Empire Comedy Club

Empire Comedy Club is Portland, Maine's home for world-class stand-up, upstairs at 575 Congress Street in the heart of the Arts District. The room books national headliners weekly alongside New England favorites and a growing local scene — recent and upcoming bills include Chris Distefano, Dan Soder, Sam Jay, Bobcat Goldthwait, Dave Smith and Eddie Pepitone — plus in-house showcases like The Sunday Best, SET ROULETTE, The Dark & Dirty Show and the 64-comedian Empire Comedy Classic. The building has gathered people for over a century: it opened in 1916 as the Empire Restaurant, became Empire Dine & Dance in 2007, and the upstairs space became Empire Comedy Club in 2020, relaunching in late December 2023 with a renewed focus on live comedy. Empire Chinese Kitchen still serves downstairs. All shows are 21+, seating is general admission or preferred, and there is a two-item food-and-drink minimum.