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.
Oxford Comedy Festival
Friday 28th June to Sunday 28th 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.
Greater Manchester Fringe
Monday 1st July to Wednesday 31st July
The Greater Manchester Fringe normally takes place across July.
Watford Fringe
Monday 1st July to Sunday 4th August
"Supporting great talent to entertain local audiences".
Somerset Comedy Festival
Wednesday 3rd July to Sunday 28th July
A festival taking place across the county, including Taunton, Bridgwater, Weston super Mare and Bridgwater.
Ealing Comedy Festival
Wednesday 10th July to Sunday 4th August
The Ealing Comedy Festival takes place over several nights in July, in Walpole Park.
Normal For Norfolk Comedy Festival
Monday 15th July to Saturday 27th July
A comedy festival held in various towns across the county of Norfolk.
Newcastle Fringe Festival
Tuesday 16th July to Saturday 27th July
A Fringe festival held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Bedford Festival Fringe
Thursday 18th July to Sunday 28th July
Events take place at The Quarry Theatre and The Place Theatre in the Bedfordshire market town.
GigGag Comedy Festival (London)
Friday 19th July to Sunday 28th July
GigGag partners with open mic nights in London to run this festival showcasing up-and-coming acts.
Creatures Comedy Festival (Manchester)
Friday 19th July to Sunday 28th July
A festival held at the Creatures Comedy Club in Manchester.
Durham Fringe Festival
Wednesday 24th July to Sunday 28th July
A festival taking place across four venues in the north-east.
St Albans Comedy Garden
Wednesday 24th July to Sunday 28th July
Outdoor comedy gigs in Verulamium Park.
Bluedot (Jodrell Bank)
Thursday 25th July to Sunday 28th July
A music, science and comedy festival held at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire.
Kings Heath Comedy Festival (Birmingham)
Thursday 25th July to Sunday 28th July
A comedy festival from the area of Birmingham best known as the home of Joe Lycett.
Latitude (Suffolk)
Thursday 25th July to Sunday 28th 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.
Camp Bestival (Dorset)
Thursday 25th July to Sunday 28th July
Based around Lulworth Castle in Dorset, this festival normally books a couple of big headline comedy acts.
Truck Festival (Oxfordshire)
Friday 26th July to Sunday 28th July
A music festival held at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire.
Deer Shed Festival (North Yorkshire)
Friday 26th July to Monday 29th July
An annual festival at Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.
Tramlines (Sheffield)
Friday 26th July to Sunday 28th July
A three-day festival in Sheffield, including music and comedy.
Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival (Leeds)
Sunday 28th July
The first large-scale, open-air comedy festival to happen in Leeds.
The Camden Fringe (London)
Monday 29th July to Sunday 25th August
Running for a month in North London, this festival involves lots of comedians playing across many different venues.
Wilderness Festival (Oxfordshire)
Thursday 1st August to Sunday 4th August
Based in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, this festival has booked some big name comedians in previous years.
Kendal Calling
Thursday 1st August to Sunday 4th August
A festival at Lowther Deer Park in The Lake District.
Y Not Festival (Derbyshire)
Friday 2nd August to Sunday 4th August
'Y Not?' is a Peak District music festival which often has some great comedy names also performing.
Rewind North (Macclesfield)
Friday 2nd August to Sunday 4th 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 2nd August to Sunday 11th August
A festival held in the Scottish seaside town of North Berwick in August.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Friday 2nd August to Monday 26th August
Thousands - literally thousands - of comedians appear at this festival each year. Check out BCG's comprehensive website.
Green Man (Brecon Beacons)
Thursday 15th August to Sunday 18th 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.
Camp Bestival (Shropshire)
Thursday 15th August to Sunday 18th August
A second Camp Bestival, held at Weston Park.
Rewind South (Henley-on-Thames)
Friday 16th August to Sunday 18th August
A three-part series of festivals covering the UK. This is the Southern instalment, taking place in Oxfordshire.
Hardwick Festival (Sedgefield)
Friday 16th August to Sunday 18th August
A music festival, including some comedy performers, held at Hardwick Hall in County Durham since 2013.
Reading & Leeds Festivals
Wednesday 21st August to Sunday 25th August
The biggest music and comedy acts appear together at the same dual-location, 3-day festival event.
Lost Village (Lincolnshire)
Thursday 22nd August to Sunday 25th 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.
Victorious Festival (Portsmouth)
Friday 23rd August to Sunday 25th August
Victorious Festival launched its first comedy tent in 2018.
Laughterama (Manchester)
Wednesday 4th September to Sunday 8th September
A comedy festival held at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester.
London Podcast Festival
Thursday 5th September to Sunday 15th September
A festival recording the best podcasts.
Greenwich Comedy Festival (London)
Wednesday 11th September to Sunday 15th September
One of London's biggest comedy festivals, with lots of well-known acts performing each year.
Maidstone Improv Festival
Saturday 14th September to Sunday 22nd September
A comedy festival featuring several improv comedy troupes based in South-East England.
Lambeth Fringe
Thursday 19th September to Sunday 20th October
A 4 week Performing Arts Festival in South London. Formerly the Clapham Fringe.
HowTheLightGetsIn (London) (London)
Saturday 21st September to Sunday 22nd September
Comedy from a range of great talent you might not yet have seen on television.
Winchester Comedy Festival
Thursday 26th September to Sunday 29th September
A series of shows from the Hampshire city, including the Theatre Royal.
Leamington Spa Comedy Festival
Friday 27th September to Saturday 5th October
The Leamington Spa Comedy Festival takes place in October.
Southport Comedy Festival
Friday 27th September to Sunday 13th October
Featuring top acts, a Children's Comedy Festival, a competition for new comedians, and more.
Faversham Fringe (Kent)
Thursday 3rd October to Thursday 31st October
A fringe festival featuring all genres of the performing arts including stand-up, theatre, magic, storytelling, improv and hypnotism.
Women in Comedy Festival (Manchester)
Thursday 3rd October to Sunday 13th October
A Manchester-based festival featuring female acts.
Leith Comedy Festival
Friday 4th October to Sunday 6th October
Leith Comedy Festival formerly launched in 2023. The tagline is: "Comedy for good. Laughter for all. A brand new comedy festival in Edinburgh."
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Friday 4th October to Sunday 13th October
A book festival held in the Montpellier Gardens.
Birmingham Comedy Festival
Friday 4th October to Sunday 13th October
Over 70 comedy performances take place across the city each October.
Aberystwyth Comedy Festival
Friday 4th October to Sunday 6th October
A new-ish comedy festival from the team that organise Machynlleth.
Birmingham Improv Festival
Wednesday 9th October to Sunday 13th October
Established in 2016, this is an annual week-long festival of improvisational comedy. Next festival planned for 2024.
Cheerful Earful (London)
Saturday 12th October to Sunday 20th October
A comedy podcast festival held in Ealing and Balham.
Brighton Dome Comedy Festival
Thursday 24th October to Sunday 27th October
A comedy festival held at the Brighton Dome.
Colchester Fringe Festival
Friday 25th October to Sunday 3rd November
A four-day festival in Colchester.
Nottingham Comedy Festival
Friday 1st November to Sunday 10th November
Nottingham Comedy Festival is an open access festival where acts of all levels and types of comedy are welcome to apply.
Newcastle Comedy Festival
Friday 8th November to Friday 15th November
This festival ran in the 2000s. After a brief return in 2021 as the Newcastle Comedy Weekender, it returned in 2024.
UK Kids' Comedy Festival
Wednesday 5th February to Sunday 23rd February 2025
A children's comedy festival which forms part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.
Leicester Comedy Festival
Wednesday 5th February to Sunday 23rd February 2025
One of the country's biggest comedy festivals.
Glasgow International Comedy Festival
Wednesday 12th March to Sunday 30th March 2025
Many top names perform in Glasgow in March.
Milton Keynes International Festival
Friday 18th July to Sunday 27th July 2025
An outdoor theatre with large and small-scale performance, circus, stand-up comedy, live music, family activities and free events, held every two years.
Standon Calling (Hertfordshire)
Thursday 24th July to Sunday 27th July 2025
A festival of music, comedy and family-friendly entertainment.
Other festivals to look out for
The following festivals have yet to confirm their next dates.
The Big Burns Supper (Dumfries)
Normally January
Scotland's largest contemporary Burns celebration, marking Burns Night among other events.
The Chortle Comedy Book Festival (London)
Normally January
Britain's only book festival entirely devoted to comedy.
Edinburgh International Improv Festival
Normally February
Scotland's first and only festival of improv.
Fashion Loves Comedy Festival (London)
Normally March
With its roots in International Women's Day, this festival sees comedians demonstrating their modelling prowess on the runway and performing a short set.
The Laugharne Weekend (South Wales)
Normally March
Arts festival, including comedy, held in Laugharne in South Wales.
Consett Comedy Festival (Durham)
Normally April
A whole host of iconic names head to Consett for a weekend full of laughter.
Underbelly Festival (Cavendish Square, London)
Normally April
A tented venue set up near the Southbank Centre in London, running through much of Spring and Summer.
Hay Festival (Wales)
Normally May
Located in Wales, with mainly literary based events. Comedians often read their books here.
Machynlleth Comedy Festival (Wales)
Normally May
The 'secret festival' in Wales. A wide variety of acts perform over the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Salt And Tar Comedy Weekender (Bootle)
Normally May
A festival held in Bootle, Merseyside in a new events space.
The London LGBTQ+ Stand-Up Comedy Festival
Normally May
A comedy festival featuring LGBTQ+ performers.
Cheltenham Fringe Festival
Normally May
A new-for-2024 festival celebrating a wide variety of art, including music, theatre, film, drag, poetry, comedy, and more.
Stoke-on-Trent Comedy Festival
Normally May
A festival launched in 2024, first held at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.
Wells Comedy Festival
Normally May
Many of the best acts flock to this well-regarded Somerset-based festival.
Bath Fringe
Normally May
"People talking (usually one at a time) at a microphone. Often funny, occasionally profound."
HowTheLightGetsIn (Hay-on-Wye) (Hay-on-Wye)
Normally May
A four-day festival of philosophy and music, including a selection of great comic talent.
Wandsworth Arts Fringe
Normally June
Wandsworth Council's flagship festival, Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF) is a 17-day long festival cover music, spoken word, theatre, comedy and dance happening all over the borough.
Nevill Holt Festival
Normally June
A festival held at the 13th century Nevill Holt Estate in Leicestershire.
Hastings Comedy Festival
Normally June
The Hastings Comedy Festival is an independent festival featuring a range of comedy stars.
Crossed Wires: The Podcast Festival (Sheffield)
Normally June
A festival featuring a range of podcast recordings.
A Lovely Weekend (Manchester)
Normally June
A three-day comedy festival organised by production company A Lovely Time.
The Cambridge Club Festival
Normally June
Comedy at this festival, located at Childerley Orchard, can be found in the Auditorium of Intrigue tent.
KITE Festival (Oxfordshire)
Normally June
A festival of ideas and talks, at Kirtlington Park in Oxfordshire.
Glastonbury Festival
Normally June
Comedians can always be found at Glastonbury in the various comedy-related performance areas.
Bristol Comedy Garden
Normally June
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.
Wychwood Festival (Cheltenham)
Normally June
This Cheltenham-based festival's comedy offering is "a small but perfectly-formed line-up".
ARG Com Fest (Shoreditch, London)
Normally July
The Actually Rather Good Comedy Festival (aka ARGComFest) hosts lots of preview shows each July in Shoreditch, ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Buxton Festival Fringe
Normally July
One of the largest open-access arts festivals in the country, providing three weeks of "friendly, supportive and affordable" entertainment each July.
Last Stop To Edinburgh Comedy Festival (Stockton)
Normally July
An Edinburgh Fringe preview festival at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees.
Brighton Comedy Garden
Normally July
The first Brighton Comedy Garden planted its roots in June 2019.
ALSO Festival (Warwickshire)
Normally July
"The UKs most inspirational summer festival combining ideas, music and comedy alongside adventures in food, nature and wellness".
Rewind Scotland (Perth)
Normally July
A three-part series of festivals covering the UK. This is the Scottish instalment, taking place in Perth.
Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival
Normally July
The Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival has been running since 2017.
The Tringe (Hertfordshire)
Normally July
A series of Edinburgh Festival preview shows performed in the Hertfordshire market town of Tring.
Cambridge Comedy Garden
Normally July
The latest in the Comedy Garden series of festivals, this being beld in Parker's Piece.
Balham Comedy Festival
Normally July
Based at The Bedford in Balham, this festival always offer up one of the best line-ups of the summer.
Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival
Normally July
Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival is a series of events featuring local artists, performers and groups, offering a host of events of all kinds across the arts, performing in a whole range of venues.
London Clown Festival
Normally July
This festival explores what clown is to the modern performer and their audiences.
South London Previews Festival (Streatham)
Normally July
A festival of Edinburgh Fringe preview shows held in Streatham.
Bush Comedy Festival, The (Shepherd's Bush, London)
Normally July
A comedy festival taking place in Shepherd's Bush.
Ludlow Fringe Festival
Normally August
A bunch of comedy shows to enjoy in the Shropshire market town.
Byline Festival (East Sussex)
Normally August
Festival in the woodlands of Pippingford Park, Ashdown Forest, near the A22 in East Sussex.
Last Train Home Festival (Darlington)
Normally September
A music and comedy festival in Darlington organsied by the Tracks music collective.
London Vegan Comedy Festival (& Performing Arts) (Kensington)
Normally September
A comedy festival featuring only vegan performers.
Henley Literary Festival
Normally September
Comedians who have written a book are often booked to speak at this festival.
Giggling Goat Festival of Comedy (Carmarthen)
Normally October
A Welsh comedy festival organised by the company Giggling Goat.
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.