Imelda May was born and raised in The Liberties, and next spring she’s coming home properly. There are three nights at Vicar Street, and the last one falls on St Patrick’s Day.
Her Raised on Songs & Stories: The Lock In tour takes in 19 dates at 18 venues across the island of Ireland in spring 2027. Dublin gets first go. It opens at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire on 20 February, then moves to Vicar Street on 22 and 23 February before heading around the country. She comes back to Vicar Street on 17 March for Paddy’s night.
A lock-in, not a gig
The idea is in the name. It’s a night of music, poetry and storytelling, with stripped-back versions of her own songs alongside a few favourites, and the room joins in. It’s the late, loose part of the night when nobody’s in a rush to go home.
“I’m bringing my ‘Raised on Songs & Stories Tour’ back to you this spring thanks to your requests,” Imelda says. “It’s not the exact same show as before but it’ll have the same elements of being a loose, intimate, personal night of story and song but this time in a ‘Lock In’ environment (instead of previous sitting room)… It’s when laughter becomes louder, stories are elaborated and songs become truer and the room either hushes or erupts depending on the vibe.”
She has a point to make, too: “I want to reclaim the misconception abroad that the Irish pub is a place of ‘drinking’ rather than an important part of our rich culture of sharing songs and stories… Can’t wait to see you all again.”
The special guests are The Woodgies, a sister duo based in Limerick who grew up in Geneva.
Back by request
This is a return run. In 2026 she played 30 Irish dates of the tour, plus 10 in the UK, including two sold-out nights at London’s Union Chapel.
If you need reminding of her track record, Love Tattoo (2008) is the biggest-selling album by a homegrown female artist in Ireland, and 11 Past the Hour (2021) was her fourth Irish No.1. Her poetry collection A Lick and a Promise reached No.8 in the Irish Times bestsellers, and one of her poems is on the Irish school curriculum. She has also toured with Ronnie Wood, with South America shows coming up in November. On screen, her films include Fisherman’s Friends: One and All and Four Letters of Love, and she plays Kathleen Behan in Mother of The Behans.
Before any of that, there’s new music. On 27 November she releases the Don’t Cry For Me EP, inspired by the tour. It’s available to pre-order now at imeldamay.co.uk.
Full dates – spring 2027
- 20 Feb – Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire
- 22 Feb – Vicar Street, Dublin
- 23 Feb – Vicar Street, Dublin
- 24 Feb – Theatre Royal, Waterford
- 26 & 27 Feb – TLT, Drogheda
- 28 Feb – UCH, Limerick
- 2 Mar – Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
- 4 Mar – National Opera House, Wexford
- 6 Mar – Leisureland, Galway
- 7 Mar – Glór, Ennis
- 9 Mar – Cork Opera House
- 12 Mar – Gleneagle Arena, Killarney
- 13 Mar – TF Royal, Castlebar
- 14 Mar – An Grianán, Letterkenny
- 16 Mar – Waterfront Hall, Belfast
- 17 Mar – Vicar Street, Dublin (St Patrick’s Day)
- 18 Mar – George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow
- 21 Mar – Millennium Forum, Derry
- 22 Mar – Market Place, Armagh
- 23 Mar – Amharclann, Donegal
Tickets: On sale Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 10am from Ticketmaster.ie, venue box offices and imeldamay.co.uk.
Planning the rest of your spring? See what else is on around the city on What’s On.
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