← All events
comedy · Friday 25 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
Cat Laughs Comedy Festival - Nine Lives Gala
At Millennium Forum · 1 Millennium Forum, 3 Newmarket St, Derry, Co. Derry
At Millennium Forum · 1 Millennium Forum, 3 Newmarket St, Derry, Co. Derry
One of Ireland’s best-loved stand-up formats lands at Derry’s Millennium Forum across two September nights. The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival - Nine Lives Gala brings a rotating cast of headline acts to the same stage, each performing a tightly timed set of 10-15 minutes. Rather than one comedian for the full evening, the gala format means you get a whole range of styles and voices in a single sitting - a good introduction to someone you’ve never heard of, and a chance to catch performers you already rate without paying headline-solo prices. Recommended for audiences 16 and over, it is an evening aimed squarely at adults who want proper stand-up, not a family panto. Whether the full line-up is announced before you book, the formula itself has a strong track record across the festival’s Kilkenny and Belfast dates.
The Cat Laughs has been running in Kilkenny since the 1990s and expanded to Derry as part of its Nine Lives tour. The gala format puts several comedians on the one bill, MC’d through the night, with each act getting enough time to build material rather than just fire off a few quick gags. Past Millennium Forum line-ups have included names like David O’Doherty, Deirdre O’Kane, Neil Delamere, and Rich Hall - a mix of Irish and international acts that tends to be announced closer to the date. The venue itself holds around 1,000 people and has proper theatre staging, so sight lines are good from most parts of the house. Expect a bar, a lively crowd, and a show that runs roughly 90 minutes to two hours with a short interval. The content warning on the booking page - “may contain swearing and adult content” - is honest rather than sensational.
Millennium Forum sits on Newmarket Street right in Derry city centre, a short walk from the Guildhall and the river Foyle. From Dublin, the Translink Goldline 212 coach serves Derry in around two and a half to three hours; local Bus Eireann and Ulsterbus services connect from Belfast in a similar time. If you are driving, the A2 and A5 bring you into the city from both directions. City centre parking is available at the Foyleside Shopping Centre multi-storey and at Queens Quay, both within easy walking distance. The Forum is also walkable from the main rail station at Duke Street on the east bank - cross the Peace Bridge on foot in about ten minutes.
A September weekend in Derry is well timed - the summer crowds have thinned, the walls are quieter, and the city’s pubs and restaurants are at their comfortable best. The Bogside murals, the old city walls, and the Cathedral Quarter are all worth an hour or two before the show. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.
Heading to Millennium Forum in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.