Bury St Edmunds Comedy Festival 2026 Line-Up

Visit Bury St Edmunds, where the history is as rich as the punchlines and prepare for a rib-tickling rollercoaster ride through six weeks filled with side-splitting stand-up, outrageous improv, and a comedy cocktail that'll leave you in stitches.

As we transform familiar venues into laughter sanctuaries, you'll find yourself surrounded by the infectious energy of comedians who are masters of their craft. From clever observations to the downright absurd, our lineup is curated to cater to every comedic taste, ensuring that no funny bone is left untouched.

For the first time, there will be a competition to find Abbeygate Comedy Club’s Comedian of the Year 2026. The first heat will be held on Sunday, 25th January with further competitions on 8th and 22nd February leading up to the exciting final on Saturday, 28th February, all the heats will be ticketed events held in the Abbeygate Cinema.  More details about the comedians taking part and how to book will be announced soon.

Buckle up for a comedy adventure like no other – the Bury St Edmunds Comedy Festival is about to take center stage, and the punchlines are ready to steal the spotlight making it a very funny February and March!

Luke Wright - Wednesday 4th February

Later Life Letter tells the story of Luke Wright’s adoption – the life he leads, and the one he might have done. What’s it like to stumble across your birth mother on Facebook? How do you honour the parents who have raised you while satisfying a curiosity about where you came from? Is it telling that you married a social worker?

Wright navigates his audience through a warm and honest hour of poems and stand-up with the wit, pathos, and silliness that has made him one of the most popular live poets in England.

This is a frank account of what it means to be someone’s child told by a performer who really knows what he’s doing. Expect raucous laughter, tear-stained cheeks, and a little smattering of drum n bass.

Book now at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical - Thursday 12th February - Friday 13th February

The hugely popular Showstopper! The Improvised Musical returns to Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds direct from the West End.

 Olivier Award winners – Best Entertainment and Family Show 2016.

With fifteen years as an Edinburgh Fringe must-see phenomenon, a BBC Radio 4 series, a critically acclaimed West End run and an Olivier Award to their name, The Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy, musical theatre and spontaneity.
A brand new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning show as audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into all-singing, all dancing productions with hilarious results.

These incredible performers are guaranteed to impress as they create shows packed with drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies – and it’s all made up on the spot!
So whether you fancy Hamilton in a hospital, Sondheim in the Sahara or Gigi in the Greene Room Bar, you suggest it and The Showstoppers will sing it!

Book now at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

Daliso Chaponda - Saturday 14th February

Daliso Chaponda has been writing jokes about the news for over a decade – on Have I Got News For You, Radio 4′ News Quiz, Australia’s Good News Week and many more besides. (In fact he’s seen the news from both sides, having been in the tabloids himself.) But recently the news has been so absurd, chaotic and overwhelming that it more or less mocks itself. Where do we go from here?

Topical Storm is Daliso’s response. A show not about THE news but about news itself. Journalists, bloggers, fake news, satirical news: have we lost the thread of it all? Is the reporting of news endlessly polarising us as a society rather than educating us? Would we be better off going right back to the first ever news bulletin – the original caveman drawing on a wall – and starting from scratch? Daliso does just that in this explosive new standup show Tropical Storm.

Book now at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

Pauline Eyre - Wednesday 25th February

Fresh from sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Pauline Eyre's Anyone for Tenniscomes to Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

A Wimbledon line judge for 20 years, comedian Pauline Eyre is ready to spill the Pimms on tennis gossip from the fragrant royal box to the musty locker room, and why line judges are OUT! Expect smashing stories, ace anecdotes and a 40-love letter to the game. And there’s nobody to say ‘quiet please’. She cannot be serious… can she?

Book now at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

Daniel O’Reilly - Friday 27th February

Coming off the back of a 62-date sold-out tour, selling over 40,000 tickets, Daniel returns to The Apex as part of his next national show.

Hold on to your seats and brace yourself for a night of outrageous laughs and no-holds-barred comedy, as the one and only Daniel O’Reilly returns to the stage with his brand new, in-your-face tour: ‘Let’s Have It’.

Famous for his unapologetic humour, quick-fire crowd work, and electric stage presence, Daniel is back and funnier than ever – and he’s not holding back. Whether you've seen him go viral online or live on stage, you’ll know one thing for sure: no topic is off-limits, and nothing is safe!

Fresh from sold-out shows across the UK and millions of online fans, Daniel brings his brutally honest, laugh-out-loud take on modern life, relationships, parenthood, and everything in between.

Book now at The Apex website.

Jason Manford - Thursday 12th March

Jason Manford is back with his brand-new live show, A Manford All Seasons.

Jason’s been busy since his last smash-hit stand up show but fans of his Absolute Radio show will know this nationally acclaimed comedian hasn’t changed a bit.

A Manford All Seasons is Jason’s latest comic offering that is set to hit the road in 2024, his iconic "expert observational comedy" (The Guardian) is sure to be "comic gold" (Mail on Sunday).

Book now at The Apex website.

More acts are to be confirmed soon!