It wouldn’t be March in Boston without the Dropkick Murphys, and this year the Quincy-bred Celtic punk legends are going bigger than ever. The band will descend on the city for five shows over St. Patrick’s Day week, capping a 25-date national tour and marking three decades since they first started raising hell in the basement of a friend’s Quincy barbershop.
The run kicks off Friday, March 13, at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, with additional shows Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th at the same venue. Then, on St. Patrick’s Day itself — Tuesday, March 17 — the band moves to the more intimate Citizens House of Blues on Lansdowne Street for a show that has already sold out.
For the People, In the Pit
The tour takes its name from the band’s 2025 album For the People, which saw a physical vinyl and CD release featuring five bonus tracks not included on the original digital version. The “For the People… In the Pit” tour launched February 9 in Portland, Maine, and has wound through Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Charlotte, and other cities before arriving home.
The Aggrolites and Haywire have been supporting the band on most dates, with Haywire confirmed to open the three MGM Music Hall shows on March 13, 14, and 15. Additional Boston support acts are expected to be announced.
A Family Affair — For Charity
Saturday afternoon, March 14, brings something different: a special 2:00 PM matinee mini-concert and meet-and-greet at MGM Music Hall benefiting The Claddagh Fund, the band’s charitable foundation. The event is billed as family-friendly — “each adult ticket buyer able to bring two kids under 13 for free,” according to the band’s announcement.
The Claddagh Fund has been a cornerstone of the band’s community work for years, supporting causes ranging from addiction recovery to veterans’ services across the Boston area. The afternoon show gives younger fans and families a chance to experience the band’s thunderous live sound without the chaos of a typical Sa turday night pit.
Thirty Years of “Shipping Up to Boston”
It’s hard to overstate what the Dropkick Murphys mean to this city. Since forming in 1996, the band has become as synonymous with Boston as Fenway Park itself — fittingly, their anthem Shipping Up to Boston has been a Fenway Park staple since it served as closer Jonathan Papelbon’s entrance music and was played to pump up the crowd during the 2013 playoff run. From scrappy punk shows at the Rat in Kenmore Square to headlining sold-out arenas, the band’s trajectory mirrors the city’s own transformation, even as they’ve never lost the blue-collar edge that made them beloved in the first place.
Thirty years in, the energy at a Dropkick Murphys show remains ferocious. Bagpipes collide with power chords, tin whistles weave through circle pits, and the crowd — from college kids to graying veterans of the early Quincy days — sings every word back at full volume. Few bands in any genre can match the communal intensity of their live performances, and fewer still have maintained it for this long.
What You Need to Know
- March 13 (Fri) — MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston — w/ Haywire
- March 14 (Sat), 2:00 PM — MGM Music Hall at Fenway — Claddagh Fund matinee (family-friendly)
- March 14 (Sat), Evening — MGM Music Hall at Fenway — w/ Haywire
- March 15 (Sun), 7:00 PM — MGM Music Hall at Fenway — w/ Haywire
- March 17 (Tue), 6:00 PM — Citizens House of Blues, Boston — SOLD OUT
Tickets for remaining shows are available at dropkickmurphys.com/tour. The band warns fans to purchase only through official channels: “Don’t get scammed — only buy tickets via the official ticket links on our website,” the group posted on their website.
With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Tuesday this year, expect the weekend shows to carry the bulk of the celebration. Plan accordingly, Boston. The boys are coming home.