England's comedy runs seven nights a week. In London's West End The Comedy Store has put on stand-up since 1979, and pub rooms from Islington to Bethnal Green give new comics their first five minutes. Manchester's Frog and Bucket and XS Malarkey, Liverpool's Hot Water, The Glee Clubs in Birmingham, Leeds and Oxford, The Stand in Newcastle and the Komedia rooms in Brighton and Bath keep the circuit turning, and the autumn brings comedy festivals to Birmingham, Brighton and Nottingham.
The short answer
D.O.C. lists 19 comedy rooms and nights in England, in 11 cities — London (8), Manchester (2), Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Brighton, Bath and Oxford — each with a dated show on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026. The festivals ahead: Brighton Dome Comedy Festival, Friday 16 October to Sunday 25 October 2026, Nottingham Comedy Festival, Friday 30 October to Sunday 8 November 2026, Brighton Fringe, Friday 7 May to Sunday 6 June 2027 and Latitude Festival, Thursday 22 July to Sunday 25 July 2027. Below: each room's nights, its open mic and how comics get on, tickets and the age rule; the comedy on the road; the festivals and awards; and the 12 comedians SUCDb holds who came up in England.
The rooms, the nights, the festivals and the awards below are each from their own website, with the comedians SUCDb holds who came up in England.
Stand-up comedy in London
London's rooms run from the West End — Oxendon Street, Dean Street, Drury Lane and Leicester Place — out to Islington, Bethnal Green, Greenwich and the South Bank, with free new-act nights alongside the headline shows.
ShowsIn the West End since 1979: The Best in Stand Up, five stand-up comedians on one bill, Thursday to Saturday; The Comedy Store Players' improv on Sundays; and 'King Gong, its new-act night, on the last Monday of the month. source ↗
ListedThe Best in Stand Up — Friday 9 October 2026, 7.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open mic'King Gong, the last Monday of each month: 30 new comics try to last five minutes before three audience judges; the next is Monday 26 October 2026. source ↗
Getting bookedNew comics register for a 'King Gong spot by email, through the address on its page; the club also runs a beginners comedy course. source ↗
TicketsDoor tickets are limited and likely to sell out; doors, bar and diner open an hour before The Best in Stand Up, which runs about two hours with an interval. source ↗
AgeStrictly 18 and over; bring ID if you look under 25. source ↗
ShowsA charity producing new theatre, comedy and cabaret, with stand-up hours and works in progress across its three Dean Street stages and a second home in Walthamstow. source ↗
ListedAhir Shah: Golden — Monday 5 October 2026, 7.15pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the venue in person.
TicketsAhir Shah's run in Soho Downstairs, Monday 5 to Saturday 17 October 2026, from £20; prices move with demand. source ↗
AgeSet show by show: Ahir Shah's is recommended for 14 and over. source ↗
AlsoMarty Gleeson, the 2026 Edinburgh Comedy Awards' Best Newcomer, brings Dog Ear to Soho Upstairs from Monday 5 to Saturday 10 October 2026. source ↗
ShowsComedy nights every day of the week in two Covent Garden rooms, 170A Drury Lane and 23 Kingsway: mixed bills, new-material shows and comedians' own hours. source ↗
ListedTuesday Stand Up Comedy Show — Tuesday 6 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsMany of its nightly shows cost a £1 booking fee, with contributions collected after the show for the comedians, or a priority ticket instead. source ↗
The Bill Murray, 39 Queen's Head Street, London N1 8NQ
ShowsRun by comedians for comedians: free stand-up seven nights a week, and cheap shows by touring names, at The Bill Murray — the old Victorian pub it opened as a community comedy club after a 2017 Kickstarter — and the Camden Head nearby. source ↗
ListedAngel Comedy Fridays — Friday 9 October 2026, 7.15pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micAngel Comedy RAW, free, every night at 7.30pm at the Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, London N1 8DY. source ↗
Getting bookedComics request spots by email, through the address on its home page; promoters can propose a show on a form the team reviews every week. source ↗
AgeOver 18s only after 8pm under its licence; under 18s are allowed before then, with 14 and over recommended. source ↗
ShowsA purpose-built comedy club in Bethnal Green, the East End's home of comedy for twenty years: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Backyard, plus headline hours, radio recordings and a monthly new-act night. source ↗
ListedFridays at Backyard — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micBackyard's New Act Night, hosted by David Ward, on Tuesday 27 October and Tuesday 24 November 2026: free in advance, £5 on the door. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsFridays at Backyard from £12.50 to £20; Thursdays from £7.50. source ↗
AgeEvening shows are 18 and over, with a Challenge 25 ID policy. source ↗
ShowsGreenwich's comedy club, Thursday to Sunday: shows at 8pm on Thursdays, 7.30pm on Fridays, 8.45pm on Saturdays and 7.30pm on Sundays, with pizza and late nights. source ↗
ListedThe Friday Night Show — Friday 9 October 2026, 7.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsPopular shows sell out, so booking ahead is recommended; doors open earlier than the show. source ↗
Age18 and over, with ID required on entry. source ↗
ShowsBar, food hall and comedy club on the South Bank, formerly Vauxhall Comedy Club: comedy every night, with weekend headline bills and midweek new-material shows. source ↗
ListedFriday Night Comedy Club, 7pm show — Friday 9 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micThe Ding Dong Gong Show every Saturday: new comedians try their material while three audience members can gong them off. source ↗
Getting bookedNew acts apply to perform through the Ding Dong Gong Show page, to be seen by the club's management and bookers. source ↗
Tickets£5 to £20 depending on the night; midweek tickets include a free drink with a loyalty-card sign-up. source ↗
ShowsJust off Leicester Square: stand-up hours and runs by touring comedians, among them Nina Conti from 4 October 2026 to 19 March 2027 and Thomas Green from 8 October 2026. source ↗
ListedElouise Eftos: Australia's First Attractive Comedian — Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the venue in person.
TicketsFrom £22, including a £2 venue restoration levy. source ↗
AgeSet show by show: Elouise Eftos's is 16 and over, with no under-14s admitted. source ↗
ShowsBarrel of Laughs every Friday and Saturday night: three national and international acts and one of the Frog's comperes, cabaret-style with reserved tables; touring hours and Beat the Frog on Mondays. source ↗
ListedFriday Barrel of Laughs — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micBeat the Frog, every Monday: up to 15 acts try to last five minutes before the audience's card holders; Chortle's Best Open Mic Comedy Night for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. source ↗
Getting bookedNew acts take part in Beat the Frog through its page; each week's winner goes to the October semi-finals, and the year's Grand Final winner earns a cash prize, a trophy and a paid spot on a line-up. source ↗
AlsoWeekend shows are also streamed live for viewers at home. source ↗
Blackstock Market, 17 Blackstock Street, Liverpool L3 6ER
ShowsFounded in 2010 by brothers Paul and Binty; since 2024 at Blackstock Market, with three theatre spaces seating more than 1,000 at a show time, a food market and four bars. source ↗
ListedTriple Headline Show — Friday 9 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open mic3 Minutes of Fame, free, on Thursday 8 October 2026: sign up on the night from 4pm to 8.30pm; three audience judges can buzz an act off, and those who last three minutes go to a clap-off. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsThe Triple Headline Show from £18; free birthday and Blue Light or teacher tickets; a watch-from-home ticket too. source ↗
ShowsLive stand-up, touring comedians and regular mixed bills such as The Friday Show in its city-centre club, with food at selected shows. source ↗
ListedThe Friday Show — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micRed Raw, every Wednesday in Newcastle: up to ten new acts a night, by application. source ↗
Getting bookedNew acts apply for Red Raw, which usually offers two five-minute slots and feedback on request. The latest application window closed on 28 June 2026; its page says to check back for the next one. source ↗
TicketsThe Friday Show from £15 to £22, plus a £1 booking fee. source ↗
AgeStrictly 18 and over unless a show says otherwise. source ↗
Metronome, Marco Island, Huntingdon Street, Nottingham NG1
ShowsTwo Saturday shows, at 7pm and 9pm, each with four comedians, at Metronome; and specials such as Reginald D Hunter in West Bridgford on Saturday 14 November 2026. source ↗
ListedJust the Tonic Comedy Club, 7 o'clock show — Saturday 10 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Tickets£12.50 and £16; concessions with photo ID for students, over-65s, emergency services and the military; the venue is cashless. source ↗
Hen & Chicken Studio, 210 North Street, Bristol BS3 1JF
ShowsStand Up For The Weekend on Saturdays, with a headliner and guests, and touring hours through the week, in the first-floor studio above the Hen & Chicken. source ↗
ListedStand Up For The Weekend with Michael Shafar and guests — Saturday 10 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsStand Up For The Weekend from £12 to £20; Saturday shows mix bookable cabaret tables with unreserved rows. source ↗
AlsoPre-show dining in the Hen & Chicken's bar and restaurant downstairs. source ↗
ShowsKomedia Comedy Club every Friday and Saturday at 8pm, among music, cabaret and club nights; its site says it has won Chortle's award for the best comedy venue in the South and East a record 18 times. source ↗
ListedKomedia Comedy Club — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsGroup discounts for six or more; meal-deal tickets with dinner before the show. source ↗
AgeStrictly 18 and over: if you look under 25, bring physical photo ID. source ↗
ShowsSaturday Night Comedy: four stand-up comedians, with touring shows on other nights. source ↗
ListedSaturday Night Comedy — Saturday 10 October 2026, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Tickets£19.50 in advance for the 10 October show, £12.50 concession, plus a booking fee; seating unallocated; doors 6.30pm, last entry 7.15pm. source ↗
Beyond its Liverpool home, Hot Water's event finder lists shows in towns across England, among them Stoke, Colne, Stockton-on-Tees, Aylesbury, Blackburn, Folkestone, New Brighton, Portsmouth, Colchester, Lancaster, Warrington, Scarborough, Plymouth, Grimsby, Ipswich, Halifax, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton, Derby, Dudley, Bradford and Great Yarmouth. source ↗
Making the West Midlands laugh since 2001; its 25th anniversary edition has more than 100 performances, from major names to emerging talent and comedians from across the region, with a free half-dayer in the city centre. source ↗
Ten days of comedy in its 18th year, from brand-new acts to established names, with Arts Council-funded showcases for women, Disabled and LGBTQIA+ comedians. source ↗
The first edition, created by the team behind Hot Water Comedy Club: 70+ shows over four days on several stages at Blackstock Market, with touring acts, podcasts, mixed bills and Liverpool's own comedians. source ↗
Four weeks of comedy every spring: in 2026, more than 100 shows with over 300 performers in a dozen venues, from Bath Forum to the upstairs room at the Ring O Bells in Widcombe. Rachel Parris is announced for the 2027 festival on Saturday 17 April 2027. source ↗
The festival's award with The Glee Club Birmingham since 2014, for emerging acts from the region, by invitation only; its trophy is The Mug Of Victory. Previous winners include Josh Pugh, Celya AB, Hasan Al-Habib and Tom Towelling. Five acts contested the 2026 final at The Glee Club on Friday 2 October 2026. source ↗
The Frog and Bucket's year-long open mic contest: each Monday's winner goes to the October semi-finals, and the Grand Final winner takes a cash prize, a trophy and a paid spot at the club. source ↗
Since 2003, a showcase for women and non-binary comedy talent across stage, screen and page. Past winners include Katherine Ryan (2008), London Hughes (2009), Laura Smyth (2019) and Kate Cheka (2023). source ↗
Heats through the festival and a Grand Final at The Old Theatre Royal. In 2026 Christopher Donovan won the Newcomer Award, with Rich Bunn second and Victoria Blunt and Ollie Young joint third. source ↗
For comics: getting on stage in England
The routes to the stage the rooms and festivals publish themselves.
The last Monday of each month, 30 new comics try to last five minutes in the West End; performers register by email through its page. The next is Monday 26 October 2026. source ↗
The Stand's new-act showcase, on Wednesdays in Newcastle, by application. The latest window closed on 28 June 2026; the page says when the next one opens. source ↗
Shows for the 2027 Fringe, Friday 7 May to Sunday 6 June 2027, register from midday on Wednesday 14 October 2026. source ↗
Each room's line above says whether it runs an open mic and how it books. At home in the United States,
Stage Time has open mics by night and the Gig Board has calls for comics.
English comedians in SUCDb
The comedians SUCDb holds who came up in England, each with their record — and their next date when the Comedy Calendar has one.
Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year in 2017 and the Chortle Awards' Breakthrough Act in 2023; touring the UK in 2026 with King of Crumbs, he also writes the Montgomery Bonbon mysteries for children.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From West Yorkshire: his show Rewilding won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2026, on his fourth nomination; a senior writer on Saturday Night Live UK and co-creator of Radio 4's Icklewick FM.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From Solihull in the West Midlands, on stage since July 2025: winner of the Birmingham Comedy Festival's Breaking Talent Award 2026 at The Glee Club, with his first solo show, Autastic!, previewing at Cherry Reds in Birmingham on 6 October 2026.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
An English comedian and clown: Horses won the (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Award and the Comedians' Choice Award for Best Show in 2024, then Best Comedy at the Sky Arts Awards in 2025 and Comedians' Comedian at the 2026 Chortle Awards.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From London: his first solo show, Nearly Rebellious, earned a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and his arena tours became the Netflix specials At Large, I'm Only Joking and Settle Down.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Tuesday 6 October 2026 · Hollywood Improv, Hollywood, CA
Winner of the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award in 2015; touring in 2026 with Ha Ha, Yeah Sound, with Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie To You? among his TV credits, and creator of I Am Darren (2024).
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
An English stand-up: Trout won the Comedians' Choice Award for best show at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe, after The Critic won the Golden Gibbo at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2025.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
London-born: the highest-selling artist in the history of London's O2 arena, host of BBC One's Michael McIntyre's Big Show and The Wheel, with the Netflix special Showman (2020), filmed at the London Palladium.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From Farnworth, near Bolton: his 2010–2011 tour entered Guinness World Records as the most successful stand-up tour of all time; co-writer and star of Phoenix Nights and Peter Kay's Car Share, back in arena stand-up since 2022.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
Started comedy in London in 2018: a finalist in the 2022 Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year and a televised BBC New Comedy Awards finalist in 2023; now based in New York, with his first special, Daddy's Home.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Monday 5 October 2026 · New York Comedy Club on 4th Street, New York, NY
From Reading: co-creator and star of The Office and Extras; his tours Humanity, SuperNature, Armageddon and Mortality became Netflix specials, with Golden Globes for Armageddon and Mortality.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Monday 5 October 2026 · The Anvil, Basingstoke, Basingstoke, United Kingdom
An English stand-up and actor: winner of the Mervyn Stutter Spirit of the Fringe Award in 2012 and Tanya in People Just Do Nothing; in 2026 she played the Anstey and Rik Mayall comedy festivals.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
In London, The Comedy Store, Soho Theatre, Top Secret Comedy Club, Angel Comedy, Backyard, Up the Creek, Big Belly and Leicester Square Theatre; in Manchester, Frog and Bucket and XS Malarkey; in Liverpool, Hot Water; in Birmingham, Glee Club Birmingham; in Leeds, Glee Club Leeds; in Newcastle, The Stand Newcastle; in Nottingham, Just the Tonic Nottingham; in Bristol, The Comedy Box; in Brighton, Komedia Brighton; in Bath, Komedia Bath; in Oxford, Glee Club Oxford. Each had a dated show on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026; its line above has the address, the nights and the age rule.
Are comedy clubs in England 18 and over?
9 of the 19 rooms listed here say 18 and over for their evening comedy, but the rule is each room's own: The Comedy Store: strictly 18 and over; bring ID if you look under 25; Soho Theatre: set show by show: Ahir Shah's is recommended for 14 and over; Angel Comedy: over 18s only after 8pm under its licence; under 18s are allowed before then, with 14 and over recommended; Backyard: evening shows are 18 and over, with a Challenge 25 ID policy; Up the Creek: 18 and over, with ID required on entry; Big Belly: 18 and over; Leicester Square Theatre: set show by show: Elouise Eftos's is 16 and over, with no under-14s admitted; Glee Club Birmingham: weekend comedy is 18 and over; each show lists its own minimum age; Glee Club Leeds: weekend comedy is 18 and over; each show lists its own minimum age; The Stand Newcastle: strictly 18 and over unless a show says otherwise; Komedia Brighton: strictly 18 and over: if you look under 25, bring physical photo ID; Glee Club Oxford: Saturday Night Comedy is 18 and over.
How do new comedians get on stage in England?
'King Gong at The Comedy Store — The last Monday of each month, 30 new comics try to last five minutes in the West End; performers register by email through its page. The next is Monday 26 October 2026. Angel Comedy RAW — Free shows every night at the Camden Head in Islington; comics request spots by email through Angel Comedy's home page. Beat the Frog at the Frog and Bucket — Every Monday in Manchester: up to 15 acts, five minutes each, with the audience's card holders deciding who stays. 3 Minutes of Fame at Hot Water — Liverpool's free open mic: sign up on the night, last three minutes past the audience buzzers, and every performer gets a drinks voucher. The Ding Dong Gong Show at Big Belly — Every Saturday on the South Bank; new acts apply to perform through its page. Red Raw at The Stand Newcastle — The Stand's new-act showcase, on Wednesdays in Newcastle, by application. The latest window closed on 28 June 2026; the page says when the next one opens. Brighton Fringe: registration — Shows for the 2027 Fringe, Friday 7 May to Sunday 6 June 2027, register from midday on Wednesday 14 October 2026.
Which English comedians are in SUCDb?
Alasdair Beckett-King, Chris Cantrill, Eden Voss, Elf Lyons, Jack Whitehall, Josh Pugh, Kate Dolan, Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay, Philipp Kostelecky, Ricky Gervais and Tiff Stevenson — each with a record of their career and its sources.
Sources
Each fact on this page is from the room's, festival's or award's own website, read on 4 October 2026; the
comedians' lines are from their SUCDb records, which carry their own sources. 27 sites, 62 pages:
