Bob Dylan has paid tribute to Shane MacGowan with a live cover of The Pogues‘ ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’. Listen below.
The legendary singer-songwriter’s version of the band’s 1986 song closed out his show at the 3Arena in Dublin on Tuesday night (November 25), per Setlist.FM.
It marked the cover’s first appearance on Dylan’s 2025 ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ UK and European tour, which wrapped up in the Irish capital. He previously debuted the track in May, during his performance at Willie Nelson’s US ‘Outlaw Music Festival Tour’.
MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, took to X/Twitter following Dylan’s gig in Dublin. “I’m so grateful to Bob Dylan for honouring Shane MacGowan tonight at the 3Arena Dublin with a most exquisite cover of ‘Rainy Night In Soho’ on the eve of our wedding anniversary,” she wrote.
Later, Clarke reposted some fan-captured audio of Dylan’s performance, hailing it as “so beautiful”. She added: “What an anniversary gift.”
You can see those posts and listen to the cover below.
I’m so grateful to @bobdylan for honouring @ShaneMacGowan tonight at the @3ArenaDublin with a most exquisite cover of Rainy Night in Soho on the eve of our wedding anniversary ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/qVCUU6CYKx
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) November 26, 2025
So beautiful 🤩 and what a special anniversary gift 🎁 https://t.co/zvpAqCXFmQ
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) November 26, 2025
According to the video description, Dylan “stood up playing the piano towards the end of the song and the whole audience stood with him”. It added: “Thank you Bob.”
In the comments section, a listener wrote: “Shane must be looking down with a huge grin. Lovely way to end the 2025 tour.” Another said: “In floods of tears listening to this – almost two years since Shane left us.”
Back in 2017, a photo emerged of Dylan and MacGowan hanging out after the former’s concert in Dublin.
MacGowan’s manager, Joey Cashman, explained at the time that there was “a lot of respect there and Dylan was the one who booked The Pogues to open for him back in the day, even though Shane didn’t actually make it!”
He continued: “Dylan asked Shane how long it had taken to write ‘Fairytale Of New York’ and Shane muttered, ‘Around 15 minutes’.”
Far Out reports that MacGowan also attended Dylan’s show in Dublin in 2022. Dylan praised The Pogues’ festive classic, telling the audience: “I listen to it every Christmas.”
MacGowan passed away almost exactly two years ago, on November 30, 2023. He was 65 years old. His funeral took place the following week. The ceremony saw Nick Cave deliver an emotional rendition of ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’, while Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill covered ‘Fairytale Of New York’ with members of The Pogues.
In other news, last weekend saw Bob Dylan perform a traditional folk ballad for the first time in 34 years at his show in Killarney, Ireland.
Earlier on the tour, the operator of a Dylan fan site claimed he was asked to leave the venue in Glasgow, after being told he was an “unwanted person”. He said he was removed from the gig because he had been recirculating live photos and footage from Dylan’s tour – which prohibits the use of video cameras and mobile phones.
It was reported earlier this year that Bob Dylan had been working on new music with “members of his band” in Albany, New York.