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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.

Bath Comedy Festival

Monday 31st March to Monday 21st April

Bath Comedy Festival gets bigger each year.

Consett Comedy Festival (Durham)

Thursday 1st May to Sunday 4th May

A whole host of iconic names head to Consett for a weekend full of laughter.

Peckham Fringe

Thursday 1st May to Friday 6th June

Festival held at Theatre Peckham.

Brighton Fringe

Friday 2nd May to Sunday 1st June

Lots of shows, many of them work-in-progress gigs.

Machynlleth Comedy Festival (Wales)

Friday 2nd May to Sunday 4th May

The 'secret festival' in Wales. A wide variety of acts perform over the early May Bank Holiday weekend.

Stoke-on-Trent Comedy Festival

Friday 9th May to Saturday 17th May

A festival launched in 2024, first held at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Reading Comedy Festival

Friday 16th May to Sunday 18th May

A series of shows in Reading.

Hay Festival (Wales)

Thursday 22nd May to Sunday 1st June

Located in Wales, with mainly literary based events. Comedians often read their books here.

Salt And Tar Comedy Weekender (Bootle)

Friday 23rd May to Monday 26th May

A festival held in Bootle, Merseyside in a new events space.

Bath Fringe

Friday 23rd May to Sunday 8th June

"People talking (usually one at a time) at a microphone. Often funny, occasionally profound."

HowTheLightGetsIn (Hay-on-Wye)

Friday 23rd May to Monday 26th May

A four-day festival of philosophy and music, including a selection of great comic talent.

Wells Comedy Festival

Friday 23rd May to Sunday 25th May

Many of the best acts flock to this well-regarded Somerset-based festival.

Cambridge Fringe Comedy Festival

Saturday 24th May to Sunday 25th May

A "annual comedy extravaganza that captures the essence of artistic diversity, innovation, and expression".

Blackpool Comedy Festival

Saturday 24th May to Sunday 1st June

Comedy festival, partly held by Jason Manford's comedy club.

Cheltenham Fringe Festival

Monday 26th May to Sunday 1st June

A new-for-2024 festival celebrating a wide variety of art, including music, theatre, film, drag, poetry, comedy, and more.

Durham Comedy Festival

Monday 26th May

A one-day stand-up festival in the North-East.

Ram Comedy Festival (Derby)

Thursday 29th May to Sunday 8th June

Originally the Derby Comedy Festival. It returned in 2025 as the Ram Comedy Festival.

Nevill Holt Festival

Friday 30th May to Sunday 22nd June

A festival held at the 13th century Nevill Holt Estate in Leicestershire.

Wychwood Festival (Cheltenham)

Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June

This Cheltenham-based festival's comedy offering is "a small but perfectly-formed line-up".

Rik Mayall Presents. Rik Mayall. Copyright: Granada Productions

Rik Mayall Comedy Festival (Droitwich)

Saturday 31st May to Saturday 7th June

A comedy festival in memory of comic Rik Mayall, held in his hometown.

Chichester Fringe

Saturday 31st May to Saturday 14th June

A new season of fringe events in Chichester.

Pocklington Comedy Festival

Saturday 31st May

A one-day comedy festival held at Pocklington Arts Centre.

Cheltenham Science Festival

Tuesday 3rd June to Sunday 8th June

An annual science festival which sometimes features comedians as contributors.

Bristol Comedy Garden

Wednesday 4th June to Sunday 8th 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.

Exeter Comedy Festival

Thursday 5th June to Sunday 8th June

A comedy festival held in Devon.

A Lovely Weekend (Manchester)

Friday 6th June to Sunday 8th June

A three-day comedy festival organised by production company A Lovely Time.

Wandsworth Arts Fringe

Friday 6th June to Sunday 22nd 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.

Hastings Comedy Festival

Monday 9th June to Sunday 15th June

The Hastings Comedy Festival is an independent festival featuring a range of comedy stars.

London Clown Festival

Monday 16th June to Friday 4th July

This festival explores what clown is to the modern performer and their audiences.

Glastonbury Festival

Wednesday 25th June to Sunday 29th June

Comedians can always be found at Glastonbury in the various comedy-related performance areas.

Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival

Saturday 28th June to Sunday 13th 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.

The Edin-Boro Comedy Festival (Middlesbrough)

Saturday 28th June

A one-day comedy festival held in Middlesbrough.

Watford Fringe

Tuesday 1st July to Thursday 31st July

"Supporting great talent to entertain local audiences".

Greater Manchester Fringe

Tuesday 1st July to Thursday 31st July

The Greater Manchester Fringe takes place across July each year.

Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival

Oxford Comedy Festival

Tuesday 1st July to Thursday 31st 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.

Brighton Comedy Garden

Thursday 3rd July to Sunday 6th July

The first Brighton Comedy Garden planted its roots in June 2019.

ARG Com Fest (Shoreditch, London)

Friday 4th July to Sunday 6th July

The Actually Rather Good Comedy Festival (aka ARGComFest) hosts lots of preview shows each July in Shoreditch, ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Crossed Wires: The Podcast Festival (Sheffield)

Friday 4th July to Sunday 6th July

A festival featuring a range of podcast recordings.

York Comedy Festival

Sunday 6th July

A one-day festival in York Museum Gardens.

Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival

Wednesday 9th July to Sunday 13th July

The Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival has been running since 2017.

2000trees Festival (Cheltenham)

Wednesday 9th July to Saturday 12th July

A rock festival, with a comedy tent.

Henley Festival

Wednesday 9th July to Sunday 13th July

A posh festival that attracts a number of top comedy headliners.

Buxton Festival Fringe

Wednesday 9th July to Sunday 27th July

One of the largest open-access arts festivals in the country, providing three weeks of "friendly, supportive and affordable" entertainment each July.

The Idler Festival (Hampstead Heath)

Friday 11th July to Sunday 13th July

The Idler Festival is a weekend of philosophy and merriment, comedy, talks, music, workshops and salons in the bucolic surroundings of Fenton House and gardens near Hampstead Heath, organised by the people behind The Idler magazine.

ALSO Festival (Warwickshire)

Friday 11th July to Sunday 13th July

"The UKs most inspirational summer festival combining ideas, music and comedy alongside adventures in food, nature and wellness".

Byline Festival (East Sussex)

Friday 11th July to Sunday 13th July

Festival in the woodlands of Pippingford Park, Ashdown Forest, near the A22 in East Sussex.

Kaleidoscope (London)

Saturday 12th July

A one-day festival at the Alexandra Park and Palace in London.

Cambridge Comedy Garden

Thursday 17th July to Sunday 20th July

The latest from the Comedy Garden series of festivals, this being held in Parker's Piece.

Ventnor Fringe (Isle of Wight)

Friday 18th July to Sunday 27th July

Comedy on the Isle of Wight.

Milton Keynes International Festival

Friday 18th July to Sunday 27th July

An outdoor theatre with large and small-scale performance, circus, stand-up comedy, live music, family activities and free events, held every two years.

Comedy At The Castle (Warwick)

Friday 18th July to Saturday 19th July

A festival held at Warwick Castle.

Newcastle Fringe Festival

Tuesday 22nd July to Saturday 2nd August

A Fringe festival held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Bedford Festival Fringe

Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 27th July

Events take place at The Quarry Theatre and The Place Theatre in the Bedfordshire market town.

Durham Fringe Festival

Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 27th July

A festival taking place across four venues in the north-east.