Live Comedy
Comedy festivals
A wide range of festivals operate in the UK, many either dedicated to comedy or including it as a part of their programme.
Vault Festival (London)
Tuesday 25th January to Sunday 20th March
Running across several months early in the year, Vault Festival is described as "London's answer to Edinburgh's Fringe". Returns in 2022.
Slapstick Festival (Bristol)
Wednesday 26th January to Sunday 30th January
An annual celebration of slapstick comedy.
Leicester Comedy Festival
Wednesday 2nd February to Sunday 20th February
One of the country's biggest comedy festivals.
HowTheLightGetsIn (Hay-on-Wye)
Monday 2nd May to Thursday 5th May
A four-day festival of philosophy and music, including a selection of great comic talent.
Brighton Fringe
Friday 6th May to Sunday 5th June
Lots of shows, many of them work-in-progress gigs.
Bath Fringe
Sunday 29th May to Monday 13th June
"People talking (usually one at a time) at a microphone. Often funny, occasionally profound."
Wychwood Festival (Cheltenham)
Friday 3rd June to Sunday 5th June
This Cheltenham-based festival's comedy offering is "a small but perfectly-formed line-up".
Henley Festival
Monday 6th June to Friday 10th June
A posh festival that attracts a number of top comedy headliners.
Ludlow Fringe Festival
Saturday 18th June to Sunday 10th July
A bunch of comedy shows to enjoy in the Shropshire market town.
Glastonbury Festival
Wednesday 22nd June to Sunday 26th June
Comedians can always be found at Glastonbury in the various comedy-related performance areas.
Guildford Fringe Festival
Saturday 25th June to Saturday 16th July
Lots of comedy shows take place in Guildford across July.
Buxton Festival Fringe
Wednesday 6th July to Sunday 24th July
One of the largest open-access arts festivals in the country, providing three weeks of "friendly, supportive and affordable" entertainment each July.
Cornbury Festival (Oxfordshire)
Friday 8th July to Sunday 10th July
This Oxfordshire festival features stand-up alongside various musical performances.
Latitude (Suffolk)
Thursday 21st July to Sunday 24th 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.
Standon Calling (Hertfordshire)
Thursday 21st July to Sunday 24th July
A festival of music, comedy and family-friendly entertainment.
Last Stop To Edinburgh Comedy Festival (Stockton)
Friday 22nd July to Saturday 23rd July
A two-day Edinburgh Fringe preview festival at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees, featuring big names, local acts and kids' shows.
Tramlines (Sheffield)
Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July
A three-day festival in Sheffield, including music and comedy.
Rewind Scotland (Perth)
Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July
A three-part series of festivals covering the UK. This is the Scottish instalment, taking place in Perth.
Last Stop To Edinburgh Comedy Festival (Stockton)
Friday 22nd July to Saturday 23rd July
A two-day Edinburgh Fringe preview festival at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees, featuring big names, local acts and kids' shows.
Kaleidoscope (London)
Saturday 23rd July
A one-day festival at the Alexandra Park and Palace in London.
Camp Bestival (Dorset)
Thursday 28th July to Sunday 31st July
Based around Lulworth Castle in Dorset, this festival normally books a couple of big headline comedy acts.
Kendal Calling
Thursday 28th July to Sunday 31st July
A festival at Lowther Deer Park in The Lake District.
Y Not Festival (Derbyshire)
Friday 29th July to Sunday 31st July
'Y Not?' is a Peak District music festival which often has some great comedy names also performing.
Elephant Camp (Northamptonshire)
Friday 29th July to Sunday 31st July
A festival featuring a number of comedy bookings, currently held in Fawsley Park. Formerly the Port Eliot Festival, which was based in St Germans, Cornwall.
Deer Shed Festival (North Yorkshire)
Friday 29th July to Sunday 31st July
An annual festival at Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.
The Camden Fringe (London)
Monday 1st August to Sunday 28th August
Running for a month in North London, this festival involves lots of comedians playing across many different venues.
Wilderness Festival (Oxfordshire)
Thursday 4th August to Sunday 7th August
Based in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, this festival has booked some big name comedians in previous years.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Friday 5th August to Monday 29th August
Thousands - literally thousands - of comedians appear at this festival each year. Check out BCG's comprehensive website.
Rewind North (Macclesfield)
Friday 5th August to Sunday 7th August
A three-part series of festivals covering the UK. This is the Northern instalment, taking place in Macclesfield.
Fringe By The Sea (North Berwick)
Friday 5th August to Sunday 14th August
A festival held in the Scottish seaside town of North Berwick in August.
Green Man (Brecon Beacons)
Thursday 18th August to Sunday 21st 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 19th August to Sunday 21st August
A three-part series of festivals covering the UK. This is the Southern instalment, taking place in Oxfordshire.
Lost Village (Lincolnshire)
Thursday 25th August to Sunday 28th August
Lost Village is an otherworldly 4-day festival experience set in an abandoned woodland village. The festival includes, food, music, workshops and comedy from both household and acclaimed but lesser-known acts.
Reading & Leeds Festivals
Friday 26th August to Sunday 28th August
The biggest music and comedy acts appear together at the same dual-location, 3-day festival event.
Victorious Festival (Portsmouth)
Friday 26th August to Sunday 28th August
Victorious Festival launched its first comedy tent in 2018.
Other festivals to look out for
The following festivals have yet to confirm their next dates.
The Big Burns Supper (Dumfries)
Normally February
Scotland's largest contemporary Burns celebration, marking Burns Night among other events.
UK Kids' Comedy Festival
Normally March
A children's comedy festival which forms part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.
Edinburgh International Improv Festival
Normally March
Scotland's first and only festival of improv.
The Laugharne Weekend (South Wales)
Normally April
Arts festival, including comedy, held in Laugharne in South Wales.
Big Mouth Comedy Festival (Portsmouth)
Normally April
A comedy festival at the Guildhall venue in Portsmouth.
Bath Comedy Festival
Normally May
Bath Comedy Festival gets bigger each year. For 2021, it was sub-titled "Permission To Laugh Festival!"
West Didsbury Comedy Festival (Manchester)
Normally May
Comedy in the Manchester suburb. The open-to-all long weekend features festival favourites, TV comedians, rising stars and local talent.
Underbelly Festival (Cavendish Square, London)
Normally May
A tented venue set up near the Southbank Centre in London, running through much of Spring and Summer.
April Fools Barnsley Comedy Fest
Normally May
As its name suggests, this festival takes place in April.
Leeds Comedy Festival
Normally June
Leeds Comedy Festival last took place in 2017, but returned in 2021.
Machynlleth Comedy Festival (Wales)
Normally June
The 'secret festival' in Wales. A wide variety of acts perform over the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Hay Festival (Wales)
Normally June
Located in Wales, with mainly literary based events. Comedians often read their books here.
Manford's Blackpool Comedy Festival
Normally June
Comedy festivals held by Jason Manford's comedy club.
HowTheLightGetsIn (London)
Normally June
Comedy from a range of great talent you might not yet have seen on television.
London Clown Festival
Normally June
This festival explores what clown is to the modern performer and their audiences.
Lichfield Comedy Festival
Normally June
A full day of entertainment and comedy for all the family in Beacon Park.
Wells Comedy Festival
Normally June
Many of the best acts flock to this well-regarded Somerset-based festival.
Oban Comedy Festival (Scotland)
Normally July
A Scottish comedy festival featuring gigs spread across a month.
Attic Arts Club (Crystal Palace, London)
Normally July
A festival at Upper Norwood Library Hub in Crystal Palace.
Bristol Comedy Garden
Normally July
Queen Square, in the heart of Bristol, is transformed into a comedy wonderland in the Summer, complete with legendary line-ups in the Big Top and Apple Top venues.
Oxford Comedy Festival
Normally July
A month-long comedy festival that normally happens in July. The organisers present some of the best comedians headed to Edinburgh and other large festivals.
Hastings Fringe Comedy Festival
Normally July
The Hastings Fringe is an independent, free festival featuring a range of comedy stars.
Barnes Fringe
Normally August
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.
Chester Comedy Festival
Normally August
First held in 2018, this comedy festival takes place each year in the historic North-Western city.
West Yorkshire Comedy Festival
Normally August
A festival covering Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Huddersfield.
Cambridge Comedy Festival
Normally August
A festival in Cambridge, which has been occurring for more than a decade.
Greater Manchester Fringe
Normally August
The Greater Manchester Fringe takes place across September.
Country Mile Comedy Festival (Kings Cross, London)
Normally August
A festival held at the Country Mile Comedy Club in Kings Cross.
The Tringe (Hertfordshire)
Normally August
A series of Edinburgh Festival preview shows performed in the Hertfordshire market town of Tring.
Darlington Comedy Festival
Normally August
The Darlington Comedy Festival usually runs from early July for a month.
Balham Comedy Festival
Normally August
Based at The Bedford in Balham, this festival always offer up one of the best line-ups of the summer.
Durham Fringe Festival
Normally August
A festival taking place across four venues in the north-east.
Milton Keynes International Festival
Normally August
An outdoor theatre with large and small-scale performance, circus, stand-up comedy, live music, family activities and free events.
Larmer Tree Festival (South)
Normally August
A festival in Cranborne Chase, straddling Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Bedford Festival Fringe
Normally August
Events take place at The Quarry Theatre and The Place Theatre in the Bedfordshire market town.
Assembly Festival Garden (Coventry)
Normally August
A special event held in a Covid-safe venue in Coventry, as the city marks its spot as City of Culture 2021.
Ealing Comedy Festival
Normally August
The Ealing Comedy Festival takes place over several nights in July, in Walpole Park.
Marlowe Comedy Weekender (Canterbury)
Normally August
A celebration of all things funny at Higginson Park.
Brighton Comedy Garden
Normally August
The first Brighton Comedy Garden planted its roots in June 2019.
ARG Com Fest (Shoreditch, London)
Normally August
The Actually Rather Good Comedy Festival (aka ARGComFest) hosts lots of preview shows each July in Shoreditch, ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe.
The Blue Tick Festival (Dalston)
Normally September
A festival of online comedians having their work screened at the Rio Cinema in Dalston, London.
Stourbridge Comedy Festival
Normally September
A comedy festival held in the Irish pub the Katie Fitzgerald's.
Laughs On The Lawn (Burton Constable)
Normally September
An outdoor comedy festival organised by the people behind the Hull Comedy Festival, held at Burton Constable, East Yorkshire.
Byline Festival (East Sussex)
Normally September
Festival in the woodlands of Pippingford Park, Ashdown Forest, near the A22 in East Sussex.
Winchester Comedy Festival
Normally October
A series of shows from the Hampshire city, including the Theatre Royal.
Liverpool Comedy Festival
Normally October
A range of shows across Liverpool city centre and Merseyside.
Camberley Comedy Festival
Normally October
A one-night comedy festival in Surrey's Camberley Theatre.
Objectively Funny Festival (London)
Normally October
A festival in central London (The Albany on Great Portland Street).
Greenwich Comedy Festival (London)
Normally October
One of London's biggest comedy festivals, with lots of well-known acts performing each year.
Last Train Home Festival (Darlington)
Normally October
A music and comedy festival in Darlington organsied by the Tracks music collective.
Henley Literary Festival
Normally October
Comedians who have written a book are often booked to speak at this festival.
Tsitsit: The Jewish Fringe
Normally November
Described as "a new fringe festival with a broad Jewish flavour", it takes place in various cities across the country.
Faversham Fringe (Kent)
Normally November
A fringe festival featuring all genres of the performing arts including stand-up, theatre, magic, storytelling, improv and hypnotism.
Whitechapel Arts Showcase (London)
Normally November
A celebration of London's finest expressions of creativity and talent, set right in the heart of the East End.
Leith Comedy Festival
Normally November
Leith Comedy Festival aims to celebrate and inspire creativity and wellbeing through laughter.
Last Stop To Edinburgh Comedy Festival (Leeds)
Normally November
A festival originally for Edinburgh preview shows held in Stockton and Leeds. The Leeds shows are performed Carriageworks Theatre.
Aberdeen International Comedy Festival
Normally November
Usually a ten-day festival features national and international comedians, who will perform throughout the city centre. In 2021 the shows were spread over several months.
Birmingham Comedy Festival
Normally November
Over 70 comedy performances take place across the city each October.
Women in Comedy Festival (Manchester)
Normally November
A Manchester-based festival featuring female acts.
Leamington Spa Comedy Festival
Normally November
The Leamington Spa Comedy Festival takes place in October.
Aberystwyth Comedy Festival
Normally November
A new-ish comedy festival from the team that organise Machynlleth.
Southport Comedy Festival
Normally November
Featuring top acts, a Children's Comedy Festival, a competition for new comedians, and more.
Nottingham Comedy Festival
Normally December
Nottingham Comedy Festival is an open access festival where acts of all levels and types of comedy are welcome to apply.
The Chortle Comedy Book Festival (London)
Normally December
Britain's only book festival entirely devoted to comedy. Held at the British Library and 2Northdown.