Hot Press
 Hot Press's "40th birthday" on the cover of the June 2017 issue | |
| Editor | Niall Stokes |
|---|---|
| Categories | Music, current affairs |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | June 1977 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Website | hotpress |
| ISSN | 0332-0847 |
Hot Press is a monthly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes and Mairin Sheehy, the magazine has been edited by Stokes since its inception. Launched amid the punk era as an alternative to what its founders regarded as conservative mainstream coverage of rock music, Hot Press quickly established itself as more than a music title, combining reviews and artist interviews with commentary on Irish politics, social affairs and current events. Its first issue, featuring Rory Gallagher, appeared ahead of Ireland's first open-air rock festival at Macroom in June 1977, and the magazine has covered Irish and international musicians, from U2 and Thin Lizzy to The Cranberries and Sinéad O'Connor, ever since.
Hot Press has taken a broadly anti-establishment and left-of-centre editorial stance, with equality issues, including gay rights and reproductive rights, central to its coverage from an early stage. The magazine has published high-profile political interviews, including a 1990 interview with presidential candidate Mary Robinson that provoked national controversy, and an interview with Taoiseach Charles Haughey in 1984. It has also weathered its share of disputes, from a 2009 copyright row over the traditional group De Dannan's name to criticism of a 2009 interview with comedian Tommy Tiernan over remarks later perceived as antisemitic. Past and present contributors have included President Michael D. Higgins, journalist Bill Graham and the Father Ted writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, among others.
Beyond the magazine itself, Hot Press has produced an annual Yearbook, operated the short-lived Hot Press Music Hall of Fame in Dublin from 1999 to 2001, and organised the Stag/Hot Press Awards recognising Irish musical talent. The publication has also released several books drawn from its archive, including collections on Phil Lynott and Dolores O'Riordan. In 2026, Hot Press marked fifty years in print with a concert at Dublin's 3Arena and a new anthology of its interviews, History In The Making.