Darren Kiely

On 1 October 2026 at Gorilla, Manchester, Irish singer-songwriter Darren Kiely brings a folk‑pop set shaped by the instruments he grew up with: tin whistle, fiddle and acoustic guitar. Raised in County Cork and steeped in traditional tunes, he writes in clear, melodic lines and keeps the storytelling up front — pieces about family ties, departures and those small turning points that shift a life. Live, that translates into direct vocals, intimate dynamics and arrangements that move between Celtic colours and contemporary American folk.

The show draws on his recent singles How Could You Love Me, Ella, Time To Leave and Mom & Dad, alongside new material, carried by an unvarnished delivery and fiddle lines that give the melodies lift. Between Ireland and the US, he has shaped a sound that favours narrative detail over effect; in the setting of Gorilla, with close‑up songwriting, whistle and strings threading through guitar figures, and choruses that settle in quietly.