Photo: TAKK AB
Chris de Burgh will go back on a solo tour in 2027. On April 22, 2027, the Irish singer-songwriter will perform at Theater 11 in Zurich. He’ll bring his voice, two instruments, and a medley of hits ranging from “The Lady in Red” to “Don’t Pay the Ferryman.”
You might think Chris de Burgh has said it all. Twenty-six albums, 323 original compositions, more than 45 million records sold. The Irish singer has been on stage for over 50 years. In April 2027, he’ll be doing it again. His new solo tour will take him across Germany, then on to Paris, Amsterdam, and the United Kingdom. In between, he’ll stop in Switzerland: on April 22, 2027, at Theater 11 in Zurich.
Why does he keep going? The reason is disarming: love. The love between him and his tens of thousands of fans, plus his affection for the country and its people. That sounds like cliché. But coming from a man who wrote “The Lady in Red,” we’ll let that slide.
The concept is simple. No band, no elaborate stage show. An artist, his voice, two instruments. The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung experienced such an evening and attributed the “goosebump moments” to the “pure reduction to the essentials.” Their conclusion: “Chris de Burgh has shown that real music needs no distractions. Anyone who was there experienced an evening they won’t soon forget.”
The Zurich audience is familiar with this format. In November 2024, de Burgh stood alone on the stage of Theater 11. He alternated between the grand piano and the guitar, playing one song from each of his albums. Between songs, he shared the stories behind them. The hall was nearly sold out.
In November 2025, the Süddeutsche Zeitung explored the question of why his concerts have been successful for decades. Their answer: Chris de Burgh is still “a great songwriter and storyteller.” And: “De Burgh has something to say; you can understand every word in the songs.”
This holds true for the classics. In “Don’t Pay the Ferryman,” he warns against paying the ferryman before arriving. “Missing You” is a breakup ballad. “The Lady in Red” became a global hit in 1986 and has been a staple at weddings on every continent ever since.
It also applies to later works like “Legacy” from his musical “Robin Hood.” “It’s a song about heroes like you and me,” says de Burgh. “One voice can’t achieve much, but millions can. We call that democracy.”