The Blindboy Podcast Live will open its UK tour at Brighton Dome on Sunday 18 October 2026, bringing the Irish writer and podcaster’s storytelling and conversation to the Concert Hall.
The Brighton show starts at 7.30pm, with doors at 6.45pm. The venue lists tickets from £34 and an age restriction of 16+.
The appearance is part of Brighton Dome Comedy Festival, which runs from 16 to 25 October 2026. Our Brighton Dome Comedy Festival guide has the wider programme, venues and family events.
At a glance
| Event | The Blindboy Podcast Live |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 18 October 2026 |
| Venue | Brighton Dome Concert Hall |
| Times | Doors 6.45pm; show 7.30pm |
| Tickets | £34, £39, £44 and £49 |
| Age restriction | 16+ |
| Tour running time | Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20-minute interval, according to Fane |
A live version of the podcast
The format builds on Blindboy’s interest in the Irish storytelling tradition of the seanchaí. Promoter Fane describes an evening moving between stories, cultural discussion and a conversation with a guest, with subjects drawn from areas including history, music and psychology.
Fane’s Brighton listing does not name the guest. Fane describes a different guest at each stop, so the conversations will vary across the tour.
That makes this a podcast event within the comedy festival programme. Readers who usually listen at home can hear the format develop in front of an audience, while the guest element gives each date its own direction.
Who is Blindboy?
For many Irish people, Blindboy Boatclub first came to prominence as one half of comedy hip-hop duo The Rubberbandits. Their 2010 song Horse Outside became a viral hit and a contender for Ireland’s Christmas number one, ultimately finishing second behind Matt Cardle’s X-Factor single. The peak UK position was 160 and remains on my iTunes as my only ever purchase.
The absurd humour and plastic shopping bags worn as masks made the pair instantly recognisable, long before Kneecap’s DJ Próvaí appeared in his tricolour balaclava. For Blindboy, the mask also serves a practical purpose. He has explained that it allows him to perform publicly while preserving an ordinary private life, including going shopping without being recognised. It remains central to his public identity.
It was easy to initially dismiss them as a comedy act based on early TV appearances, but their facade dropped and the intelligence started to come through later on interviews in 2016. In October 2017 Blindboy (real name David Chambers) started up a podcast, accumulating more than 90 million listens worldwide. While those figures aren’t close to Joe Rogan or similar, Ireland’s population was under 5 million compared to 325 million in the USA in 2017 which has to be taken into consideration. And let’s be honest, the Limerick twang is not the soft Irish lilt that many crone over. It takes a special talent to talk for an hour non-stop with incredible eloquently and be intelligent, coherent and engaging.
My personal opinion of him changed when I heard him talk in 2018 on a comedian’s podcast (who I refuse to give any publicity to, sorry). Blindboy spoke about mental health and the idea of trauma passing between generations, tracing his own family’s experiences back towards the Irish Famine. His understanding and sharing of Irish history is exemplary, and I would describe him as an important Irish voice of my generation.
Blindboy’s writing beyond the microphone
Blindboy Boatclub’s published work includes Topographia Hibernica. Publisher Hachette describes the short-story collection as examining humanity, nature and colonisation through a contemporary Irish perspective.
That interest in connecting stories with wider cultural questions also runs through the advertised live format. The evening is promoted around the exchange between host and guest; it is not billed as a reading of a single book.
Upcoming tour dates
The following dates are listed on the official tour schedule, checked on 8 October 2026. This table covers the remaining announced dates from that day; ticket availability can change.
| Date | Town or city | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 18 October 2026 | Brighton | Brighton Dome Concert Hall |
| 20 October 2026 | Cardiff | New Theatre |
| 21 October 2026 | Coventry | Warwick Arts Centre Theatre |
| 22 October 2026 | Bristol | Bristol Beacon Hall |
| 24 October 2026 | Guildford | G Live |
| 26 October 2026 | London | Barbican Hall |
| 28 October 2026 | Glasgow | Pavilion Theatre |
| 29 October 2026 | Gateshead | Sage One |
| 1 November 2026 | Nottingham | Theatre Royal |
Booking the Brighton opening night
Brighton Dome lists reserved seating and four ticket bands, starting at £34. These are the local venue’s published prices; select seats through its booking page for the total applicable to your order.
Fane gives an approximate running time of one hour and 50 minutes including an interval. Allow some flexibility when arranging travel, as a live conversation can vary. All nine dates on the promoter’s schedule have a 7.30pm start.
Getting to Brighton Dome
The Concert Hall entrance is on Church Street, Brighton BN1 1UE. Check the room on your ticket when planning where to meet. Brighton Dome’s travel information covers getting there, while its access guide explains facilities and booking support.
You May Also Be Interested In
