Bristol Comedy Festival 2026
Following a successful debut in 2025, the festival is back, bringing the very best in comedy to Bristol and celebrate the city’s thriving & ever-growing scene.
Date
15 - 31 January
Sabrina Shutter
Senior Events Project Manager
Over the course of two weeks, Bristol Comedy Festival will once again take over venues across the city centre (and beyond!) for a festival that promises to have everything from intimate work-in-progress gigs in bars, to big names off the telly filling some of Bristol’s biggest and most iconic venues.
Sponsored by Bristol BID, the event will also support emerging talent through comedy competitions, open calls, and collaborations with local venues, as well as raising vital funds for TAP for Bristol.
About
Run by a small team from the local comedy scene, The Bristol Comedy Festival was established to champion Bristol’s thriving comedy scene and showcase both emerging and established talent.
Following a successful inaugural year that brought together hundreds of comedy fans, performers and venues, the 2026 event will continue to celebrate the creativity and diversity of Bristol’s performers, while introducing new acts and partnerships that will make the festival’s second edition bigger and bolder than before.
The line up
The 2026 lineup features familiar names like Bristol’s Jayde Adams, author and funny man Mark Watson, critically-acclaimed stand-up and podcaster Milo Edwards and breakout winner of ‘So You Think You’re Funny’, Finlay Christie.
If that’s not enough, there are also five nominees for the 2025 Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show: Dan Tiernan, Ed Night, John Tothill, Katie Norris and Roger O’Sullivan – with plenty more names still to be announced.
The venues
This year’s edition takes over a growing list of venues across Bristol, including The Crown, Mr Wolfs, The Gaffe Comedy Club, Seamus O’Donnells, Famous Royal Navy Volunteer, Small Bar, Granary Club, Kongs, Hey Dude Bar, The Hatchet, Bristol Central Library, Avery’s Wine Merchants and Strange Brew – with more to be announced.
TAP for Bristol
The Bristol Comedy Festival will also be fundraising for TAP for Bristol. When you buy a ticket for a show through the festival’s ticket platform, you will have the option to donate. You’ll also hear MCs and comics throughout the festival talking about the important work the charity supports in the city.
Following its success last year, the King Street Takeover will also be making a return! It’s a brilliant night where comics run between as many venues as possible on King Street, putting on ‘donate-what-you-want’ shows, with all profits going to TAP for Bristol. Last year sold out, so you’ll want to book ahead for this one.
Latest news
Catch up with all the latest Bristol Comedy Festival updates
