The Empire Laughs Back on tour: Portrush first of six venues in Northern Ireland to host comedy club experience

Portrush has been pencilled in as the first venue for The Empire Laughs Back’s comedy evening tour to all six counties of Northern Ireland.

The Belfast club, which has been making people laugh since 1992, has partnered with Harp Lager to take its much-loved show on the road.

Taking turns to host will be Colin Murphy, Paddy McDonnell and Andrew Ryan and keeping the laughter going will be headline acts such as Ciaran Barlett, Paddy Raff, Susie McCabe, William Thompson, John Colleary, Adam Bloom, with more still to be announced.

The tour will stop at the following locations:

Comedians Paddy McDonnell, Colin Murphy and Andrew Ryan with Jade Henry, production executive at The Empire Laughs Back, highlighting the upcoming tour. Photo submittedplaceholder image
Comedians Paddy McDonnell, Colin Murphy and Andrew Ryan with Jade Henry, production executive at The Empire Laughs Back, highlighting the upcoming tour. Photo submitted
  • Harbour Gin Bar, Portrush - Wednesday, April 10;
  • Sallys Of Omagh - Wednesday, April 17;
  • O’Hares Newcastle – Wednesday, April 24;
  • Peadar O'Donnell's, Londonderry/Derry - Wednesday, May 1;
  • Blakes of the Hollow, Enniskillen - Wednesday, May 15;
  • Court House Bar, Lurgan – Wednesday, May 29.

Tickets for the tour are now on sale at empirelaughsback.com at a cost of £12 per person, with a discounted rate for students of £10 per person.

placeholder image
Read More
Red Arrows only Northern Ireland 2024 performance is confirmed, when and where t...

Jade Henry, production executive at The Empire Laughs Back, said: “I firmly believe humour makes us more resilient, creative, and resourceful people, it is simply good for the soul. In recent years we’ve seen such growth in popularity across the local comedy industry and as a result, we’ve loved welcoming more people through the doors of our Belfast venue.

“It feels like the perfect time to be taking our much-loved comedy night across all six counties of Northern Ireland. We are excited to share the talent of the comedians we have the pleasure to work with and bring laughter across the country.”

Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice