Plymouth Comedy Festival

Plymouth Comedy Festival takes over the city from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 February 2027, three days of live comedy spread across several venues. It's the first time the festival has run here, put on by the team behind Laughter Lab, who're bringing their comedy-night experience to the city on a larger scale.

Rather than a touring show that drops in for a weekend and leaves, the organisers say they want to build something rooted in Plymouth itself and make it a regular part of the city's cultural calendar. They've picked February as a winter highlight, so it's a bit of something to look forward to when the weather's at its worst. The programme will run across the Barbican Theatre, the University of Plymouth, The Box, Bread & Roses and Steel Brew, so there'll be comedy in a few different corners of town over the weekend.

What's on the bill is a broad mix: stand-up, new shows, works in progress, talks, workshops and special events. The works-in-progress are the ones to watch if you like seeing a show being built in public, and the workshops mean you can get involved rather than just sitting in the dark. The organisers say there'll be space for both big names and rising acts, so you'll find established comics alongside people just starting out. Josh Widdicombe, who grew up in Devon, has signed on as an ambassador for the festival.

The full line-up is due to be announced in September, so there's plenty of time to see who's playing before you commit. It runs from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 February, three days of comedy across the city.