PORTICO Blog

Join in the celebration with European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) 2026, Northern Irelands annual festival of local architecture, history and culture! Taking place throughout September, European Heritage Open Days 2026 offers hundreds of free opportunities to explore hidden gems, discover fascinating stories and enjoy unique experiences across Northern Ireland.

As part of #EHOD2026, we're opening our doors for a unique opportunity for you to explore Portico's history as well as the building itself the with the guidance of our own Neil McClure who will be offering insight to the building's role in the Portaferry community over the years.

Sunday 13th September 2026
Two sessions starting at 14:00 and 15:00 respectively.
Free event
Learn more and plan your visit via the EHOD programme

Find out what's on:
Digital Brochure European Heritage Open Days 2026

Please note: While all European Heritage Open Days 2026 events are free to attend, some require advance booking.

Fancy a spot of choral singing?  Always thought that you might like to join a choir but never got around to it?

Now is the time to put that right.

The New Quay Singers is a group of singers of all levels of ability from those who can read music fluently to those who, to be perfectly honest, don’t have much of a clue about what’s going on…  If you can sing, you are welcome to come along.  We meet on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 in Rockport School in Craigavad and we perform three times a year in Portico.   We sing some fairly challenging stuff and its almost always from the great choral liturgical repertoire. 

Probably it’s the friendliest choir ever!

Interested – contact [email protected]

Do you know someone with an upcoming birthday or celebration you want to honour with a special gift for them to enjoy? A voucher for one of our exciting events is a great place to start!

Help Shape the Future of Entertainment at Portico.

At the Portico of Ards, programming is never static — it is a constantly evolving process shaped by a vast array of creativity, community, and a shared love of unforgettable, meaningful live experiences. From spectacular tribute performances and laugh-out-loud comedy nights to elegant classical concerts, we are always exploring new ways to bring exciting entertainment to our audiences.

Get ready for an unforgettable night of timeless rock as The Illegals featuring Niamh Kavanagh arrive at Portico on Friday 14th November for a spectacular live celebration of two of the greatest bands in music history. 

Many of you will be wondering what’s going on with Portico and alcohol at shows.  We decided in January to abandon the raffle system and work towards having a proper alcohol licence for Portico.  

Let’s Go Girls! The Ultimate Shania Twain Tribute Comes to Portico of Ards This September.

Get ready to dust off your cowboy boots and sing your heart out, because the ultimate celebration of country-pop royalty is heading to the stage at the Portico this autumn.

Lovers of classic pop music - we have a treat in store for you! Get ready for a spectacular night of nostalgia, unforgettable music, and feel-good entertainment as the Icons of the 70’s Show comes to Portico on 13th February 2027!

At Portico we are undergoing a bit of a spring refresh, particularly doing a digital deep clean of how we sell tickets for our fabulous upcoming events. Previous purchasers will know that we have been using Eventbrite to promote and distribute our tickets but we are now moving to a new platform, to us, Ticketsolve. 

We are delighted to share that Emer Maguire will be returning to the Portico of Ards on Sunday 25th Oct.