CMAT’s rise to superstardom is well underway

Halifax’s Piece Hall is probably the UK’s prettiest music venue. Set to the tones of Kate Bush’s haunting Wuthering Heights, it’s certainly one of the most atmospheric.

That was made abundantly clear when Irish “euro‑country” star CMAT dusted off one of her old covers as the sun dipped behind the Calderdale skyline.

CMAT at The Piece Hall, Halifax. | Cuffe and Taylor

placeholder image — CMAT at The Piece Hall, Halifax. | Cuffe and Taylor

CMAT - real name Ciara Mary‑Alice Thompson - has risen from an indie favourite to a bona fide award‑winning star.

Her latest album, 2025’s Mercury Prize‑nominated Euro‑Country, reached number one in the UK and featured the viral “Woke Macarena” hit Take a Sexy Picture of Me.

It’s no surprise this show has been sold out for months.

Backed by her wildly talented “Very Sexy CMAT Band”, the Halifax date - a brief headline stop in a packed festival run - shifts effortlessly from indie singalongs to honky‑tonk and hoedowns.

Setlist rarities such as Aw, Shoot! (dedicated to the “spooky” venue) sit neatly alongside a terrific rendition of Where Are Your Kids Tonight?, performed with keyboard player Colm Conlon.

CMAT with keyboard player Colm Conlon. | Cuffe and Taylor

CMAT is her usual charismatic, quick‑witted self, guiding 5,000 fans through beloved hits and deeper cuts. Early on, her new American drummer is warned about the now almost mandatory “Yorkshire” chants - complete with a few spirited attempts at the accent.

The slow‑building Running/Planning brings a more reflective tone, while an acoustic version of the emotionally raw Nashville reveals Thompson’s vulnerable side.

As if the Piece Hall weren’t remarkable enough, a chance encounter with a front‑row audience member - the curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum - gives CMAT the perfect excuse to revive an old favourite: a stellar cover of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights, performed “while in Brontë Country,” as the County Meath singer put it.

With three albums now behind her, CMAT has built a formidable arsenal of crowd‑pleasers, and the deeper cuts land just as well.

Her rise may not have been instant, but it’s unmistakably in full swing.