Nottingham Comedy Festival is back!

In just two weeks’ time, the Nottingham Comedy Festival will be back. Taking place from Friday 31st October to Sunday 9th November, this is the 17th annual Comedy Festival in the city, bringing together brand new, local, international, and top established acts.

With 10 days of comedy across 18 venues, over 150 comedians will take to the stage, offering light-hearted fun for all. This year promises more variety than ever, including stand-up, improvisation, cabaret, drag shows, musical comedy, workshops, and more. Festival-goers can also enjoy the first-ever Nottingham Kids Comedy Festival, taking place over the second weekend at the Vat and Fiddle.

The festival prides itself on supporting local, national, and international comedians at all stages of their careers. Many returning acts are coming back to delight audiences, while newer performers will have the chance to perform their first-ever shows.

Top names appearing this November include Scott Bennett, Alex Mitchell, Phil Nichol, Helen Bauer, Nick Mohammed, Harriet Dyer, Bobby Davro, Alfie Moore, Desiree Burch, Glenn Moore, Thomas Green, and Tom Houghton. With over 150 shows taking place, there’s plenty to explore—see your favourites and discover hidden gems, but most importantly, come and have a laugh.

New for 2025 – the festival is proud to partner with Takeover Radio 106.9FM for the first-ever ‘Joke of the Festival Award’. Nick Mellors, a volunteer with Takeover Radio, who will run this year’s Nottingham award and produce special festival shows, said:

“We believe there is no reason why young people from working-class and left-behind communities across the country should not have the same opportunities to enjoy and take part in the arts.”

With funding from Innovation Nottinghamshire, Takeover Radio is delighted to support the Nottingham Comedy Festival as it brings innovative comedy to the county—from TV names like Glenn Moore and Ashfield’s own Jacob Nussey, to lesser-known surreal and alternative performers. The award aims to showcase creative talent across the area and demonstrate that communities can take part, inspiring others that “people like us can do stuff like this from places like ours.”

Posted on 17 October 2025

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Featured author

Kelham Stevenson