Dancing on top of chairs, waving red glow sticks and belting out the words to their favorite choruses, a crowd of several thousand nearly filled out Olympic Stadium’s indoor arena for Wednesday’s Ronan Keating concert.
The Irish singer performed a 90-minute set to a spirited, youthful audience that took to its feet early on.
In addition to songs from his chart-topping albums, Keating performed covers of the Goo Goo Dolls, Tracy Chapman and Cat Stevens. He praised the home crowd for their contribution to the chorus of his 2002 hit, “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” declaring, “that was the best version of that song I’ve ever heard.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 2,500 of the 7,000 tickets in the covered arena had been allocated, said Glen Felgate, general manager for CTN.
The top-tier tickets, originally priced at $65, were reduced to $35 at the eleventh hour in order to make them more accessible to families buying multiple tickets, Felgate said.
Keating told a press conference that he hoped his arrival would encourage more international stars to perform in Cambodia.
“I hope that this opens a massive door to allow other artists to come through and do shows here,” he said.
The singer, who was appointed to be a UN Goodwill ambassador in 2005, made appearances with two Phnom Penh-based charities Wednesday. “I want to try and use my voice—I’m in a very privileged position,” Keating said.
The singer met with local wheelchair racers from Cambodian National Volleyball League (Disabled) Wheelchair Racing, presenting a $20,000 check to the racers from ANZ Royal.
Keating also re-launched a national road safety awareness campaign, sponsored by Handicap International and the Total Group—a cause he underscored during his show.
Chring Say, 23, said she was taken with the singer’s performance. “There have been other singers in Cambodia, but we wouldn’t scream like this.”
(Additional reporting by Saing Soenthrith)
