The Last Laugh: The best comedy events on Skiddle in October 2026

The nights are drawing in, the temperature's dropping, and suddenly spending an evening tucked away in a comedy club sounds like an even better proposition. So thankfully, October has arrived with enough stand-up to keep us laughing right through to spooky season.

This month's edition of The Last Laugh features one of the biggest comedy festivals in the North West, huge new tour shows, stacked club bills, and appearances from the likes of Jason Manford, Gary Delaney, Rosie Jones, Tom Stade, Emmanuel Sonubi, Kae Kurd, and plenty more.

So, forget hiding behind the sofa this Halloween and get yourself in front of a comedy stage instead. Scroll on for some of the best comedy events on sale through Skiddle this October.

Southport Comedy Festival

Where: Southport Comedy Festival Under Canvas At Victoria Park in Southport

Southport Comedy Festival is back this October, pitching up its enormous heated, seated marquee at Victoria Park for more than two weeks of top stand-up from some of the biggest and funniest names in the biz.

The festival runs throughout October, with everything from household names and cult favourites to rising talent taking the stage. We've picked out five shows well worth having on your radar below, but you can also check out the full Southport Comedy Festival programme and grab tickets here.

An Afternoon with Jason Manford

When: Sunday 4th October 2026

Southport Comedy Festival welcomes one of the country's best-loved stand-ups for a very special Sunday afternoon as Jason Manford takes centre stage under canvas.

After more than two decades at the top of British comedy, the Salfordian hardly needs much introduction. Combining brilliantly relatable observations with the effortless warmth and crowd work that have made him a fixture of British TV, pantomime, and comedy stages, an afternoon in Manford's company is a pretty safe bet for a laugh.

Gary Delaney: Gary On Laughing

When: Friday 9th October 2026

Gary Delaney returns to Southport with Gary On Laughing, his latest collection of precision-engineered one-liners, outrageous punchlines, and the gloriously filthy wordplay that's cemented him as one of the best joke writers in the country.

His last UK tour stretched across a whopping 378 dates, while clips of his rapid-fire routines have racked up hundreds of millions of views online. This is an entirely new batch of jokes, though, so prepare yourself for an evening where you've barely recovered from one punchline before the next one arrives.

 

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Scott Bennett: Blood Sugar Baby

When: Wednesday 14th October 2026

Scott Bennett brings the deeply personal Blood Sugar Baby to Southport, telling the remarkable true story of his family after his daughter was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition, congenital hyperinsulinism.

It might not sound like obvious stand-up territory, but in Bennett's hands the experience becomes an uplifting, heartfelt, and properly funny story about family life when everything suddenly gets turned upside down. Following appearances on Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance, it's another chance to see one of the circuit's finest storytellers doing what he does best.

 

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Mike Wozniak: The Bench

When: Tuesday 13th October 2026

Mike Wozniak has a new stand-up show. There's a bench involved. Apparently, you don't need any previous experience of benches, nor particularly strong opinions about them. Mike has that side of things covered.

The Taskmaster favourite, Man Down star, and Three Bean Salad host brings The Bench to Southport with his unmistakably off-kilter storytelling in tow. Delightfully strange, meticulously crafted, and difficult to compare to much else on the circuit, Wozniak is always worth seeing live.

 

 

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Jimeoin: Ballyhoo

When: Tuesday 6th October 2026

Following a sold-out appearance at last year's festival, Jimeoin is back in Southport with brand-new tour show Ballyhoo and another evening of beautifully simple, no-nonsense stand-up.

The Irish-born Australian comic has spent decades perfecting his cheeky observational style, with everything from tiny facial expressions to the mundane oddities of everyday life becoming ammunition. He's an old-school master of getting a room laughing without needing any bells and whistles, and Southport clearly can't get enough of him.

 

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More Comedy in October

 

Tom Stade: Rules

 

When: Thursday 8th October 2026

Where: Old Fire Station in Carlisle

Canadian powerhouse Tom Stade is back on the road with Rules, bringing his unmistakable swagger and gloriously unfiltered take on modern life to Carlisle's Old Fire Station.

Fresh from Edinburgh, Stade is taking aim at everything from social codes and cultural divides to identity, marriage, rebellion, and responsibility. Expect big opinions, even bigger laughs, and the mischievous stage presence that's kept him at the top of the live circuit for decades.

 

 

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The Laughienda Comedy Club Preston

When: Wednesday 7th October 2026

Where: The Continental in Preston

The Laughienda rolls back into The Continental this October with another hefty midweek bill, featuring Oliver Bowler, Elaine Robertson, Monty Wilson, and headlined by the spectacularly absurd BBC New Comedy Award winner Frankie Monroe.

Now well into its third year, the club has become one of Preston's most dependable spots for discovering brilliant circuit comics without having to sacrifice your entire weekend. Expect another intimate, lively night of stand-up and considerably more laughing than you'd usually associate with a Wednesday.

 

 

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Good Ship Comedy feat. Rosie Jones

When: Thursday 8th October 2026

Where: Swimmer At The Grafton in London

Good Ship Comedy welcomes the brilliantly mischievous Rosie Jones to its intimate North London home this October for another night showcasing some of the finest comics from the UK circuit.

The Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, and The Last Leg star tops a bill also featuring Mark Maier and Valeria Vulpe, with Ben Van der Velde holding everything together. Jones has never been particularly interested in playing things safe, so expect warmth, wicked punchlines, and more than a few moments where the room doesn't quite know whether it should be gasping or laughing.

 

 

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FOG BOX: Paul Foot, Nina Gilligan, Tony Law & Michael Legge

When: Sunday 18th October 2026

Where: Unitarian Church Todmorden in Todmorden

FOG BOX is going large this October, assembling the sort of brilliantly strange comedy bill that feels almost purpose-built for an evening inside a Todmorden church.

Surrealist extraordinaire Paul Foot, award-winning Nina Gilligan, Canadian chaos merchant Tony Law, and host Michael Legge all feature on a lineup bursting with very different flavours of funny. If your comedy tastes lean towards the unpredictable, unconventional, and occasionally completely unhinged, get this one in the diary.

 

 

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CLOSEUP COMEDY at Rother St Arts House with Angelos Epithemiou!

When: Thursday 22nd October 2026

Where: Stratford Play House in Stratford-upon-Avon

CLOSEUP COMEDY is expanding its Midlands takeover this October, heading to the newly refurbished Rother Street Arts House for a huge night of stand-up inside the 400-capacity theatre.

At the top of proceedings is the magnificently odd Angelos Epithemiou, with Dead Men Talking host Freddy Quinne also among the talent taking to the stage. CLOSEUP has made a habit of putting properly heavyweight comics into brilliant regional venues, and its Stratford debut looks set to continue the trend.

 

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Karen Dunbar

When: Saturday 31st October 2026

Where: Community Central Hall in Glasgow

Scottish comedy royalty Karen Dunbar heads to Community Central Hall this Halloween as part of her latest tour, bringing a brand-new show alongside a few old favourites for good measure.

From Chewin' the Fat and The Karen Dunbar Show to stand-up, theatre, DJ sets, and even opening the Commonwealth Games, Dunbar has spent decades proving there aren't many stages she can't command. Seeing her back on home turf in Glasgow should make for a belting way to spend Halloween night.

 

 

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Hood Comedy Club: Featuring Mark Nelson

When: Thursday 1st October 2026

Where: Hood Stokesley near Middlesbrough

Hood Comedy Club makes its debut this October with four comedians, cocktails, cold pints, pizza, wings, and multi-award-winning Scottish comic Mark Nelson topping the inaugural bill. Not a bad way to introduce yourself.

Nelson has become a formidable presence on the Scottish comedy scene thanks to his uncompromising material and lightning-fast crowd work, and he's exactly the sort of headliner you'd want to christen a brand-new comedy night. Get in at the ground floor before everyone else catches on.

 

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Funny Beeseness: Emmanuel Sonubi

When: Thursday 22nd October 2026

Where: The Castle And Falcon in Birmingham

Funny Beeseness returns to The Castle and Falcon with one of the most exciting stand-ups in the country, as double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Emmanuel Sonubi heads up another cracking Birmingham bill.

The Live at the Apollo headliner is joined by Hackney Empire New Act of the Year winner Ali Woods and the wonderfully energetic Simon Emanuel. Sonubi's huge stage presence and easy-going storytelling have seen his stock rocket over recent years, so catching him in the intimate Castle and Falcon is a bit of a treat.

 

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Comedy in Addlestone

When: Friday 23rd October 2026

Where: Addlestone Community Centre in Addlestone

Laughter Craft Comedy launches a brand-new night in Addlestone this October, and it's certainly not easing itself in gently, with three brilliant comics already lined up for its Community Centre debut.

Social media favourite Jeff Innocent, Live at the Apollo comic Jack Skipper, and Mock the Week regular Zoe Lyons make up the opening bill, with Jonathan Elston keeping proceedings moving. Throw in a licensed bar, and you've got all the ingredients for a very strong first night.

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Kae Kurd & Friends in aid of L'Arche

When: Saturday 17th October 2026

Where: St Luke's Church, West Norwood in London

Choose SE27 Comedy Festival signs off in serious style this October, bringing South London favourite Kae Kurd and a brilliant supporting cast to St Luke's Church for a huge closing-night fundraiser.

The Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News For You star is joined by Desiree Burch and Ali Woods, with Good Ship Comedy's Ben Van der Velde hosting proceedings. Better still, all profits from the show go to L'Arche and its work supporting adults with learning disabilities, meaning your Saturday-night laughs are doing a bit of good at the same time.

 

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Can't find a comedy night that takes your fancy? Or want to check out what's happening later on in the year? Visit Skiddles UK Comedy Guide by clicking or tapping - HERE

 

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