Imelda May to bring her new 'Raised on Songs & Stories' tour to Derry's Millennium Forum
The Millennium Forum has announced that globally-revered Irish artist Imelda May will bring her new ‘Raised on Songs & Stories’ tour to the city on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
Tickets go on general sale this Friday, October 17 at 9am.
This unique series of intimate evenings will feature new stripped back versions of her wide discography and favourite songs, integrated with her famed poetry & storytelling.
Imelda says: “I’m coming to you soon! 17 nights of an Irish tour. It’ll be an evening of songs, poems, stories, joy and beauty. This idea evolved naturally over the last couple of years. You see, when I write, produce and release an album, I get so excited to perform the songs live that I fizz up and plan and rehearse gigs with such enthusiasm that I’m like a little thrilled whirlwind, but too often I leave room for little else. I work out which songs will flow best into another to create the vibe desired, that I sometimes don’t leave much space for the unknown, which is where a different magic lies. This space is the place where I exist and love most, it’s where I write and create. So it feels right to stay there a while. To have a gig where someone might ask for a song I haven’t visited in a while and I think: Yyeah let’s give it a go’, or where I can tell you the stories behind the songs and how I ended up working with some of the people I’ve worked with so far. Not a ‘show’ this will be a shared night of what music, art, connection and creativity means to me, with you.”
Born and raised in The Liberties area of Dublin, Imelda May has become one of Ireland’s most celebrated female artists as a singer, songwriter, actor, producer, poet, presenter and storyteller.
Imelda’s breakthrough album Love Tattoo (2008) remains the best-selling album of all time by a homegrown female artist in Ireland, whilst her most recent album 11 Past the Hour (2021) marks her 4th No. 1 album in Ireland and 4th Top 10 in the UK. Her debut poetry book A Lick & A Promise (2022) is already on its third re-print, with the Irish government using one of her poems on billboards across the country for their “ReThink Ireland” campaign as well as included in the school curriculum.
A dynamic live performer with her unique blend of rockabilly, jazz, rock and blues she has toured across the world and performed with legends such as Jeff Beck, Lou Reed, Bono, Noel Gallagher, Jeff Goldblum & Ronnie Wood. This year Imelda was special guest for Sting on his outdoor UK shows, The Corrs on two homecoming shows in Dublin & Cork, and is about to join Jools Holland on his 30 show UK autumn tour.
Imelda returned to her critically acclaimed portrayal of Kathleen Behan this summer, in the one woman show ‘Mother of All The Behans’ by director Peter Sheridan. Her first foray into theatre, Imelda returned to the role for a third summer extending to a week’s run in Belfast & Waterford in addition to a sell-out return to Dublin’s Olympia & Cork’s Everyman Theatre.
Imelda’s recent turn to the silver screen also saw her latest film role as Pierce Brosnan’s wife ‘Betty’ in Niall William’s Four Letters of Love released globally last month.
A true creative, Imelda immerses herself in art across many forms, and these special Irish evenings will showcase her unique ability to evoke the purest of emotion using her voice as her sole instrument.
Tickets go on sale from the Box Office and online at 9am on Friday, October 17. Telephone 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.