Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium: 12 of the best Murrayfield gigs of all time, from The Rolling Stones to Madonna

Some of the world’s biggest acts have played at Edinburgh’s 67,000-capacity Murrayfield Stadium

Published 2nd Feb 2023, 12:27 BST

Updated 2nd Feb 2023, 16:45 BST

With Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen and Harry Styles set to perform at Murrayfield Stadium this summer in front of thousands of music fans, we’ve taken a look back in our photo archive to find some of the biggest and best ever concerts at the iconic Edinburgh venue.

Former One Direction star Styles will play the home of Scottish Rugby on May 26 and 27, while former Destiny’s Child singer Beyoncé is set to perform at Scotland’s largest stadium on May 20 and Bruce Springsteen and his E Street band will play there on May 30.

Looking back in our photo archive of concert photos from Murrayfield is like a who’s who of popular music in the last 50 years. We have classic photos of the likes of Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, U2, Oasis, David Bowie and Madonna strutting their stuff in the Capital at Scotland’s largest stadium.

Possibly the most memorable day of music at Murrayfield came on July 6, 2005, when the Live 8 event saw a day of music designed to encourage the leaders congregating at the G8 summit in Gleneagles to consider the plight of those in absolute poverty. Among those performing in Edinburgh were The Proclaimers, Jaimie Cullum, Wet Wet Wet, McFly, Annie Lennox, Feeder, Beverly Knight, Texas, Katherine Jenkins, Snow Patrol, Travis and James Brown.

Some of the acts to have performed at Murrayfield Stadium, which we unfortunately don’t have photos of, include American rockers REM at the venue in 1995, Canadian rock god Bryan Adams in 2007, The Eagles played there twice, in 1996 and 2022, while Simple Minds also rocked the rugby stadium in the 1980s.

Rock legends The Rolling Stones have played Murrayfield Stadium twice, in 1999 (left) and 2018 (right), entertaining their Edinburgh fans with greatest hits sets.

1. The Rolling Stones

Rock legends The Rolling Stones have played Murrayfield Stadium twice, in 1999 (left) and 2018 (right), entertaining their Edinburgh fans with greatest hits sets. Photo: JP

Mancunian Britpop rockers Oasis swaggered into Murrayfield Stadium twice, bringing their Wonderwall of sound in 2000, and then again in 2009 (pictured) for what was to be their final world tour as the band imploded when the Gallagher brothers came to blows backstage at a gig in Paris that year. Photo by Ian Georgeson.

2. Oasis

Mancunian Britpop rockers Oasis swaggered into Murrayfield Stadium twice, bringing their Wonderwall of sound in 2000, and then again in 2009 (pictured) for what was to be their final world tour as the band imploded when the Gallagher brothers came to blows backstage at a gig in Paris that year. Photo by Ian Georgeson. Photo: TSPL

Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push was part of the series of Live 8 concerts held around the world in 2005 designed to encourage the leaders congregating at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, to consider the plight of those in absolute poverty. Pictured at the event, clockwise from top left, are Peter Kay, Bob Geldof and James Brown, The Proclaimers, Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and Bono and Midge Ure.

3. Live 8

Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push was part of the series of Live 8 concerts held around the world in 2005 designed to encourage the leaders congregating at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, to consider the plight of those in absolute poverty. Pictured at the event, clockwise from top left, are Peter Kay, Bob Geldof and James Brown, The Proclaimers, Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and Bono and Midge Ure. Photo: JP

Irish rock legends U2 have headlined Murrayfield twice, in 1987 (pictured top left and bottom right) and 1997 (top right and bottom left) for their infamous Pop Mart Tour which featured a lavish stage design which included a 165-foot-wide (50 m) LED screen, a 100-foot-high (30 m) golden arch, and a large mirror-ball lemon.

4. U2

Irish rock legends U2 have headlined Murrayfield twice, in 1987 (pictured top left and bottom right) and 1997 (top right and bottom left) for their infamous Pop Mart Tour which featured a lavish stage design which included a 165-foot-wide (50 m) LED screen, a 100-foot-high (30 m) golden arch, and a large mirror-ball lemon. Photo: JP

Bruce Springsteen Harry Styles Edinburgh Madonna American