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theatre · Friday 28 August 2026 · 8:00pm 
Folk Club at Abbey Lane - Armagh
At Abbey Lane Theatre · Abbey Lane, Armagh, Co. Armagh BT61 7DW
At Abbey Lane Theatre · Abbey Lane, Armagh, Co. Armagh BT61 7DW
Every last Friday of the month, the 55-seat Abbey Lane Theatre off Linenhall Street in Armagh city fills up for Folk Club, Armagh Theatre Group’s long-running open mic night. It combines a booked guest act with open floor slots for musicians, singers, poets and storytellers, and it has built a reputation as one of the friendliest small-venue nights in the north - a proper stage, a proper audience, and a room that reliably fills. Whether you want to perform or just watch, it is a good night out in a setting bigger venues cannot replicate.
The evening is structured loosely: a guest act opens or is woven through the night - past guests have included singer-songwriters such as Patrick Toal and Sandra Clarke - and open mic slots are available for anyone who puts their name forward on the night or in advance. Acts have ranged from folk and country singers to spoken word poets, storytellers and choirs, so the exact line-up varies from month to month. That unpredictability is part of the draw.
It is a BYOB event, with doors at 8:00pm and the show typically starting around 8:30pm. To perform, get in touch with Armagh Theatre Group via their Facebook page (ArmaghTheatreGroupatg) or website before the night to arrange a slot.
Armagh city is roughly 40 miles south-west of Belfast and around 85 miles north of Dublin. By car, the A3 from Belfast via Portadown takes about an hour; the A28 connects from Newry to the south. The theatre is on Abbey Lane, off Linenhall Street between Scotch Street and Dobbin Street, a short walk from the Market Place Theatre and St Patrick’s Cathedral. Free parking is available nearby in the city centre. Translink Goldline and Bus Eireann services connect Armagh to Belfast, Dublin and Dundalk.
Armagh is Ireland’s ecclesiastical capital, with two St Patrick’s Cathedrals on neighbouring hills, the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, and one of the best-preserved Georgian city centres on the island. A night at Abbey Lane fits neatly after dinner on English Street or a walk through the Mall. There is more to see in Armagh and across Co. Armagh.
Heading to Abbey Lane Theatre in Armagh? Armagh has plenty more to see. Read the Armagh area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.