Where was Power Ballad filmed? Explore the filming locations for this 2026 musical comedy across Dublin Castle, Powerscourt & Dundrum in Ireland.
Director John Carney was in a Dublin suburb when he spotted a 40-something dad wearing rock-and-roll leather boots, carrying a guitar, and awkwardly loading his daughter into a family car.
Carney noticed the man had “the walk of a rock star, but like a rock star for whom it hadn’t happened.” That image became Rick Power (Paul Rudd): a middle-aged, Kansas-born wedding singer living in Dublin, fronting a tragically named cover band called “Bride and Groove.”
One night, Rick jams with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) – a washed-up former boyband superstar. They bond. They write. Then Danny steals Rick’s original track, “How To Write A Song (Without You),” turns it into a global number-one hit, and rockets back to fame.
But Carney (Once, Sing Street) structured this as a “bromantic conflict,” not revenge. Rick just wants an apology. And credit. And his chorus back. The result?
A power-ballad-packed musical comedy filmed across Dublin’s castles, gardens, shopping centres, and studios – with Rudd becoming a local legend by hanging at The Yacht pub in the Ringsend area, eating Tayto crisps, and calling Ireland “hands down the greatest country.”
Table of Contents
🎵 Power Ballad Filming Locations
Grab your guitar and a pint of Guinness. Here’s every Irish spot where rockstar dreams got stolen, shopping trolleys got pushed, and Paul Rudd became a local legend.
🏰 Dublin Castle & Palace Street
Right outside Dublin Castle’s Tourism Information Centre on Palace Street, Paul Rudd – playing down-on-his-luck Kansas-born wedding singer, Rick Power – filmed scenes that required zero crowd control.
Why? Because Irish locals have a “we’ve kind of seen it all” attitude. A massive Hollywood star? Meh. They just walked past him to grab a morning cuppa. Rudd reportedly found it both refreshing and mildly insulting.
The historic castle, dating back to 1204, served as the perfect ironic backdrop for a character whose rock-star dreams died somewhere between his daughter’s school run and a wedding cover of “Uptown Funk.”
What was filmed here:
- Rick power-walking with a guitar case: Defeated rocker, late for soundcheck
- Awkward phone call with ex-bandmate: “They stole my chorus, Ma”
- Brief moment of hope outside tourism centre: Guinness-fueled delusion
🌳 Powerscourt Estate & Gardens, County Wicklow
Ranked #3 garden in the world by National Geographic, Powerscourt Estate & Gardens is a 13th-century Palladian stunner in Enniskerry doubled as the lush setting for Rick’s desperate attempts to feel like a star again.
The Italian Gardens and sweeping terraces have hosted Wednesday, The Tudors, Excalibur, and Disenchanted – but never a wedding singer in ill-fitting leather boots.
Carney used the estate’s ridiculous beauty to highlight Rick’s tragic ordinariness. Meanwhile, Nick Jonas’s character, Danny Wilson, lounged here like he owned it (he doesn’t, but the Guinness family owns nearby Lough Tay, so close enough).
What was filmed here:
- Rick mowing a lawn in rocker gear: Midlife crisis, horticultural edition
- Danny’s fake “deep thoughts” photoshoot: Boyband broetry at its finest
- Late-night jam session on terrace: Bromance begins, betrayal incoming
🏞️ Killruddery House & Lough Tay, County Wicklow
Killruddery House, a 400-year-old Elizabethan-revival manor, provided the opulent interiors for Danny’s comeback music video.
Meanwhile, Lough Tay – aka “The Guinness Lake” – offered a visual punchline: the dark water and white-sand beach look exactly like a giant pint of stout. The lake is private property (owned by the Guinness family), so the cast filmed from the Military Road viewing point.
Rudd, a self-proclaimed Hibernophile, reportedly joked, “I’ve finally found a lake that matches my diet.” The scene where Rick stares mournfully at the lake while clutching a stolen chorus? Pure Carney melancholy wrapped in a pint-shaped metaphor.
What was filmed here:
- Danny’s overproduced music video shoot: Pop vampire sucks soul out
- Rick contemplating revenge by water: “That’s my chord progression”
- Drone shot of lake = stout heaven: Guinness ad energy
🛍️ Dundrum Town Centre
Dundrum Town Centre, Ireland’s largest shopping mall became the unlikely stage for Rick’s mundane reality.
Here, Rudd filmed scenes of his character buying nappies, arguing with his ex-wife near a Pret A Manger, and getting mistaken for a guy who once opened for Bon Jovi in 2003. Locals spotted the ageless actor and sent clips viral on Lovin Dublin’s Instagram.
The contrast between Powerscourt’s grandeur and Dundrum’s fluorescent-lit food court is where the movie’s heart lives: fame is fleeting, but a reduced-to-clear sign on Tayto multipacks is forever.
What was filmed here:
- Rick pushing a trolley, looking lost: Wedding singer, family shopper
- Danny signing autographs at phone kiosk: Has-been meets has-been
- Escalator stare-down with rival band: Low-stakes mall drama
🎬 Ardmore Studios, Bray
Interior scenes – including the wedding band’s cramped rehearsal room, Danny’s sterile recording studio, and the film’s climactic live showdown – were filmed at Ardmore Studios in Bray, County Wicklow.
This legendary Irish studio has hosted Braveheart, Breakfast on Pluto, and The Guard. Carney chose Ardmore for its “authentically scuffed” soundstages, which made Rick’s failed-rockstar life feel viscerally real.
Nick Jonas reportedly recorded live vocals for Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” in one take here, leaving the crew speechless. Rudd, meanwhile, spent his downtime eating Tayto crisps in the carpark.
What was filmed here:
- Rick’s band “Bride and Groove” rehearsal: Out of tune, in spirit
- Danny’s polished studio session: Soul theft in surround sound
- Final emotional duet (no spoilers): Tissues mandatory
❓ Power Ballad FAQs
Got questions? We’ve got answers – most of them involving Paul Rudd’s inability to age.
When is the Power Ballad movie release date?
5th June 2026. Mark your calendar. Buy tissues. Practice your air guitar.
What is the Power Ballad movie plot?
A Kansas-born wedding singer in Dublin (Rudd) has his original song stolen by a former boyband star (Jonas), who turns it into a #1 hit. It’s a bromantic conflict, not revenge.
Who is in the Power Ballad movie cast?
Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, plus Irish supporting talent. Director: John Carney.
What is the Power Ballad movie soundtrack like?
Original songs co-written with Gary Clark, including the stolen anthem “How To Write A Song (Without You).” Contrasts raw rock vs. glossy pop.
Did Paul Rudd really hang out at The Yacht pub?
Yes! He was spotted regularly in the the Ringsend area of Dublin, drinking Guinness, eating Tayto crisps, and calling Ireland “hands down the greatest country.”
📺 Where to Watch Power Ballad (2026)
Power Ballad arrives exclusively in theaters on 5th June 2026.
Grab your friends, sneak in some Tayto crisps, and watch Rick Power fight for his stolen chorus on the big screen while you spot Dublin Castle, Powerscourt Gardens, and Dundrum Town Centre in all their Irish glory.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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