The Big Show Friday

The Big Show Friday is back at Monkey Barrel Comedy on Friday 30 October, the club's award-winning weekend stand-up showcase. It's a different line-up every Friday and Saturday, mixing local Edinburgh comics with touring acts passing through the city, so the bill changes from week to week.

Monkey Barrel sits in the heart of Edinburgh's old town at 9-12 Blair Street, EH1 1QR. It's been named 'Scotland's Best Comedy Venue' since 2020 at the Chortle Awards, and picked up Best Comedy Club at the Scottish Comedy Awards in 2017 and 2018. The List describes it as 'a year-round Edinburgh institution', The Telegraph calls it the 'Beating Heart' of the Fringe, and comedian Olga Koch once named it 'the best comedy club in the world'. It was home to both of 2022's Edinburgh Comedy Awards winners, and to Best Comedy Show in 2023 and 2024, as well as Best Newcomer 2024. Kevin Bridges summed it up simply: 'a comedy club you've got there, Edinburgh!'

There are two shows on the night, so you can pick the one that fits your evening. The first starts at 7pm and runs for an hour and twenty minutes, with tickets at £15 per person and a student price of £13. The second is at 9pm, running for an hour and forty-five minutes including an interval, and costs £18 per person. Between the two, you've got a choice of a shorter, earlier set or a longer, later one.