Chris Norman

Chris Norman built his reputation as the frontman of Smokie, one of Britain’s best-loved pop-rock acts of the 1970s, and he has been drawing sell-out crowds across Ireland and the UK ever since. This September he brings his full band to the Millennium Forum in Derry for a night of hits spanning fifty years - a concert that suits anyone who grew up with those songs on the radio, and anyone curious about an artist who has kept touring and recording with genuine conviction long after most of his contemporaries stopped.

What to expect

Norman’s Lifelines Tour marks half a century since Smokie first broke through, and the set list pulls from the full catalogue. Expect the anthems everyone knows - “Living Next Door to Alice”, “Oh Carol”, “Lay Back in the Arms of Someone” - alongside solo material from a career that has produced over thirty million record sales worldwide. He performed at the Millennium Forum last year to a sold-out house, so the appetite in Derry is clearly there; this date is a return by demand.

The Millennium Forum is a purpose-built, 1,000-seat theatre with one of the largest stages in Ireland. It opened in 2001 and is the main concert and drama venue for the city. Acoustics and sightlines are reliable whether you are in the stalls or the upper tier, and the room feels intimate enough for a rock show without being a shed.

Getting there

Derry is on the main Belfast - Derry rail line, served by Translink NI Railways; the journey from Belfast takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes and the station is a 15-minute walk from the Millennium Forum. Bus Eireann and Ulsterbus routes connect from Dublin and Donegal. If you are driving from the Republic, the N13/A2 via Letterkenny is the standard route from the south-west; from Dublin the M1 north through Newry and Dungiven is the quicker road. Street parking in central Derry is metered; the Foyleside Shopping Centre car park on Orchard Street is a short walk from Newmarket Street and has evening capacity.

While you’re in Derry

Derry’s walled city is one of the best-preserved examples of a 17th-century plantation town in Europe, and the Bogside murals are a short walk from the venue. An evening concert pairs well with an afternoon on the walls or a visit to the Museum of Free Derry. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.

Good to know

• Date: Tuesday 8 September 2026, 7:30pm
• Venue: Millennium Forum, Newmarket Street, Derry
• Tickets: from £34.00 (includes booking fee); book at millenniumforum.co.uk
• Box office phone: +44 (0)28 7126 4455 (Mon - Sat, 9:30am - 5pm)
• The Millennium Forum is a fully accessible venue