Published: August 22, 2026 · 1:49 AM EDT
The remastered January 1994 concert featuring Dolores O’Riordan, “Linger,” “Dreams” and “Zombie” arrives September 4 on Island Records in limited colored vinyl, standard black 2LP and CD editions
The Cranberries are bringing one of the key live documents from their early career to vinyl with Live at the London Astoria II, 1994, scheduled for release on September 4, 2026 through Island Records.
For collectors, the centerpiece is a limited-edition “Molten Lava” colored 2LP pressing, available alongside a standard black 2LP and CD edition. The Sound of Vinyl and The Cranberries’ official store describe the release as a newly remastered presentation of the historic London concert.
The colored pressing uses a marbled red-and-black visual treatment. Because of the manufacturing process, each copy can differ slightly in color and pattern from the promotional image, according to the official product listing.
The concert was recorded at London’s Astoria II on January 14, 1994, capturing The Cranberries at a pivotal moment between their breakthrough debut Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? and the material that would soon appear on No Need to Argue.
The new edition presents a 15-song remastered recording of the Astoria II performance.
Island Records and The Cranberries’ official stores describe the 2026 release as the first time the concert is being made available in this dedicated audio form. The performance had previously been associated with The Cranberries’ early live video history, making the new LP and CD editions a significant archival release for collectors.
The set captures Dolores O’Riordan, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler during the period when The Cranberries were moving rapidly from breakthrough alternative-rock act to international success.
Songs from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, including “Linger,” “Dreams,” “Pretty,” “Waltzing Back,” “How” and “Not Sorry”, sit alongside material that audiences would later hear on No Need to Argue.
That includes an early live performance of “Zombie”, as well as “Ridiculous Thoughts,” “Daffodil Lament,” “Dreaming My Dreams,” “Everything I Said” and “Empty.”
The most collectible configuration is the Limited Edition Molten Lava 2LP.
The Sound of Vinyl identifies the colored edition under catalog number 5781895, with Island listed as the label.
The U.S. Sound of Vinyl store currently limits purchases of the colored edition to four copies per customer. However, no official pressing quantity has been announced, so the edition should be described as limited rather than assigning an unverified number of copies.
The vinyl’s “Molten Lava” appearance is intentionally variable, meaning individual records may show differences in their color distribution and marbling.
For collectors, that gives each copy a degree of visual individuality beyond the standard black pressing.
Collectors who prefer a conventional pressing will also have access to a standard black 2LP edition.
The Sound of Vinyl’s UK listing identifies that pressing as catalog number 5781892, also through Island Records.
A CD edition is also part of the September 4 release campaign. Universal Music’s Japanese store identifies the CD under catalog number 5781891.
The Cranberries’ official U.S. store currently lists all three principal audio configurations: the colored 2LP, standard black 2LP and CD.
The historical appeal of Live at the London Astoria II, 1994 goes beyond the presence of the band’s biggest songs.
The show took place while The Cranberries were touring behind their 1993 debut, but the January 1994 set already contained several songs destined for No Need to Argue, which would arrive later that year.
That places the recording at a transitional point in the band’s catalog: established songs such as “Dreams” and “Linger” coexist with material that had not yet become permanently associated with The Cranberries.
Most notably, the Astoria audience heard “Zombie” months before its appearance on No Need to Argue.
For collectors interested in archival live recordings, the album therefore documents not simply a concert but a band whose repertoire was changing in real time.
LIVE AT THE LONDON ASTORIA II, 1994 - TRACKLIST
LP1 - Side A
01. Pretty
02. Dreaming My Dreams
03. Linger
04. Ridiculous Thoughts
LP1 - Side B
05. Daffodil Lament
06. How
07. Everything I Said
08. Not Sorry
LP2 - Side C
09. Waltzing Back
10. Dreams
11. Zombie
12. Liar
LP2 - Side D
13. So Cold In Ireland
14. Empty
15. Still Can’t…
COLLECTOR DETAILS
Artist: The Cranberries
Title: Live at the London Astoria II, 1994
Release date: September 4, 2026
Label: Island Records
Limited edition: Molten Lava colored 2LP
Colored vinyl catalog number: 5781895
Standard vinyl: Black 2LP
Standard 2LP catalog number: 5781892
CD: Catalog number 5781891 in Universal Music’s current international listing
Audio: Remastered 1994 London Astoria II concert
Number of tracks: 15
Original concert date: January 14, 1994
Pressing quantity: Not publicly disclosed
Color variation: Individual Molten Lava records may differ visually from the product image.
Live at the London Astoria II, 1994 combines several elements that make archival vinyl releases particularly interesting: a documented historical performance, a remastered recording, a limited colored pressing and material captured during an important transition in the artist’s career.
The Molten Lava edition adds a distinct physical variant, while the standard black pressing provides an alternative for listeners more interested in the recording itself.
Just as importantly, the release preserves a 1994 performance featuring Dolores O’Riordan and The Cranberries at the point where songs from their debut were sharing a set with compositions that would define the next phase of the band’s career.
For The Cranberries collectors, Live at the London Astoria II, 1994 is more than another colored-vinyl variant.
The recording captures the band on January 14, 1994, with “Linger” and “Dreams” already part of their growing international story while songs including “Zombie” pointed toward what was still to come.
More than three decades later, the September 2026 edition moves that performance into the band’s physical audio catalog through a remastered 2LP release, with the limited Molten Lava pressing giving collectors a visually distinct version of the archive.
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT:Courtesy of The Sound of Vinyl
Watch The Cranberries’s video for “Empty (Live At The London Astoria, 1994)” below:
