The List

Hackney Empire

Built in 1901, the Hackney Empire was originally a music hall and during its colourful history has served as a TV studio and a bingo hall. It reopened as a theatre in 1986 as a permanent base for political theatre company C.A.S.T. (Cartoon Archetypical Slogan Theatre). In 2001 it was announced that the Empire had raised £15 million to fund the renovation and restoration of the theatre, which was opened by one of the primary benefactors Sir Alan Sugar in 2004. The programme includes theatre, music. comedy and children's shows.

What's On @ Hackney Empire

Iain Stirling: Relevant

Iain Stirling: Relevant

14 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The BAFTA-winning comedian, ‘national sensation’ (Evening Standard) and ‘extremely funny’ (Daily Telegraph) Iain Stirling, is bringing his intuitive razor-sharp humour back on tour with a brand new stand-up show for 2024. As the iconic voice of Love Island, star and writer of sitcom Buffering on ITV, and with his own stand-up special, Failing Upwards, on Prime Video, Iain hits the road once more with a brand new hour (of jokes) in his biggest tour to date! (It’s called RELEVANT if you’re interested). Touring the UK and Ireland in 2024. (May contain strong language and adult material; suitable for 16+.)
Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny

Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny

2 Jul 2025 - 19 Dec 2025

Jimmy tells jokes, and jokes are like magnets. Jokes attract people, but they can also repel. Some people are repelled by Jimmy's dark brand of comedy. This show is not for them. But if it's the kind of thing you like, then this is the kind of thing you’ll like.
Nish Kumar: Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe

Nish Kumar: Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe

4 Jul 2025 - 18 Sept 2025

Following an election year – with the country in turmoil – there’s only one comedian who can kill the mood even further… Nish Kumar – one of The Guardian and The Telegraph’s 50 Best Comedians of the 21st Century – is back on tour with his brand new politically-charged stand-up show, Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe, with extra dates now added due to phenomenal demand. Expect jokes about climate collapse, income inequality and the emotional sensation of being a British Indian man who didn’t vote for a British Indian Prime Minister. Sweet, sweet vibe killing. As seen and heard on The Mash Report, Taskmaster, Pod Save the UK, Live at the Apollo, Hold the Front Page and your favourite tabloid newspaper. Presented by Plosive Live in association with PBJ Management.
Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow: Show Pony
Taskmaster loser Nick Mohammed returns as his critically acclaimed alter-ego Mr. Swallow with a brand new show.  Show Pony has been described by Mr. Swallow as “payback for everyone who didn’t come to the last tour” and will cover everything from not having his own sitcom to not having his own sitcom… and everything in between (critical race theory). As per - expect magic, music and a whole load of brand new mistakes.
Josh Widdicombe

Josh Widdicombe

17 Sept 2025 - 16 May 2026

Josh Widdicombe is back on tour, not again! By now he has almost certainly mastered the art of stand-up, either that or he has wasted the last 15 years of his life. Come along and decide for yourself.
Myra Dubois

Myra Dubois

3 Sept 2025 - 22 Nov 2025

With her passion for compassion and flair for giving care, the bust a gut funny (Graham Norton) Myra DuBois calls out to the disadvantaged, downtrodden and tyrannised of the world with her manifesto for mental health: Ad Myrism! But are you ready to receive the call?
Two Mr P's in a Podcast Live

Two Mr P's in a Podcast Live

18 Oct 2025 - 22 May 2026

Mr P has been a primary school teacher for over twelve years. He still works part-time in school and leads training in schools all over the UK and beyond. From sharing ideas and funny insights into life in the classroom, he has now become one of the most followed teachers on social media in the UK. Three years ago, alongside his younger brother (who also works in a school) he started the award-winning podcast Two Mr Ps in a Podcast. In a year, it has been the number one education podcast and amassed over three million listens. Sharing funny stories from the front line of teaching, this live show will see the Two Mr Ps reminiscing on their own school days and looking at the wonderful and hilarious world of education. Anyone who went to school will enjoy and relate to this brilliant new show.
Phil Wang: Wang in There, Baby!

Phil Wang: Wang in There, Baby!

18 Jul 2025 - 20 Sept 2025

Phil Wang is a son of the British Empire. But in a world suddenly intent on building walls and bolstering borders, what is a Commonwealth man to do? A blistering new hour of comedy gold – that's what. Phil is a laid-back Eurasian stand-up comic with cerebral charm and a dorky swagger.
George Lewis: The Best Thing You'll Ever Do
Described as the funniest dad on Instagram, stand-up comedian George has racked up hundreds of millions of views for his hilarious online sketches about the big things in life, like owning an air fryer, watching a David Beckham documentary, and the excruciating experience of trying to do a jigsaw with your kid. Now he's bringing his brand-new stand-up show to the stage. It wont just be about parenting though, because he has done loads this year. He's bought a new hoover, watched some more stuff on Netflix loads.
Babatunde Aléshé

Babatunde Aléshé

10 Sept 2025 - 30 Nov 2025

Join the multi award winning star of Celebrity Gogglebox as he talks family and fatherhood in this highly anticipated debut tour. As seen on Jonathan Ross Comedy Club (ITV1), Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains (Comedy Central) and Mo Gilligan’s Black British & Funny (Channel 4).
Wolf and Owl Live

Wolf and Owl Live

7 Oct 2025 - 20 Nov 2025

After promising listeners for months, they are actually adding a couple more live dates: Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis are bringing their hit podcast Wolf & Owl to Manchester.
Michelle de Swarte: The Afters

Michelle de Swarte: The Afters

19 Sept 2025 - 30 May 2026

Michelle de Swarte is back with her entourage of trademark razor-sharp wit and no-holds-barred storytelling. After the main event's highs and lows, Michelle wonders what to do after the party. She's heading to the afters for some brutally honest oversharing about life before social media, trying to scrape the barrel of youth, how to know when too much filler is too much, breaking down the cost difference of "party powder" to powdered greens, whether tarot card readers replace actual therapy and when is a good time to pregame perimenopause. Michelle is here to share all the fu@k ups, so you don't have to.
Seann Walsh: After This One, I'm Going Home
Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and the self-dubbed “Lie-In King”, Seann Walsh is 'unquestionably the best observational comic of his generation' (The Guardian). Returning from his run in America, where he made his USA television debut appearance on Conan, Seann Walsh is back on tour in the UK. This disheveled, fiery, animated, fiercely idle, millennial man child is one of best live comedians to have come out of the UK. Seann made his acting debut starring in Comedy Central’s sitcom Big Bad World, this was quickly followed up by the lead role in Monks (BBC One), he utilized his physical comedic abilities in Sky’s silent comedy, Three Kinds of Stupid, which led to him producing, writing and starring in his own silent comedy web-series The Drunk. He also wrote and starred in his own Sky short for Sky Arts and is now co-starring in Jack Dee’s brand-new sitcom Bad Move (ITV one). He recently made his feature film debut as the children’s nemesis in family film, 2:hrs. Seann is quickly on his way to becoming one of the UK’s best comedy character actors. Team captain on Virtually Famous (Channel 4) and a regular on Play To The Whistle (ITV), other TV appearances include: One For The Road (BBC 3), Live At The Apollo (BBC 2), The Jonathan Ross Show (ITV), Tonight at The London Palladium (ITV), Celebrity Juice (ITV2), 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4), 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), Alan Carr’s Chatty Man (Channel 4) and Russell Howards Stand Up Central (Comedy Central) Seann can currently be heard hosting his weekly radio show News-Ish on Fubar Radio. His debut DVD, Seann to be Wild, was recorded at Hammersmith Apollo to critical acclaim when it was released in 2013 by Universal Pictures.
Kane Brown: Don’t Listen To Me

Kane Brown: Don’t Listen To Me

4 Oct 2025 - 18 Oct 2025

Fearlessly hilarious delivery combined with honesty and sincerity. Kane Brown is 19 years in the game, has performed around the world, has opened for Guz Khan on his UK Tour, can be seen on Man Like Mobeen (Netflix), Deepfake (Channel 4), She’s the One (Amazon) and heard on his hit Podcast, Rated 18.
Beverly Glenn-copeland

Beverly Glenn-copeland

2 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The diverse work of legendary singer, composer and transgender activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland has been gathering momentum in recent years thanks to a reissue of the extraordinary folk-jazz explorations of his debut self-titled album. This is an 18+ event.
Football Cliches Live

Football Cliches Live

6 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

The podcast the streets will never forget. Since launching in 2020, the Football Clichés podcast has been on a relentless search for the true meaning of football. Why do we talk about it the way we do? Just how big is a "pocket" of space? What's the least impressive thing that football could consider "a classy touch"? Which is worse: a "carthorse" or a "donkey"? How many errors constitute "a comedy of errors"? What's the worst football action scene in cinema history? What's the most "kit launch" pose a footballer can strike?

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