The Darkness announce Irish headline shows for December

The Darkness have announced three Irish headline dates for December, with shows confirmed for Belfast, Cork and Limerick.

The band will play Belfast's Telegraph Building on December 1, followed by Cork's Savoy Theatre on December 2, and Limerick's Live at the Big Top on December 3.

The shows will see the band perform a career-spanning set celebrating more than 20 years of music.

Formed in Lowestoft, England in 2000, The Darkness broke through with their 2003 debut album, Permission To Land. The record topped the UK Albums Chart, sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK, and spawned hits including 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love', 'Growing On Me', 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' and 'Love Is Only A Feeling'. In 2025, Permission To Land was named the best-selling British rock album of the 21st century.

After reuniting in 2011, the band released a string of albums including Hot Cakes, Last Of Our Kind, Pinewood Smile, Easter Is Cancelled and Motorheart. Their most recent album, Dreams On Toast, arrived in 2025 and became their highest-charting release since Permission To Land, reaching No. 2 in the UK.

The Darkness have also recently ventured into film, recording the original title track, 'Masters of the Universe', for the 2026 He-Man live-action Masters of the Universe film. Co-written with the movie's composer Daniel Pemberton, the song plays over the film's end credits and appears on the official soundtrack alongside Pemberton's score, which also features contributions from Queen guitarist Brian May.

The Irish dates precede the band's biggest UK headline tour in more than 20 years, which includes their first-ever headline performance at London's O2 Arena, following a summer appearance alongside Iron Maiden at Knebworth Park.

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 am via Ticketmaster.ie.