Michael Portillo brings live shows to Yorkshire – here's how to see him in Doncaster, Harrogate and York
Former Cabinet minister turned TV traveller Michael Portillo is heading to Yorkshire as part of a major UK tour – with shows in Doncaster, Harrogate and York.
Michael Portillo is swapping the world’s great railway journeys for the stage as he brings his stories of politics, television and travel to Yorkshire.
The former Secretary of State and much-loved TV broadcaster will bring his A Life of Two Halves 2026 Tour toThe Dome, Doncaster, on Friday, October 9, 2026, followed by** Harrogate Convention Centre on Wednesday, November 4, 2026**.
He returns to Yorkshire in the spring when The Michael Portillo Show arrives at theGrand Opera House, York, on Sunday, March 7, 2027.
Tickets are priced from £34.99 to £67.99, with the show lasting around one hour 50 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. It has an age recommendation of 14+.
The tour travels across England and Scotland, with stops including Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Exeter, Salford and London as well as the three Yorkshire appearances.
Billed as A Life of Two Halves for the 2026 dates, the show promises funny, insightful and poignant stories from Portillo’s remarkably varied career.
The son of a Spanish refugee, Portillo rose to become one of Britain’s best-known politicians, serving in Margaret Thatcher’s government before famously losing his Enfield Southgate seat at the 1997 General Election.
His career subsequently took a very different track.
He became a familiar television face, including appearances alongside Diane Abbott and Andrew Neil, before winning a new legion of fans travelling by rail across Britain and around the world.
The live show will see Portillo reflect on his father’s experiences during the Spanish Civil War, his own political career and his memories of Margaret Thatcher.
He will also reveal stories from his move into television and take audiences behind the scenes of his railway adventures across countries including Spain, the United States and India.
Whether your interest is politics, history, travel or those famous colourful jackets, the show promises to cover both halves of an extraordinary public life.
A LIFE OF TWO HALVES TOUR DATESOctober 2026
Tuesday, October 6 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea – 7.30pm
Friday, October 9 – The Dome, Doncaster – 7.30pm
Tuesday, October 20 – Regent Theatre, Ipswich – 7.30pm
Wednesday, October 21 – New Theatre, Peterborough – 7.30pm
Thursday, October 22 – Derngate Theatre, Northampton – 7.30pm
Saturday, October 24 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham – 7.30pm
Tuesday, October 27 – Anvil Arts, Basingstoke – 7.30pm
Wednesday, October 28 – G Live, Guildford – 7.30pm
Thursday, October 29 – New Theatre, Oxford – 7.30pm
November 2026
Tuesday, November 3 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – 8pm
Wednesday, November 4 – Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate – 7.30pm
Thursday, November 5 – Usher Hall, Edinburgh – 7.30pm
Monday, November 9 – Cadogan Hall, London – 7.30pm – sold out
Wednesday, November 11 – Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth – 7.30pm
Thursday, November 12 – The Great Hall, Exeter – 7.30pm
Friday, November 13 – Hall for Cornwall, Truro – 7.30pm
Saturday, November 14 – Concert Hall, Lighthouse, Poole – 2pm
Monday, November 16 – Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes – 7.30pm
Wednesday, November 18 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham – 7.30pm
Tuesday, November 24 – Congress Theatre, Eastbourne – 7.30pm
February 2027
Monday, February 15 – Buxton Opera House, Buxton – 7.30pm
Tuesday, February 16 – Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Salford – 7.30pm
Wednesday, February 17 – Storyhouse, Chester – 7.30pm
Monday, February 22 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil – 7.30pm
Tuesday, February 23 – Richmond Theatre, Richmond – 7.30pm
Wednesday, February 24 – The Alban Arena, St Albans – 7.30pm
Sunday, February 28 – City Hall, Salisbury – 7.30pm
March 2027
Monday, March 1 – Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells – 7.30pm
Wednesday, March 3 – Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry – 7.30pm
Thursday, March 4 – The Hexagon, Reading – 7.30pm
Sunday, March 7 – Grand Opera House, York – 7.30pm
Tuesday, March 9 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester – 7.30pm
Friday, March 12 – Festival Theatre, Malvern – 7.30pm
Sunday, March 14 – Adelphi Theatre, London – 7.30pm
Tuesday, March 16 – Fareham Live, Fareham – 7.30pm