Slapstick Festival: Silent Comedy Gala

Slapstick Festival returns to Bristol from 10 to 14 February 2027, five days of screen and visual comedy spread across several venues in Central Bristol, including Watershed, Bristol Beacon and Bristol Old Vic. It's a celebration of the funny side of the screen, running from silent-era masterpieces and classic sitcoms to anarchic stand-up and big-screen favourites. Festival Director Chris Daniels runs the event with a clear aim: to keep silent, visual and classic onscreen comedy alive for future generations by raising awareness and appreciation of the art form, and by developing new audiences for archive cinema.

The flagship night is the Silent Comedy Gala, which this year takes place on Friday 12 February at Bristol Beacon (Beacon Hall, Trenchard Street, BS1 5AR) from 19:30. It's billed as one of the highlights of Bristol's cultural calendar and one of the most magical ways to experience classic cinema on the big screen. The headliner is Buster Keaton's The General (1926), with live accompaniment by the European Silent Screen Virtuosi led by Maestro Günter A. Buchwald and Frank Bockius. It's joined by Charlie Chaplin's The Adventurer (1917) and Laurel & Hardy's With Love and Hisses (1927), so you get three of the biggest names in silent comedy in one sitting.

The festival has a history of bringing in big names to host the Gala, with Victoria Wood, Hugh Bonneville, Martin Freeman and Stephen Mangan having stepped up in past years. It also presents honours like the Terry Gilliam Award, the Dave Sproxton Award and the Ben Elton Award. Tickets for the Gala range from £15 to £60, including booking fee, with VIP tickets at £60. Under-18s, students and those unwaged get £5 off.