Phoebe Bridgers screens unreleased album in planetariums
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- Phoebe Bridgers previewed her first album in six years, "Lost Weekend," at planetariums globally — with only two UK venues selected: Glasgow and Armagh.
- The Armagh Planetarium ran four sold-out screenings on Tuesday with another four on Thursday, locking 80 fans per showing into phone-free pouches opened only by magnet after the event.
- The 16-track "Lost Weekend" was paired with National Geographic night-sky photographer Babak Tafreshi's curated nocturnal scenes in what Bridgers billed as a fully immersive audio-visual experience.
- Paul Mescal features thematically — lyrics reference Bridgers' engagement and breakup with the Irish actor, and the record is dedicated to her late father.
- Heather Alexander of Armagh Planetarium said demand was "never seen before," with phones "ringing off the hook" days beforehand — placing the small Northern Irish city alongside venues in America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Sister-fans Eibhlin and Emma gave it a one-word verdict of "Amazing," though Eibhlin said ranking it would require another listen to "focus harder."
- County Waterford couple Abbie and Scott made a three-and-a-half-hour journey for the preview and hold tickets to Bridgers' sold-out 3Arena run in Dublin this November.
Why it matters: Armagh Planetarium was selected alongside venues in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — a credibility boost for a small Northern Irish city, per organizer Heather Alexander. For Bridgers, the phone-free, 80-person format turns a standard album rollout into a scarcity-driven FOMO machine ahead of Friday's release.
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