Liverpool comedy nights: clubs and shows for a laugh

If you fancy a laugh in Liverpool, you're spoiled for choice. The city has everything from a purpose-built club to open mics in pub back rooms, and the scene is busy enough that there's something on most nights of the week.

The biggest name is Hot Water Comedy Club, which has been run by brothers Paul and Binty Blair since 2010. It now operates from Blackstock Market on Blackstock Street, a 60,000 square foot space with three theatres, a rooftop terrace and a whisky bar. The club is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It opens at 5.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 11.30am at weekends. You can call the box office on 0151 588 0222.

Today, Saturday 17 October, there's a full day of shows. The Triple Headline Show starts at 7pm from £18, followed by the COBO Comedy Shutdown Black History Month special at 7.15pm from £18, with Che Burnley, Annette Fagon, Louis Etienne and Richard Blackwood. Lewis Calvert's Variety Show closes the evening at 8pm from £15. Tomorrow, Sunday 18 October, the free New Act Night at 7pm is a good chance to see up-and-coming performers, and on Thursday 22 October the free 3 Minutes Of Fame night, with Danny McLoughlin, Phil Chapman and Kieran Seddon, also starts at 7pm. The same evening, Jason Byrne brings his '30 Years Byrning' show, tickets from £30. Later in the month, Greipur Hjaltason performs on Friday 23 October at 6.30pm from £35.

Outside Hot Water, the smaller rooms have a character of their own. The Bierkeller on Thomas Steers Way hosts a monthly Cheerkeller night organised by Liverpool Comedy, with four comedians on the bill. Heebie Jeebies on Seel Street runs stand-up nights with local, national and new names, with tickets usually around £6. Over at Albert Dock, the Blue Bar is home to Liverpool Comedy Central every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the Slaughterhouse pub in the city centre hosts the Laughterhouse series. Shenanigans on Tithebarn Street, one of the city's best-known Irish pubs, is another spot to check, with tickets usually free or a £3 ticket available. If you're looking to try out material yourself or simply watch newer acts, the Witty Whippet open mic at the Kazimier Stockroom runs free every week from 19 October to 14 December.

For something more formal, the Royal Court has a 150-seat studio in its basement as well as its main stage. On Saturday 17 October, Rob Rouse's 'Funny Bones' is on in the studio, and The Doddy Day Happiness Show takes over the main stage on Sunday 25 October. The Liverpool Empire, on Lime Street, is a much bigger room with a capacity of 2,350, and its upcoming comedy includes Adam Rowe's 'Fashionism' on 13 and 14 November, and Al Murray on 2 May 2027. Other larger dates include Kevin Bridges at the M&S Bank Arena on 31 October and Josh Pugh at St George's Hall on 1 November. Well Funny Live runs at the Everyman Theatre from 22 October to 10 December.

Dates and times do change, so it's worth checking the venue's own listings before you head out. Hot Water and the smaller pub nights are easy to pick up on a whim, while the bigger shows usually sell out faster, so booking ahead is the safer bet for those.