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Bristol Comedy & Stand-Up Events

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Bristol's Comedy Scene

Bristol is an essential stop-off in the UK comedy circuit. The Comedy Box is probably the city’s most prolific stand up promoter, regular shows bring crowds to The Hen and Chicken, The Tobacco Factory and Colston Hall’s ‘The Lantern’. In summer The Comedy Garden in Queens Square brings a who’s who in British comedy with past guests including Stewart Lee, Marcus Brigstocke, Mark Watson and Shappi Khorsandi. The Loco Club (beneath Temple Meads train station) is home to occasional stand up nights promoted by Bristol Underground Comedy. In the city centre alongside the headliners found at Colston Hall and Bristol Hippodrome, Riproar Comedy host stand-up every Friday and Saturday evening.

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Our recent comedy recommendations

It’s hard to remember Bristol's contemporary dance scene before Impermanence came along, flipping the Mount Without into a world-class physical theatre space attracting commissions and artists from all over the globe. Now the directors tear back the curtain with this 5-day course, sharing in-depth techniques and movement theory from 15 years of groundbreaking shows. Open to budding beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. IMPERMANENCE _ Dance Theatre Intensive at St Michael's Studio.

The first true horror film takes its rightful place at Exchange Horror Club, complete with suitably unsettling live score! German expressionist masterpiece The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari distills interwar paranoia into a claustrophobic dreamscape of lurking shadows, menacing angles and impossible distortions, realised through some of the most fantastical set design ever committed to film. Mandatory cinephile viewing! Exchange Horror Club: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari at Exchange.

Sell out warning! A bite-sized blast of women’s micro-fiction to warm you up for this year’s Flash Fiction Festival. East Bristol Books brings together a selection of award-winning, razor-sharp flash storytellers from across the globe – Bristol’s own Kathryn Aldridge-Morris, WA’s Gillian O’Shaughnessy and the Bay Area’s Patricia Q. Bidar. Feminist Flash Fiction from the UK, Australia and US at East Bristol Books.

A rare chance to sample the punk magic of 16mm film. This taster from BEEF / Cube stalwart Katie Davis delivers a crash course in DIY techniques like cameraless photograms + show you how to mix your own home B&W developer fluid using coffee, vitamin C and baking soda. Next stop: Bluescreen! 16mm Film Night Classes - 16mm Photograms & Caffenol Developer at KIT FORM.

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What our editors say

“Looking for a good time and a hilarious night out to end the working week? You’ve come to the right place. Bristol's fresh new comedy club brings the best acts in the country and the region right to the city centre. Expect TV and radio sensations, local legends and touring comedians from the circuit, but above all, expect genuine laughs. We don’t do things by halves at The Gaffe. This is a top-level comedy night with a handpicked line-up, brought to you by the team behind, The Bristol Comedy FEstival, The Room Above (winner of the Chortle Award for Best Pro Comedy Night) and the White Bear Comedy Club.”
From: Saturday Night Comedy Headliners 9pm

“You’re in for a night of cutting-edge comedy. We aim to make our shows diverse and inclusive, with some names you already know, and others that should be on your radar. Since opening in January 2025, The Gaffe has featured:”
From: Saturday Night Comedy Headliners 7pm

“Looking for a good time and a hilarious night out to end the working week? You’ve come to the right place. Bristol's fresh new comedy club brings the best acts in the country and the region right to the city centre. Expect TV and radio sensations, local legends and touring comedians from the circuit, but above all, expect genuine laughs. We don’t do things by halves at The Gaffe. This is a top-level comedy night with a handpicked line-up, brought to you by the team behind, The Bristol Comedy Festival, The Room Above (winner of the Chortle Award for Best Pro Comedy Night) and the White Bear Comedy Club.”
From: Friday Comedy Club

“Join us on Thursdays for a great value night of local comedy from some of the best comedians in the South West. Bristol has an award-winning comedy scene for good reason: it’s packed full of talented comedians who live in or near the city, and it’s our job to cherry-pick the best of them for this banger of a Thursday night show, all for £5!”
From: Thursday Comedy for a fiver

“A brand new, new act, new material night at Seamus O’Donnell's The tickets are free, the bar is open and the laughs are rolling in for Stand up @ Seamus. Join us for a night of top local queer and queer-friendly comedy. Come and see comedians try out new jokes or even take to the stage for the very first time. You really never know what you might see at a new material night!”
From: Seamus Presents: Stand Up LGBTQ+ Comedy Night