The Last Laugh: The best comedy events on Skiddle | January 2026
We're back with the Last Laugh, this time for the first edition of 2026, where we showcase the best comedy events on sale on Skiddle in the coming months and into this new year. Check them out below!
Date published: 21st Jan 2026
January might be the month of resolutions, dry spells, and trying to remember what day it is - but the comedy calendar is already looking way ahead, and it’s absolutely stacked. From huge outdoor summer spectacles to must-see club nights, touring heavyweights, and future sell-outs you’ll want locked in early, this month’s edition of The Last Laugh is all about getting ahead of the curve.
With Comedy at the Castle returning in glorious, battlement-backed fashion for 2026, major open-air galas already shaping up, and a packed run of tour shows and club favourites landing across the UK, there’s no shortage of reasons to start planning your laughs now. Whether you’re plotting a summer comedy blowout, lining up a spring night out, or just want something properly funny in the diary to get you through winter, we’ve got you covered.
Scroll on, grab your tickets early, and let future you thank present you for being so organised and so well entertained.
Comedy at the Castle 2026
Comedy at the Castle is back for 2026, and it's bigger than ever. Now in its fourth year, the UK’s fastest-growing outdoor comedy festival, courtesy of Closeup Comedy and Digbeth Dining Club, expands to three castles, with Warwick and Exeter castles returning, and Lancaster Castle the latest to play host to this comedic siege.
The headliners this year are fit to wear the crowns too, with headline nights from Joanne McNally, Russell Kane, Chris McCausland, Al Murray, and Paul Smith, plus supporting battlements from 25 of the best names in the biz. Plus, alongside the open-air laughs, you get to delight in award-winning street food, cocktails, craft ale & fizz bars, and high-end production across three spectacular historic settings. What more could you want?
The following comedians are also confirmed for Comedy at the Castle 2026: Stephen Bailey, Angela Barnes, Ed Byrne, Scott Bennett, Hal Cruttenden, Larry Dean, Daniel Foxx, Hayley Ellis, Rachel Fairburn, Thomas Green, Nina Gilligan, Janine Harouni, Josh Jones, Esther Manito, Chris McCausland, Gbemi Oladipo, Freddy Quinne, Hatty Preston, Brennan Reece, Mike Rice, Lindsey Santoro, Paul Sinha, Fin Taylor, and Seann Walsh.
Scroll down to find more information, tickets, and lineups for each of the Comedy at the Castle weekends at Warwick, Lancaster, and Exeter.
Comedy at the Castle 2026 - Warwick Castle
When: Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th May 2026
Where: Warwick Castle in Coventry
A bank-holiday trilogy under one of the Midlands’ most dramatic backdrops: Joanne McNally headlines the Friday, with Fin Taylor, Rachel Fairburn, and Josh Jones; Russell Kane brings his high-velocity showmanship on Saturday alongside Ed Byrne, Esther Manito, and Thomas Green; while recent strictly star Chris McCausland closing with his warmth and razor-sharp observation on Sunday alongside Hatty Preston, Mike Rice, and Scott Bennett; all with Freddy Quinne as resident host acorss the weekend.
Comedy at the Castle: Friday Night with Joanne McNally + more! - Friday 22nd May 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Saturday Night with Russell Kane + more! - Saturday 23rd May 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Sunday Night with Chris McCausland + more! - Sunday 24th May 2026
Comedy at the Castle 2026 - Lancaster Castle
When: Friday 19th – Sunday 21st June 2026
Where: Lancaster Castle in Lancaster
A North West debut with serious pedigree: Joanne McNally headlines the Friday with Hayley Ellis, Stephen Bailey and Seann Walsh; Russell Kane takes Saturday with Paul Sinha, Lindsey Santoro and Mike Rice; while Paul Smith brings the Sunday scouse heat alongside Larry Dean, Brennan Reece and Nina Gilligan; all hosted across the weekend again by Freddy Quinne.
Comedy at the Castle: Friday Night with Joanne McNally and more! - Friday 19th June 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Saturday Night with Russell Kane and more! - Saturday 20th June 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Sunday Night with Paul Smith and more! - Sunday 21st June 2026
POWDERHAM CASTLE, EXETER — Comedy at the Castle 2026
When: Friday 17th – Sunday 19th July 2026
Where: Powderham Castle in Exeter
South-West summer laughs at their finest: Joanne McNally opens Friday night with a stacked supporting cast that includes Janine Harouni, Hal Cruttenden, and Daniel Foxx; Paul Smith brings huge crowd energy on Saturday with Angela Barnes, Gbemi Oladipo, and Stephen Bailey; and Al Murray closes Sunday with Hayley Ellis, Scott Bennett, and Thomas Green; Freddy Quinne hosts throughout.
Comedy at the Castle: Friday Night with Joanne McNally and more! - Friday 17th July 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Saturday Night with Paul Smith and more! - Saturday 18th July 2026
Comedy at the Castle: Sunday Night with Al Murray and more! - Sunday 19th July 2026
Good Times 2026 Comedy Gala starring Russell Howard & friends
When: Monday 25th May 2026
Where: Good Times At The Ridings in Bristol
Already shaping up to be one of 2026’s biggest comedy events, Russell Howard headlines a massive open-air gala as part of Good Times at The Ridings, bringing with him a supporting cast of very special unannounced guests, with the wonderful Cerys Nelmes hosting.
This year's edition with Katherine Ryan sold out fast, so if you want in on Bristol’s biggest comedy night of the summer, especially one headlined by a legend like Russell, then don’t hang about.
CLOSEUP COMEDY in Cheltenham with Paul McCaffrey and more!
When: Saturday 14th February 2026
Where: Parabola Arts Centre in Cheltenham
CLOSEUP COMEDY continue their excursions to Cheltenham Ladies College's world-renowned Parabola Arts Centre for some Saturday Night comedy featuring three very funny humans, and hosted by the equally hilarious Freddy Quinne.
From the hilarious co-host of Fin vs History, Horatio Gould, to Belfast's fantastically sharp William Thompson, to the exceptionally captious tones of the award-winning Paul McCaffrey - who is also headlining - this is a night of some of the sharpest voices on the circuit, and one guaranteed to make your belly jiggle along with the wit. Grab tickets below now!
Funny Beeseness: Lucy Beaumont
When: Sunday 17th May 2026
Where: Castle And Falcon in Birmingham
The Castle and Falcons' residence night of hilarity, Funny Beeseness, is back, and this time it's bringing one of TV's most scintillatingly quick-witted comedians, the one and only Lucy Beaumont, to its stage.
The Traitors, Taskmaster, starring in and writing five series of Meet the Richardsons - Lucy has done it all, but her stand-up is the foundation of all this success, and let us tell you, it's almost as utterly electric. Grab your tickets now, you won't be disappointed!
Tom Stade: Naughty By Nature - Alloa
When: Friday 13th March 2026
Where: Alloa Town Hall in Alloa
Slick and classy, mischievous and uncompromising, Tom Stade is a wholly unique tour de force in the comedy world; one in the midst of a huge UK and Ireland tour that kicks back off again with Scottish dates at the start of February.
Showcasing his aptly named tour, Naughty By Nature, the Canadian comic will be dishing out a smorgasbord of his playfully insightful observations that have gained him the rep of one of the best comedians on the modern circuit. Grab tickets below now, or check out where else Mr Stade is playing here.
Natalie Cuomo - Live|| Creatures Comedy Club
When: Thursday 7th May 2026
Where: Creatures Comedy Club in Manchester
New York City's tattooed, globally touring comedic superstar, Natalie Cuomo, is coming across the Atlantic once again, heading around Europe and the UK, and better yet, stopping at one of the best clubs in the country, Creatures Comedy Club.
Amassing millions of followers and renown for her enticingly antagonistic crowdwork, Natalie is becoming a world-renowned comic from whom no one is safe. Grab tickets below now, this one doesn't come around often!
CLOSEUP COMEDY at Rother St Arts House with Adam Rowe and more!
When: Thursday 2nd April 2026
Where: Rother Street Arts House in Stratford-upon-Avon
Birmingham's comedy great, CLOSEUP COMEDY, are going on a belly-chucking excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon, bringing with them one of the very best comics in the country, Liverpudlian and Have A Word royalty, Mr Adam Rowe.
Taking over the newly refurbished Rother Street Arts House and bringing a seriously packed lineup to join Adam Rowe in this beautiful 400 seater theatre, if you're a local, there is no discussion about your attendance. Grab tickets below now so as not to miss out!
Dan Tiernan: All In - Glasgow
When: Thursday 5th February 2026
Where: Blackfriars Basement in Glasgow
Following a third consecutive sell-out, award-nominated run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Dan Tiernan is back on tour, bringing his latest hour, All In, to venues around the country, including this alluring night at the famous Blackfriars Basement.
All In is a blistering hour of stand-up from one of the most exciting voices in comedy. Expect explosive energy, razor-sharp punchlines, and tightly-packed gags about a man on the brink. Dan Tiernan was one of our comedians to watch out for a couple of years back, and he is proving to live up to that and more. Tickets below.
Amy Mason: Behold!
When: Thursday 2nd April 2026
Where: Fairfield Social Club in Manchester
When Amy Mason got hacked, she lost her number, bank account and social media access. And then the hackers started sending her gifts... A surprising, somewhat filthy dive into connection, intimacy, and the perils of using your dead cat's name as your password for literally everything.
Behold! is a silly yet razor-witted examination of digital dependency, friendship and community, delivered with Amy Mason's signature blend of off-kilter storytelling and deadpan warmth - and this night in Manchester you can watch all that silliness unfold. Grab your tickets below now!
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