The Blackpool Comedy Festival!

The Blackpool Comedy Festival!

The Blackpool Comedy Festival is back with events across Blackpool between 7-9 July 2023. Enjoy three days of spectacular comedy and entertainment for the whole family!

Blackpool Comedy Festival

The town’s world famous for its entertainment industry and an illustrious line up of comedy heroes have performed in the town across the generations. You’ve only got to look at the Comedy Carpet!

Showtown, the museum of fun and entertainment, has teamed up with Winter Gardens, The Old Electric and House of Secrets to create an event to celebrate the art of comedy. Join Showtown on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July in the Pavilion and Horseshoe at the Winter Gardens for lots of laughter and fun. Including hilarious family shows, craft activities, storytelling, talks, dress up and much more.

What’s On at Blackpool Comedy Festival 2023

Friday 7 July 2023

Friday Night Laughs at Blackpool Comedy Festival

Friday Night Laughs – 8:00pm at the Winter Gardens

Hosted by the quick-witted and charming Ryan Gleeson, this unmissable event will feature performances from four of the UK’s top comedians: Jojo Sutherland, Angelos Epithemiou, Tom Stade, and the legendary Eddie Izzard.

Saturday 8 July 2023

LAUGHTER ZONE: Saturday
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe
TIME:  11am – 6pm
COST: FREE
Join Showtown and friends for FREE drop-in activities throughout Blackpool Comedy Festival.  Activities will include monstrous faces, Showtown dress up, craft activities and much more!
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/laughter-zone

TALK: Pete Lindup presents 100 entertainment legends (take 1)
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe
TIME:  11am – 12pm
COST: FREE
Join Pete Lindup for this talk as he brings to life an iconic canvas celebrating 100 famous entertainers who appeared in Blackpool. This is the first talk in a series of 3 across the weekend.  Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talk-pete-lindop-presents-100-entertainment-legends-take-1

LAUGHTER ZONE: Edquiring Minds with Stephen Edwards
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe (storytelling tent)
TIME:  5pm – 6pm
COST: FREE
Join Stephen Edwards, a failed journalist turned doomed podcast host who tries to find new media fame as he interviews ridiculous and absurd guests.
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/laughter-zone-edquiring-minds-with-stephen-edwards

Candy House Entertainment: Laughter family session
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  1pm – 2pm
COST: Tickets: £3 per child (Adults: FREE)
An hour of laughter and fun for the whole family. Join Candy House Entertainment during this session. Recommended audience: Age 2+
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/candy-house-entertainment-laughter-and-craft-activities

TALK: Great Lancashire Comedians
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  3pm – 4pm
COST: FREE
Come along to this entertaining talk on Lancashire’s great comedians by Dr Tom Preston. Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talk-great-lancashire-comedians-2

TALK: Pete Lindup presents 100 entertainment legends (take 2)
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  4.30pm – 5.30pm
COST: FREE
Join Pete Lindup for this talk as he brings to life an iconic canvas celebrating 100 famous entertainers who appeared in Blackpool. This is the second talk in a series of 3 across the weekend. Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talk-pete-lindop-presents-100-entertainment-legends


COMPETITION TIME…

WIN Tickets to Blackpool Comedy Festival Shows

We’ve teamed up with Blackpool Winter Gardens to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to one of these two shows.

🥇First out of the hat… gets a pair of tickets to FRIDAY NIGHT LAUGHS

🥈Second wins… two tickets to SATURDAY LIVE!

Part of a much bigger line up which includes over 23 events – 11 are FREE!

Enter here


Poems for The Romantics from the Anti-Romantic
LOCATION: The Old Electric
TIME:  2pm – 3pm
COST: £5 per ticket
Poems for The Romantics from the Anti-Romantic is a stand-up comedy/poetry set about the challenges of looking for love when you are visually impaired!
This is a joint event with Anthony Briscoe ‘Talentless Millennial Poet (To the detriment of the craft)’.  Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/poems-for-the-romantics-from-the-anti-romantic

Talentless Millennial Poet (To the detriment of the craft)
LOCATION: The Old Electric
TIME:  2pm – 3pm
COST: £5 per ticket
Anthony Briscoe A.K.A The Bard Of Blackpool (not a title he gave himself) is a performance poet and socially engaged artist from Blackpool.  This is a joint event with Helena Ascough ‘Poems for The Romantics from the Anti-Romantic’.  Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talentless-millennial-poet-to-the-detriment-of-the-craft

Phil Ellis’ Excellent Comedy Show
LOCATION: The Old Electric
TIME:  3.30pm – 4.30pm
COST: £5 per ticket
Join us at the Old Electric for Edinburgh award winning, Phil Ellis’ Excellent Comedy Show.  Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/phil-ellis-excellent-comedy-show

Let’s Go Round Again with Rich Wilson
LOCATION: The Old Electric
TIME:  5pm – 6pm
COST: £5 per ticket
Join comedy circuit legend, television and radio actor and award winning podcaster Rich Wilson at the Old Electric.  Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/lets-go-round-again-with-rich-wilson

A Soiree of Black Liver
LOCATION: The Old Electric
TIME:  6.30pm – 7.30pm
COST: £5 per ticket
An exclusive hour of songs and stories, from the silly to the satirical, by Blackpool’s favourite musical comedy duo, Black Liver. Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/a-soiree-of-black-liver

Saturday Live with Blackpool Comedy Festival

Saturday Live – 8:00pm at the Winter Gardens

The incredible line-up features four outstanding comedians: Scott Bennett, Ryan Gleeson, Nina Gilligan, Jamie Hutchinson and Seann Walsh.

Gather your friends, family, and co-workers for a night filled with unforgettable comedy that will leave everyone in high spirits

Sunday 9 July 2023

LAUGHTER ZONE: Sunday
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe
TIME:  11am – 6pm
COST: FREE
Join Showtown and friends for FREE drop-in activities throughout Blackpool Comedy Festival.  Activities will include Showtown dress up, craft activities, storytelling and much more!
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/laughter-zone-sunday

LAUGHTER ZONE: Storytelling with Gav Cross
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe (storytelling tent)
TIME:  11am & 4pm
COST: FREE
Gav Cross is a storyteller and a very silly man. Join him for ‘Stupid Stories for Silly Sausages’ in the Showtown storytelling tent at 11am and 4pm. Suitable for all!
FIND OUT MORE:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/storytelling-with-gav-cross

LAUGHTER ZONE: Storytelling wit Mama G
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Horseshoe (storytelling tent)
TIME:  12pm & 2pm
COST: FREE
Join Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, Mama G for funny stories and songs in the Showtown storytelling tent at 12pm and 2pm.  Suitable for all!
FIND OUT MORE:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/storytelling-with-mama-g

Winter Gardens: Pavilion Theatre
TALK: Andy Hollingworth – a spotlight on Victoria Wood
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  11am – 12pm
COST: FREE
Join photographer Andy Hollingworth as he talks about capturing one of the country’s greatest comedy talents – Victoria Wood. Recommended Audience: Age 14+
FIND OUT MORE:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talk-andy-hollingworth-presents-victoria-wood-lets-do-it

Gav Cross’ Tell Tale Twit
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  1pm – 2pm
COST: £6 per child (Adults: Free)
Join Gav Cross for laughter and surprises, in a storytelling show for the whole family to enjoy – Tell Tale Twit. Recommended audience:  Age 7+
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/tell-tale-twit

Comedy Magic Chaos with Russ Brown and John Archer 
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  3pm – 4pm
COST: £3 per child (Adults: Free)
Join Ken Dodd comedy award winners John Archer and Russ Brown for an afternoon of magic, comedy and fun worthy of the great Ken Dodd.  Recommended audience:  Age 6+
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/family-activities/russ-brown-and-friends

TALK: Pete Lindup presents 100 entertainment legends (take 3)
LOCATION: Winter Gardens Pavilion
TIME:  5pm – 6pm
COST: FREE
Join Pete Lindup for this talk as he brings to life an iconic canvas celebrating 100 famous entertainers who appeared in Blackpool. This is the third and last talk in a series of 3 across the weekend. Recommended audience: Adults.
FIND OUT MORE: www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/talk-pete-lindop-presents-100-entertainment-legends-take-3

Listen Me Alice 
LOCATION: House of Secrets
TIME:  5pm – 6pm
COST: £5 per ticket.
Listen Me Alice is a night like no other. Unless there is another night that writes original radio comedy scripts and performs them live on stage in front of an audience. Join us at the House of Secrets during Blackpool Comedy Festival. Recommended audience: Age 15+
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK:  www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/whats-on/events/listen-me-alice

Celebrating Comedy Talent!

Kerry Vasiliou is Showtown’s Learning and Engagement Manager. She said: “We’ve seen so much comedy talent pass through Blackpool over the years and this festival celebrates that. We wanted to create a festival that would not only entertain, but enable people young and old to get involved, try out their own comic acts, and explore the history of comedy in Blackpool. We want to ensure that we’re supporting the talent of the future so that we’ll have a thriving comedy scene for generations to come. There’ll definitely be something for everyone at the festival.”

More about Showtown

The museum will be located in The Sands Venue close to The Blackpool Tower. Inside will be interactive galleries that tell stories from the world of Shows, Circus, Magic, Dance, the Illuminations and all the joy of being by the Seaside. Plus a temporary exhibition space and learning space. There’ll also be a retail outlet selling souvenirs inspired by the world of entertainment.

Showtown, the museum of fun and entertainment is due to open its doors in Spring 2024.

While you’re here…

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