Southport Comedy Festival 2026 — Lineup, Why It Sells Out, and How to Book

The Southport Comedy Festival started in 2012. For the first few years it was a modest thing. It's grown into something considerably more significant: 17 nights, a luxury heated marquee in Victoria Park, over 6,000 attendees in 2025, nine sell-out shows. In 2026 it's in its 15th year and the first acts are already confirmed.

Confirmed Acts for 2026

Four acts confirmed so far, with more to be announced throughout the year. Henning Wehn is the German Comedy Ambassador to the UK — consistently better live than on television, which is high praise given how good he is on television. Gary Delaney is Britain's best one-liner comedian. Every sentence is a punchline. It's a specific skill and he has it better than almost anyone working today.

Scott Bennett is one of the most reliable live acts on the Northern circuit — clean, sharp, genuinely funny, suitable for families. Laura Smyth rounds out the initial lineup: one of the breakout acts of the past couple of years. More to follow as the year progresses.

Why It Sells Out

Because the venue is genuinely good and appropriately sized, the acts are properly good rather than second-tier, and 17 nights of comedy is a rare offer for a town this size. The marquee holds enough people that it feels like a proper comedy night rather than someone's living room — but small enough that you're not watching a dot at the end of an arena. It's the right scale for stand-up.

Nine shows selling out in 2025 isn't a fluke. Book early. The popular shows go first. When they announce Henning Wehn's date, that one will be gone fast.

How to Book

Tickets are via southportcomedyfestival.com — their own site lists all shows and links to individual ticket pages. You can also book via Skiddle or Ticketmaster. Sign up to their mailing list to be notified when new shows go on sale. That's the single most useful thing you can do if you're planning to go.