List of Comedy Festivals
Here is a list of the main comedy festivals in the UK.
Ongoing Festivals
April Fools Barnsley Comedy Fest
Running until Sunday 29th April
As the name suggests, this festival takes place in April.
Udderbelly Festival
Running until Sunday 30th September
A tented venue set up near the Southbank Centre in London, running through much of Spring and Summer.
April
Bath Comedy Festival
This year's festival has now finished.
Bath Comedy Festival gets bigger each year.
Balham Comedy Festival
Friday 27th April to Sunday 29th April
Based at The Bedford in Balham, this festival attracts a number of great names. 2017 was the festival's sixth year. Usually held in July, 2018's festival is a 'pint-sized' April event ahead of the venue's Summer refurbishment.
May
Derby Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in May
No news yet on whether this festival will be returning in 2018.
Leeds Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in May
No news yet on whether this festival will be returning in 2018.
London Clown Festival
Normally takes place in May
Based around The Omnibus at Manor House, this festival explores what clown is to the modern performer and their audiences. No news yet on whether this festival will be returning in 2018.
Machynlleth Comedy Festival
Friday 4th May to Sunday 6th May
The 'secret festival' in Wales. A wide variety of acts perform over the bank holiday weekend.
Wells Comedy Festival
Friday 25th May to Sunday 27th May
Many of the best acts flock to this well-regarded Somerset-based festival. 2018's programme features Rhod Gilbert, Alexei Sayle, Nish Kumar, Angela Barnes, James Acaster, Limmy, Sara Pascoe, Tim Key and many more.
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival (Hay-on-Wye)
Friday 25th May to Monday 28th May
A five-day festival of philosophy and music that will explore the theme of Darkness, Authority and Dreams. Organised by the Institute of Art and Ideas. Comedy performers include James Acaster and Ahir Shah.
Hay Festival
Friday 25th May to Tuesday 5th June
Located in Wales, with mainly literary based events. Comedians often read their books there.
Bath Fringe
Friday 25th May to Sunday 10th June
People talking (usually one at a time) at a microphone. Often funny, occasionally profound.
June
Wychwood Festival (Cheltenham)
Friday 1st June to Sunday 3rd June
This festival's comedy offering includes Matt Richardson, Patrick Monahan, Andrew Bird and Ela Baldhinio.
Bristol Comedy Garden
Wednesday 6th June to Sunday 10th June
Queen Square, in the heart of Bristol, is transformed into a comedy wonderland in June complete with legendary line-ups in the Big Top and Apple Top venues.
Hastings Fringe Comedy Festival
Wednesday 13th June to Sunday 17th June
10 locations in the old town of Hastings will be the centre for 5 days of street acts and stand-up comedy. The festival has space to accomadate 120 comedians in 2018.
Litchfield Comedy Festival
Saturday 23rd June to Saturday 23rd June
A full day of entertainment and comedy for all the family in Beacon Park. With 3 bars, Street Food and fun all day. Various comedians - including acts like Dane Baptiste and Paul Sinha - will be performing.
Ludlow Fringe Festival
Saturday 16th June to Sunday 1st July
A bunch of comedy shows to enjoy in the Shropshire market town.
Petworth Fringe
Thursday 28th June to Sunday 8th July
A season of events in Petworth, West Sussex. Notably for 2018, this fringe festival includes the biggest comedy prize in the country: £10,001.
The Tringe
Sunday 24th June to Saturday 14th July
A series of Edinburgh Festival preview shows performed in the Hertfordshire market town of Tring.
Croydon Comedy Festival
Friday 1st June to Tuesday 31st July
The annual Croydon Comedy Festival runs across the summer. Dates TBC.
Glastonbury Festival
Wednesday 26th June to Sunday 30th June
Comedians can always be found at Glastonbury in the various comedy-related performance areas. The festival will be back in June 2019.
July
Barnes Fringe Festival
Normally takes place in July
Edinburgh may be some 415 miles from Barnes, but for one week only in July, you can catch many of the acts appearing at the world-famous Festival in a series of exclusive previews taking place at the OSO Arts Centre and the Olympic Cinema.
Cambridge Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in July
A festival in Cambridge, which has been running for 11 years. No news yet on whether this festival will be returning in 2018.
ZEAL: The Pride Improv Festival
Normally takes place in July
A week-long festival to celebrate Pride, ZEAL takes place from in early July in partnership with London's top improv organisations.
ARG Com Fest (London)
Saturday 7th July to Sunday 8th July
The Actually Rather Good Comedy Festival (aka ARGComFest) hosts lots of preview shows each July in Shoreditch, ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe. 2018's line-up includes James Acaster, Adam Riches and Lucy Pearman.
Cornbury Festival
Friday 13th July to Sunday 15th July
This Oxfordshire festival features stand-up alongside various musical performances.
Henley Festival
Wednesday 11th July to Sunday 15th July
A 'posh' festival that attracts a number of top comedy headliners.
Latitude
Thursday 12th July to Sunday 15th July
Easily one of the best comedy line-ups in the country. This festival - featuring multiple areas for comedy - attracts both big name headliners and lesser known alternative acts. A live version of QI and Dylan Moran are amongst the 2018 headliners.
Guildford Fringe Festival
Friday 29th June to Thursday 19th July
Lots of comedy shows take place in Guildford across July.
Kaleidoscope (London)
Saturday 21st July to Saturday 21st July
A one-day festival at the Alexandra Park and Palace in London. Comedy includes Katherine Ryan, Mark Watson and Andrew Maxwell.
Buxton Festival Fringe
Wednesday 4th July to Sunday 22nd July
One of the largest open-access arts festivals in the country.
Curious Arts Festival
Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July
An arts festival in the heart of rural Hampshire.
Deer Shed Festival
Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July
An annual festival at Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.
Larmer Tree Festival
Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July
A festival in Cranborne Chase (straddling Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire).
Rewind Scotland (Perth)
Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July
The comedy special features multi-award winning Scottish comedian and best-selling author Janey Godley, the famously opinionated American comic Reginald D Hunter, and 2015 Scottish Comedian of The Year winner Daisy Earl.
Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival
Thursday 19th July to Sunday 22nd July
The second Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival arrives in July. Russell Kane hosts the Gala.
The Comedy Crate (Northampton)
Saturday 21st July to Sunday 22nd July
A two day Edinburgh preview festival from the Northampton comedy club. Good line-ups are expected.
Tramlines (Sheffield)
Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July
The comedy line-up for this festival includes Bethany Black, Henning Wehn and Tom Wrigglesworth.
Ealing Comedy Festival
Thursday 19th July to Friday 27th July
The Ealing Comedy Festival takes place over several nights in July, in Walpole Park.
Camp Bestival
Thursday 26th July to Sunday 29th July
Based around Lulworth Castle in Dorset, this festival normally books a couple of big headline comedy acts.
Jesterval (North East)
Monday 16th July to Sunday 29th July
A comedy festival in the North East. Jesterval will continue to feature some of the most exciting and finest comedians working in the UK today. From household names to hotly-tipped acts alongside the best local talent.
Kendal Calling
Thursday 26th July to Sunday 29th July
A festival at Lowther Deer Park in The Lake District.
Port Eliot Festival
Thursday 26th July to Sunday 29th July
Based in St Germans, Cornwall, one of the venues features a number of comedy bookings.
The Great Yorkshire Fringe
Thursday 19th July to Sunday 29th July
A festival that takes place in the centre of York. 2018's line-up features Stephen K Amos, Omid Djalili, Tony Slattery and Ed Gamble.
Greater Manchester Fringe
Sunday 1st July to Tuesday 31st July
The Greater Manchester Fringe takes place across July.
South Tyneside Comedy Festival
Friday 27th July to Sunday 5th August
The aim of this festival is to put incredible comics on, doing their festival shows, at affordable prices.
August
Rewind North (Cheshire)
Friday 3rd August to Sunday 5th August
Milton Jones, Mick Ferry and Mrs Barbara Nice, aka Janice Connolly, are due to appear at this festival.
Wilderness Festival
Thursday 2nd August to Sunday 5th August
Based in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, this festival has booked some big name comedians in previous years.
Green Man
Thursday 16th August to Sunday 19th August
This festival takes place in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. It's popular with comedians and so a number appear at the festival each year.
Rewind South (Henley-on-Thames)
Friday 17th August to Sunday 19th August
Milton Jones, Vikki Stone and David Morgan are due to appear at this festival.
Cornwall Comedy Festival
Friday 24th August to Sunday 26th August
Also known as Stand Up In The Wylds. Located near Bude in North Cornwall. The 2017 festival was postponed due to bad weather.
Reading & Leeds Festivals
Friday 24th August to Sunday 26th August
The biggest music and comedy acts appear together at the same festival.
The Camden Fringe
Monday 30th July to Sunday 26th August
Running for a month in North London, this festival involves lots of comedians playing across 25 different venues. 2018 return has been confirmed, but dates still to be announced.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Friday 3rd August to Monday 27th August
Thousands - literally thousands - of comedians appear at this festival each year. Check out BCG's comprehensive coverage
September
Cheltenham Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in September
A bunch of comedy shows for Cheltenham in September. The festival takes place at various venues throughout Cheltenham including The Town Hall, Parabola Arts Centre, Beehive Pub and The Strand.
Greenwich Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in September
One of London's biggest comedy festivals, with lots of well-known acts performing each year. 2018 dates have yet to be announced.
Objectively Funny Festival
Normally takes place in September
A new festival in central London (The Albany on Great Portland Street). The future of the festival has yet to be confirmed.
Festival Number 6
Thursday 6th September to Sunday 9th September
A classy festival in Portmeirion, North Wales. See their website for line-up news.
Liverpool Comedy Festival
Friday 14th September to Sunday 30th September
A range of shows across Liverpool City Centre and Merseyside.
October
Birmingham Improv Festival
Normally takes place in October
Established in 2016, this is an annual week-long festival of improvisational comedy.
Colchester Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in October
16 days of mirth and laughter programmed at venues all over Colchester. Phil Jupitus, Jo Caulfield and Jeremy Hardy were amongst the 2017 line-up.
Funny Things (Wolverhampton)
Normally takes place in October
Wolverhampton's comedy festival. The 2017 event featured over 120 events across 16 venues, celebrating Black Country humour.
Halifax Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in October
Sara Pascoe, Richard Herring and Lee Nelson appeared at the 2017 festival.
Leamington Spa Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in October
The Leamington Spa Comedy Festival takes place in October.
Women in Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in October
A Manchester-based festival featuring female acts. Each year there are over 100 shows involved.
Henley Literary Festival
Saturday 29th September to Sunday 7th October
Comedians who have written a book often are booked to speak at this festival.
Aberdeen Comedy Festival
Thursday 4th October to Saturday 13th October
The ten-day festival will feature national and international comedians who will perform throughout the city centre.
Birmingham Comedy Festival
Friday 5th October to Sunday 14th October
Over 70 comedy performances take place across the city each October.
Southport Comedy Festival
Thursday 4th October to Sunday 21st October
Featuring top acts, a Children's Comedy Festival, a competition for new comedians, and more.
November
Hull Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in November
Three weeks of fun across various venues in the centre of Hull. Returns in November 2018.
Nottingham Comedy Festival
Friday 2nd November to Saturday 10th November
The 10th Nottingham Comedy Festival takes place in early November 2018. This is an open access festival so acts of all levels and types of comedy are welcome to apply.
December
UK Jewish Comedy Festival
Normally takes place in December
JW3's Jewish Comedy Festival, in West Hampstead (London), features a mix of performances, workshops and events. Mark Steel and Shappi Khorsandi are amongst the stars for the 2017 festival.
January 2019
Vault Festival
This festival normally takes place in January
Running across several months early in the year, Vault Festival is described as "London's answer to Edinburgh's Fringe".
February 2019
Eastern European Comedy Festival (London)
This festival normally takes place in February
The first Eastern European Comedy Festival is launching ran for 5 days at the end of February 2018, in London.
Leicester Comedy Festival
Wednesday 6th February to Sunday 24th February 2019
One of the country's biggest comedy festivals. See their website for the latest news.
Slapstick Festival
Friday 8th February to Sunday 10th February 2019
The 2019 festival will take place in February.
March 2019
Big Mouth Comedy Festival (Portsmouth)
This festival normally takes place in March
A comedy festival at the Guildhall venue. Russell Kane, Zoe Lyons, Seann Walsh and Andy Parsons are amongst the stars.
Chipping Norton Comedy Festival
This festival normally takes place in March
In Oxfordshire, the 'Gateway to the Cotswolds', Chipping Norton, has its own two-day festival. It is expected to return in Spring 2019.
Glasgow International Comedy Festival
This festival normally takes place in March
Many top names perform in Glasgow in March. See the website for more information.