Glen Hansard Confirms 2026 European Tour & New Album ‘Don’t Settle’ — Ticket Details Inside

Irish singer-songwriter and Oscar winner Glen Hansard has died at the age of 56 after a motorcycle collision in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday, 29 July 2026. According to a statement from his management, the crash occurred on the R109 Lower Road near Lucan; no other vehicles were involved, and Gardaí have launched an investigation. Paramedics pronounced Hansard dead at the scene. Best known globally for co-writing and performing “Falling Slowly,” the Academy-Award-winning song from the 2007 film Once, Hansard first came to prominence as front-man of Dublin rock outfit The Frames and later as one half of folk duo The Swell Season. Over a four-decade career he released five solo studio albums, culminating with 2023’s All That Was East Is West of Me Now, and had just issued the live retrospective Don’t Settle – Transmissions East & West in April. Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment world. Long-time admirer Bruce Springsteen called Hansard “one of Ireland’s finest musical storytellers,” while Once co-star Markéta Irglová wrote that his “voice carried hope to millions.” Irish President Michael D. Higgins praised Hansard’s “unyielding commitment to social justice,” noting his work with Dublin Simon Community and recent Gaza-ceasefire rallies. Hansard was midway through planning a 2027 world tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of Once. Ticket agencies have confirmed automatic refunds. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family in the coming days. Fans are gathering outside Whelan’s, the Dublin venue immortalised in Once, leaving flowers, guitars and handwritten lyrics in memory of a musician whose raw sincerity resonated far beyond Ireland’s shores.