9 July 2026, London, UK – The Roundhouse Comedy Festival returns to iconic multi-arts venue and youth charity, the Roundhouse, Camden, kicking off on Saturday 1st August with a special edition of Live at the Roundhouse. Headlined by Frank Skinner, the opening night also features Phil Wang, Rosie Jones and Celya AB, with Saturday Night Live UK star Paddy Young as host.
The opening night sets the tone for an ambitious, genre-spanning programme featuring some of comedy’s biggest names, as the legendary Camden venue celebrates 20 years since reopening as an independent multi-arts space and youth charity. The festival is once again co-programmed by acclaimed comedy production company Berk’s Nest. Tickets are on sale now, with limited availability remaining for selected performances www.roundhouse.org.uk.
Following the resounding success of its 2023 debut, the Roundhouse Comedy Festival is back bigger than ever, expanding its scope across stand-up, live podcasts, theatrical comedy and interactive shows, and reaffirming the Roundhouse as a major destination for live comedy in the UK. The 2026 line-up is packed with major headliners including Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan, Sam Campbell, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe and Vittorio Angelone, alongside solo show from and Jack Rooke, creator of Big Boys. This year’s festival promises more shows, more comedians, and a frankly irresponsible amount of laughter.
New additions to the programme include Celebrity Traitors and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed, who joins Ed Gamble’s showcase alongside Jamali Maddix and Sam Nicoresti, hosted by Live At The Apollo’s Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Chloe Petts (Have I Got News For You, and this Autumn’s upcoming season of Taskmaster) has also been announced to open for Kristen Schaal, The American actress and comedian will be bringing her new comedy play The Legend of the Crystal Shell to London for a one-night-only performance, co-starring her Bob’s Burgers co-star John Roberts.
The festival will also welcome cult US comedy streaming platform Dropout, bringing live editions of its hit shows Dirty Laundry, Um, Actually and Crowd Control outside the United States for the very first time. Born from the hugely successful comedy website CollegeHumor, Dropout has built a global following with its distinctive blend of improvisation, game shows and original comedy. Featuring hosts Lily Du, Grant O’Brien, Ify Nwadiwe, Brian David Gilbert and Jacquis Neal, alongside a line-up of special guests (including Sarah Keyworth, Gbemi Oladipo, and Aurie Styla), the shows mark a rare opportunity for UK audiences to experience three of the platform’s most popular formats live.
Live podcast recordings from Adam Buxton and Alexei Sayle sit alongside a new wave of emerging talent, including Saturday Night Live UKbreakout Ayoade Bamgboye and last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Nicoresti, offering a vibrant snapshot of the comedy scene right now.
Across the opening weekend, the Roundhouse Comedy Festival welcomes The Alexei Sayle Podcast to the stage for a rare live recording with special guest Diane Morgan, promising an unfiltered and unpredictable conversation shaped by the audience. Later that evening, Katherine Ryanheadlines a major showcase alongside Judi Love, Michelle de Swarte, Lou Sanders and Jack Skipper – a multi-generational line-up spanning established favourites and fast-rising acts. The weekend continues with The Adam Buxton Podcast live at the Roundhouse, featuring special guest and Roundhouse alumnus Mawaan Rizwan.
Stand-up remains at the heart of the festival, with a series of curated mixed bills led by some of the most in-demand names in comedy. Star of Last One Laughing, Sam Campbell headlines a surreal, high-energy line-up alongside Fern Brady, Desiree Burch and Ayoade Bamgboye, which is down to its last few tickets. Sara Pascoe and Vittorio Angelone each host special “& Friends” nights, assembling hand-picked line-ups including Harriet Kemsley, Nina Conti, John Kearns, Michael Odewale, Troy Hawke, Kyla Cobbler, Janine Harouni, Micky Overman and Janine Harouni.
Alongside stand-up, the festival also highlights more theatrical and personal work. BAFTA-winning writer and Roundhouse ambassador Jack Rooke revisits his breakthrough show Good Grief a decade after its debut, as part of a wider UK tour. Beyond the stage, Rooke is a Commissioner for the Young Creatives Commission, led by the Centre for Young Lives in partnership with the Roundhouse. The initiative aims to expand young people’s access to arts and creative spaces. As part of a diverse panel, he will help shape recommendations to improve youth, education, and community arts provision, due by December.
The festival closes with Joe Lycett hosting a night of new and experimental material, inviting audiences into the messy, unpredictable process of comedy in the making, where Joe will host a line-up of some of his favourite comedians.
The 2023 festival firmly established the Roundhouse Comedy Festival as a major highlight in the UK comedy calendar, with sold-out shows from names including James Acaster, Katherine Ryan, Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar, Rose Matafeo and Reggie Watts. Building on this success, the 2026 edition offers an even more expansive and ambitious programme, reflecting comedy’s growing cultural impact as both entertainment and a space for connection, release and commentary.
Jenny Mollica, CEO of the Roundhouse, said: “With just a month to go, the excitement is really building for this year’s Comedy Festival. We’re thrilled to welcome such an incredible line-up of talent, and it’s especially exciting to have Jack Rooke returning to the Roundhouse. As a Roundhouse alum, it’s wonderful to see him bring his brilliant show back to where so much of his creative journey began. We can’t wait to share an unforgettable festival with audiences this summer.”
Owen Donovan, Managing Director, Berk’s Nest added: “We’re thrilled to be back at Roundhouse this August with some of our favourite comics, podcasts, and shows. 2023’s festival was an amazing first festival and I can’t wait for this bigger, busier, even more brilliant line-up to come to London for a huge summer of comedy. Amongst a list of names I’m proud to have programmed, it’s a personal thrill to be collaborating with Dropout on bringing their three shows over to the UK for the first time, whilst Kristen Schaal’s The Legend of Crystal Shell is an incredible, genre-defying show that brings her back to London after a decade and a half since she last performed here. All that, and then a huge list of some of my favourite comics in the country!”
Continuing their commitment to accessibility, the Roundhouse and Berk’s Nest will once again offer 30 £5 tickets for every show to audiences aged 30 and under.
Listings information
Roundhouse Comedy Festival 2026 runs from 1–18 August at the Roundhouse, Camden.