They don’t call it the ‘January blues’ for nothing. Come post-Christmastime, we’re all looking for a reason to smile, and the Bristol Comedy Festival is on course to become that reason every year. Having established itself at the start of 2025, it’s returning to the city from January 15 to 31, 2026, for more laughs.
Run by a small team from the local comedy scene, a successful inaugural festival brought together hundreds of comedy fans, performers and venues in the city. The second edition of the Bristol Comedy Festival will only crank up the humour—with an expanded programme of shows and events across Bristol.
This January’s festival sees names like Bristol’s Jayde Adams, author and stand-up Mark Watson, critically-acclaimed podcaster Milo Edwards and breakout winner of So You Think You’re Funny, Finlay Christie, take to venues such as Bristol Folk House, Basement 45, Strange Brew, The Gaffe Comedy Club, and St George’s.
Harry Allmark, co-founder of Bristol Comedy Festival, said, “Seeing how Bristol embraced the festival in its first year was incredible. The city has such a passionate, creative comedy community, and our 2026 event will build on that energy with more venues, more acts and more opportunities for people to get involved.”
This time, attendees will be able to add an optional donation to TAP for Bristol when purchasing tickets, which raises funds for local charities that support people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, like Caring in Bristol, Emmaus Bristol and SLEEC, at a time of year when many are experiencing the hardest times.
As part of its community focus, the festival team is currently inviting volunteers to join the crew that helps bring the event to life. Volunteers can gain hands-on experience across a variety of roles, including audience management, event tech, logistics and marketing support—those interested can apply via the festival website.
The full line-up of venues and acts will be announced soon. To learn more about the Bristol Comedy Festival, including details, updates and tickets, head here.