'I was blown away' - the fans who heard Phoebe Bridgers' unreleased album in a planetarium

Armagh, a small city in Northern Ireland, was chosen to host an immersive audio-visual experience of Grammy-winning artist Phoebe Bridgers' new album, Lost Weekend. Six years had passed since Bridgers' last album, Punisher, but her return was highly anticipated. Bridgers had recently collaborated with Grammy-winning supergroup boygenius and had also dealt with personal grief following the loss of her father.

To mark the release of Lost Weekend, she offered a select group of fans a unique listening experience at planetariums around the world. Armagh was among the two UK venues selected for the event, with four sold-out showings scheduled on Tuesday and another four on Thursday.

The show at Armagh Planetarium combined Bridgers' 16-track album with curated night sky visuals by photographer Babak Tafreshi. Attendees were required to place their phones in a pouch that could only be opened after the event, ensuring a phone-free experience. Critics have praised Lost Weekend as a daring exploration of love, grief, and renewal, describing it as staggering and stirring. The album references Bridgers' engagement and break-up with Irish actor Paul Mescal and is dedicated to her late father.

Among the attendees were Bridgers fans from Armagh, such as Eibhlin and Emma, who found the experience truly amazing, with the visuals and music linking well together. Another fan, Kev, appreciated the album's rockier or folk sound and the marriage of human and spacey themes. Armagh native Cathleen was delighted to see her hometown hosting the event, noting that Armagh is often associated with more historic rather than contemporary elements.

Abbie and Scott, who traveled from County Waterford, made the long journey for the experience, which they described as a preview of Bridgers' sold-out Dublin shows.