CURTIS STIGERS FOR THE FORUM NEXT APRIL
1 October 2025
The Millennium Forum has just announced that Curtis Stigers will make a welcome return to the city next April as part of the 25th Anniversary of the City of Derry Jazz Festival. Curtis will headline the festival on 29th April 2026 and tickets go on sale from the Forum Box Office at 9.30am on Fri 3rd October, priced £32.00.
David McLaughlin, Chief Executive of the Millennium Forum, is delighted to host Curtis at the city’s premier venue. He said:
“I am very much looking forward to welcoming the globally renowned musician, Curtis Stigers, back to our stage. 2026 is also the Millennium Forum’s 25th anniversary year, so we are excited to be hosting such a talented performer for what will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of such a special anniversary of the Jazz Festival.”
Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Ruairí McHugh, welcomed the announcement, saying:
“I am absolutely delighted to see the return of the internationally acclaimed Curtis Stigers to the City of Derry Jazz Festival. Curtis is a world renowned talent whose music has inspired generations and it will be an honour to host him once again in the city where he received a phenomenal welcome in 2014. The Jazz Festival has grown to become one of the biggest highlights in our cultural calendar, attracting visitors from near and far to enjoy an incredible line-up of performers and a warm Derry welcome. Having Curtis Stigers join us this year will make the occasion even more memorable, and I know audiences will be in for a truly unforgettable night.”
Curtis Stigers burst onto the recording scene in 1991 with his eponymously titled debut album, which sold 1.5 million copies and spawned several self-penned, pop/soul hit singles, including “You’re All That Matters To Me”, “Never Saw A Miracle” and the worldwide top ten hit, “I Wonder Why.” The next year the singer/songwriter/saxophonist recorded Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding” for “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, which has sold over 45 million copies worldwide.
Stigers recorded two more pop-oriented albums in the 1990s and made guest appearances on several albums, including two by his early musical mentor, the legendary jazz pianist Gene Harris. In 2001 Stigers pivoted artistically and signed with Concord Jazz. Over the next 18 years he recorded nine genre-busting albums, combining his jazz sensibilities with his love for emotional, well-written modern songs from a wide variety of sources including rock, blues, soul, country and folk. During this period Stigers co-wrote and sang “This Life”, the Emmy Award-nominated theme song to the wildly popular TV show “Sons Of Anarchy”, and also made cameo appearances in the Seth MacFarlane movies “Ted” and “Ted 2”. All the while, Stigers was cultivating a successful and enduring touring career, playing concerts around the world, performing songs from his jazz albums as well as newly reconstructed “jazz” versions of his hit songs from his early pop albums.
Curtis Stigers performs at the Millennium Forum on 29th April 2026. Tickets go on sale from the Box Office at 9.30am on Friday 3rd October. Telephone 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for tickets.