” was at the top of the charts, and it all became too much!
The Rolling Stones were performing for just 12 minutes before the Dublin fans, so overwhelmed that they rushed the stage.
Earlier that year, Mick Jagger and the rest of The Rolling Stones had played gigs in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork between January 6 and 8. They returned to the Adelphi Theater in Dublin, and during the interim, the London band’s popularity had soared.
In the clip below, you can see that the excitement among the audience members became all too much as, after just 12 minutes, The Rolling Stones were forced to bring their set to a close.
As Ultimate Classic Rock puts it, this was a “pivotal moment” for The Rolling Stones. Their popularity was soaring, but the older generations were still struggling to understand the band.
An Irish critic at the time said the concert was “chaotic, tuneless and with little or no presentation." The only reference to the riot was commenting on a "mob of girls screaming damply." As you can see from the clip, it was a little more than that!
The Rolling Stones' 1965 concert in Dublin left an indelible mark on the band's history and the city itself. It raised serious questions about concert security and venues' ability to handle the growing popularity and frenzy surrounding rock and roll concerts. The incident prompted a reevaluation of safety protocols at live events, leading to stricter measures in the years to come.
This concert tour was documented by the documentary film “Charlie Is My Darling.”
* Originally published in 2018, updated in July 2026.
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