Wednesday 19 August 2026
The Roundhouse Comedy Festival 2026 came to a close last night following a month-long celebration of comedy at London’s iconic Roundhouse, bringing together some of the biggest names in the industry alongside rising stars, international performers, live podcast favourites and a selection of the most exciting new voices in comedy.
The festival, which ran throughout August, culminated with Joe Lycett hosting a special closing night of new and experimental material, inviting audiences into the unpredictable process of comedy in the making alongside some of his favourite comedians, including Mick Ferry, Kyrah Gray and Nabil Abdulrashid.
From the opening night’s special edition of Live at the Roundhouse, headlined by Frank Skinner, hosted by star of Saturday Night Live UK Paddy Young, and featuring sets from Phil Wang, Rosie Jones and Celya AB, to Joe Lycett’s finale, the festival showcased comedy in all its forms across the Roundhouse’s iconic spaces.
The 2026 festival featured major headliners including Katherine Ryan, Sam Campbell, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe, Vittorio Angelone and Joe Lycett, alongside solo work from Big Boys (Channel 4) creator Jack Rooke and appearances from some of the most exciting comedians working in the UK today.
Across the festival, audiences experienced an eclectic programme spanning stand-up, live podcasts, comedy theatre, improvisation, panel shows and experimental performance – reflecting the breadth and ambition of contemporary comedy.
Stand-up was at the heart of the festival, with specially curated bills giving audiences the opportunity to see established favourites alongside the next generation of comedy talent.
Sam Campbell, star of Last One Laughing, brought his surreal, high-energy style to a bill featuring Fern Brady, Desiree Burch and Ayoade Bamgboye, while Sara Pascoe and Vittorio Angelone each hosted special “& Friends” nights, bringing together hand-picked line-ups including Harriet Kemsley, Nina Conti, John Kearns, Michael Odewale, Troy Hawke, Kyla Cobbler, Janine Harouni and Micky Overman.
The festival also provided a platform for emerging talent, including Saturday Night Live UK breakout Ayoade Bamgboye and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Nicoresti, alongside a host of comedians at different stages of their careers.
One of the major highlights of this year’s festival was the UK debut of live shows from cult US comedy platform Dropout. The platform brought live editions of its hit shows Dirty Laundry, Um, Actually and Crowd Control to audiences outside the United States for the first time. Featuring hosts including Lily Du, Grant O’Brien, Ify Nwadiwe, Brian David Gilbert and Jacquis Neal, alongside a stellar line-up of UK special guests including Sarah Keyworth, Jenny Eclair, Ivo Graham, Gbemi Oladipo and Aurie Styla, the shows gave British audiences a rare chance to experience some of Dropout’s most popular comedy formats live – bringing the platform’s distinctive mix of improvisation, games and chaotic comedy to the Roundhouse stage for the very first time.
The festival also welcomed American comedian and actor Kristen Schaal, who brought her comedy play The Legend of the Crystal Shell to London for a one-night-only performance alongside her Bob’s Burgers co-star John Roberts, with Chloe Petts opening the show.
The programme also celebrated the growing range of formats through which comedy reaches audiences. Live recordings of The Alexei Sayle Podcast, featuring special guest Diane Morgan, and The Adam Buxton Podcast, featuring Roundhouse alumnus Mawaan Rizwan, brought the energy of two much-loved podcasts into the live setting.
Elsewhere, Jack Rooke revisited his breakthrough show Good Grief, a decade after its debut, highlighting the festival’s commitment to work that sits between stand-up, theatre and personal storytelling. Rooke is also a Commissioner for the Young Creatives Commission, led by the Centre for Young Lives in partnership with the Roundhouse, which is working to expand young people’s access to arts and creative spaces.
As part of the Roundhouse’s continued commitment to accessibility, hundreds of £5 tickets were claimed by audiences aged 30 and under across the festival, helping to make the month-long programme more accessible to younger audiences.
Jenny Mollica, CEO at the Roundhouse, said:
“Over the past month, the Roundhouse Comedy Festival has brought together an extraordinary breadth of comedy, from industry greats and international artists to the next generation of emerging talent. It has been wonderful to see audiences embrace such a diverse and ambitious programme, and to welcome so many brilliant comedians to our stages.
“A particular highlight was seeing Jack Rooke return to the Main Space with Good Grief, ten years after first performing the show in our Davey Studio. His journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of giving young artists space to take their first steps, develop their voices and build sustainable careers. That connection between nurturing emerging talent and presenting ambitious work is at the heart of what we do at the Roundhouse.”
Owen Donovan, Managing Director, Berk’s Nest
“What a festival. We set out to make this year’s Roundhouse Comedy Festival bigger, broader and more ambitious, and it’s been incredible to see audiences embracing such a huge range of comedy over the past few weeks. From some of the biggest names in the country to brilliant emerging acts, live podcasts, Dropout’s UK shows and some wonderful and unexpected moments, it’s been a real celebration of what live comedy can be. And to have Joe Lycett bring us home with a night of new and experimental material was the perfect way to finish. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve put together with the Roundhouse, and already looking forward to seeing where we can take the festival next.”
From huge names and international debuts to emerging talent and completely unexpected moments, the Roundhouse Comedy Festival 2026 has offered audiences a snapshot of comedy right now – funny, strange, provocative, personal, communal and constantly changing.