Comedy News Round Up

The Edinburgh Fringe Countdown starts...Plus The Best TV Comedy This Year

We might be six months away from the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 but that hasn’t stopped tickets going on sale. 351 shows went on sale this week, ranging from comedy, theatre and beyond. The Pleasance has announced its first shows here. Assembly has announced its shows here. The Gilded Balloon has announced its first shows here including fun cult hit The Dark Room and there’s a more general round up here.

Daniel Sloss has some Edinburgh dates too, but if you are on the other side of the Atlantic he’s heading there as well. He’s just announced a US/Canada tour for his show BITTER. Details here.

The Wells Comedy Festival is marking its tenth anniversary with a great line-up. Sara Pascoe, Ed Gamble, Flo & Joan, Paul Foot, Mark Thomas, Sam Nicoresti and Toussaint Douglass are among those playing this lovely boutique event. Details here.

A brand new national day of celebration, Live Comedy Day (LCD), has been announced to recognise the vital role live comedy plays in the UK’s economy, cultural identity, and creative future. The inaugural Live Comedy Day will take place on 1st April 2026, with comedy shows, performances and events taking place across the country. Live Comedy Day will be an annual event, helping to showcase the best that the live comedy industry has to offer. More here.

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Jordan Brookes has announced a new tour. I saw a work in progress of this a while back - it’ll probably be very different now but it was brilliant back then. Details here.

And Alasdair Beckett-King is also going out on tour with his latest show King of Crumbs. Here’s a revealing interview with the hairy multi-media comic.

And finally, what’s the best comedy on TV right now? That’s easy. It’s Small Prophets. Read our glowing review here. And please watch it.

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