Summary

A councilor in Kilkenny is pushing for Ireland to explore a future bid for WrestleMania after WWE confirmed the event will be staged outside the United States for the first time in 2027.

Maurice Shortall said he plans to raise the idea with the Irish government and argued that landing WWE's biggest annual show would be a major tourism play for the country. If Ireland ever did secure the event, Croke Park in Dublin would appear to be the most logical venue because of its size.

The wider conversation around future host cities is already picking up, with Nashville officials also discussing a future WrestleMania bid.

Quote from Maurice Shortall

"As a globally recognised event with the capacity to attract tens of thousands of international visitors and generate substantial international media exposure, WrestleMania presents a significant opportunity for Ireland to strengthen its position as a leading destination for major event tourism."

Shortall later went on to say:

"The wider regional benefit to counties such as Kilkenny would be substantial, with strong potential for tourism spillover, increased domestic travel, and enhanced international visibility for Ireland's secondary tourism destinations. Ireland is well placed to present a credible and competitive bid for WrestleMania, given our strong international tourism brand, proven track record in hosting major events, and global reputation as a welcoming destination."

What an Ireland WrestleMania bid would mean for WWE

Ireland entering the WrestleMania conversation would give WWE another major international option at a time when the company is clearly willing to take the event beyond its traditional U.S. footprint. London would still look like a serious rival because Wembley Stadium has already shown it can handle a stadium-scale wrestling weekend through AEW All In.

For now, this is only a political push rather than an official WWE announcement. Still, the fact that local officials are publicly making the case shows how valuable WrestleMania has become as a tourism and destination event.

Sources

Maurice Shortall while speaking with The Irish Mirror