The full line-up has been revealed for the 2022 Southport Comedy Festival, sponsored by Halliwell Jones BMW – and it’s the biggest and best line-up yet!
Here’s every comedian that you can see at Victoria Park in Southport from Friday, 30th September 2022 through to Sunday, 16th October 2022, with some of the very best comedians in the business, including Al Murray, Milton Jones, Jason Byrne, Jeff Green, Jimeoin, Ed Byrne, Jo Caulfield, Reginald D Hunter, Chris McCausland, and more.
There will also be special nights including Best of the Fest, Disco Bingo for Southport Flower Show, Southport New Comedian of the Year Grand Final, and a Comedy Bingo for Queenscourt Hospice.
Every gig will take place inside a luxury heated and seated marquee, provided by Elite Marquees, with food on offer from Trattoria 51 in Southport and a bar service on site.
For tickets please visit southportcomedyfestival.com
Friday 30th September
Big Comedy UK Presents Best of the Fest featuring Mark Simmons, Rachel Fairburn and Charlie Hopkinson
This show brings together three of the finest comedy performers currently working on the international comedy circuit.
Master of one liners Mark Simmons won a place on Dave’s prestigious Best Joke of The Fringe in Edinburgh 2017 & 2019. As seen on Mock the Week BBC2 and Out There ITV
‘Absolutely hilarious.’ ★★★★ The Scotsman
Fast rising star Rachel Fairburn is co-host and co-writer of the worldwide smash hit podcast All Killa No Filla. As seen on Alan Davies’ As Yet Untitled and Russell Howard’s Hour Life Lessons.
‘Bright, brave and bitterly enjoyable.’ ★★★★The Skinny
Charlie Hopkinson is one of the UK’s leading celebrity voice impersonators; he is also the 2018 former Southport New Comedian of the Year winner.
Over 100 million views across Facebook and YouTube.
Hosted by Brendan Riley
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £15.00
Age Restriction: 18+
Saturday 1st October
Bingo Nights Presents – Disco Bingo
Raising Money for Southport Flower Show
Eyes Down for a fabulous night of fundraising for Southport Flower Show with this truly interactive event. Disco Bingo is exactly what it says on the tin; a full night of traditional style Disco and Bingo but with a modern twist!
Guaranteed to get the whole room up and dancing, classic disco hits are triggered when certain bingo numbers are called. The entire evening is peppered with music and good-natured banter provided by comedian and presenter Brendan Riley.
Sell out show Festival 2021 so grab your tickets now.
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £10
Age Restriction: 18+
Sunday 2nd October
Reginald D Hunter
Since his arrival in the UK over 20 years ago Reginald’s searingly honest observations both onstage and on TV and Radio have garnered him a cross-generational fan base. His many TV appearances have included HIGNFY, QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown, Live at the Apollo and two series of the BBC2’s hugely popular Reginald D Hunter’s Songs of The South & Songs of The Border.
‘A cerebral comedian with every performative grace in his back pocket’ Voice Magazine
‘Comedy of a rare scope’ ★★★★ Times
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £17
Age Restriction: 18+
Tuesday 4th October
Southport New Comedian of the Year Grand Final
Sponsored by Dragon Soop
The competition, now in its 13th Year, will again search the nation for 8 aspiring comedians to compete to become the next Southport New Comedian of the Year 2022.
Dragon Soop and The Southport Comedy Festival are proud to encourage new talent and help them become the stars of tomorrow. Choosing just one winner from an array of comedy talent won’t be easy.
Hosted by Brendan Riley “A born compere” The Guardian
Dragon Soop should only be consumed by adults aged 18+. Please enjoy responsibly
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £5
Age Restriction: 18+
Wednesday 5th October
Chris McCausland – Speaky Blinder
Star of the Royal Variety Performance, Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You, QI, and Live at the Apollo… One of the UK’s top stand-ups Chris McCausland is on tour with a stand-up show about life, family, and loads of other nonsense as well!
‘A joke heavy show with gags a plenty’ The List
‘Passionate and rib-tickling. An illuminating, heartfelt performance. Highly recommended’ Ed Fest Magazine
‘Proper stand-up, honest, straightforward, balls-out funny’ Chortle
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £19, £17 Concs
Age Restriction: 16+ PG
Thursday 6th October
Comedy Bingo
Raising funds for Queenscourt Hospice
Eyes Down for a fabulous night of fun(draising) for a fantastic local charity Queenscourt Hospice with this truly hilarious and unique event!
Comedy Bingo is a highly interactive show hosted by comedian Brendan Riley, ‘bouncy and engaging’ The Scotsman
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £10.00
Age Restriction: 16+ PG
Friday 7th October
Paul Sinha – One Sinha Lifetime
Star of ‘The Chase’ and festival favourite Paul Sinha returns for his eighth year.
In January 2020, Paul embarked on a national tour, his most ambitious show combining stand-up, music, hula-hooping and tales of romantic validation and neurological degeneration.
As it turned out, 2020 proved to be the wrong year to embark on a national tour. For everyone.
Undeterred, Paul is back, with the difficult second post-diagnosis album. Expect a rich tapestry of japes and scrapes, triumphs and disasters, from a master storyteller.
‘The stories are told with a constant light-touch wit… Parkinson’s hasn’t robbed him of his ability to do stand-up, it’s enhanced it’ ★★★★ Chortle
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £15
Age Restriction: 16+PG
Saturday 8th October Milton Jones -Milton Impossible
One man. One Mission. Is it possible? No, not really.
Milton reveals the truth about being an international spy, before being given a disappointing new identity which forced him to appear on Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo.
But this is also a love story with the twist, or even a really bad sprain. Just gloriously daft nonsense or is there a deeper meaning?
‘He’s fast, absurd and very Funny’ Radio Times
‘No-one can touch Jones when he hits his stride’ The Guardian
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £25
Age Restriction: N/A
Sunday 9th October
Sponsored by SB Patel
Big Comedy UK Presents
Best of the Fest Featuring Ed Byrne and Jo Caulfield
Two of the comedy industry’s most celebrated comedians come together for one fantastic night of comedy.
Ed Byrne
Award-winning comedian Ed Byrne enjoys worldwide acclaim for his live stand-up and remains the master of observational comedy. As seen on Mock the Week, Live at The Apollo, Top Gear and QI.
‘Comedy’s holy grail…. Go see!’ ★★★★ The Sunday Times
Jo Caulfield
Although best known for her legendary one-woman shows Jo Caulfield has also won a BAFTA for her TV writing.
As seen on Have I Got News for You, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
‘One of the finest female comics at work.’ The Observer
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £17
Age Restriction: 16+
Tuesday 11th October
Maisie Adam – Buzzed
Fresh from Live at The Apollo, Mock the Week, and The Last Leg, Best Newcomer nominee Maisie Adam brings her brand-new show to the Southport Comedy Festival. Expect a show rammed with witty observations, high-octane energy and some right good jokes.
‘Her jokes were spot on, her stories magnificent and magnificently told.’ Bruce Dessau
‘There’s no denying that Maisie Adam is phenomenal.’ The Scotsman
Door: 7m, Show: 8pm
Price: £15
Age Restriction: 16+ PG
Wednesday 12th October
Sam Avery – Role Model
In this side-splitting new stand-up show, comedian and author of the bestseller ‘Confessions of a learner Parent’, Sam explores what it means to be a role model in modern Britain. Exploring how the people he looked up to shaped his world, and how the struggle to help his kids find their moral compass often causes him to misplace his own. It’s quite clear Sam needs to step up.
‘Quick wit and painfully funny’ Metro
‘A gifted storyteller’ The List
‘Amazing and brutally honest…brilliant’ LADbible
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £18
Age Restriction: 16+ PG
Thursday 13th October
Jimeoin – The Craic!
A hilarious evening of World-Class stand-up from live comedy’s internationally acclaimed Irish master!
You’ve seen him on ‘The Royal Variety Performance’, ‘Live at the Apollo’, ‘Sunday Night at the Palladium’ or perhaps online where he has clocked up hundreds of millions of views of his comedy clips… but NOTHING beats seeing Jimeoin live.
‘At the top of his game… didn’t leave a dry eye in the house’ Manchester Evening News
‘Hilarious… If laughter is the best medicine, Jimeoin is a course of steroids…. Don’t you miss it’ Edinburgh Evening News
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £17.95
Age Restriction: 14+ PG
Friday 14th October
Jeff Green – Recovering Optimist
Award-winning comedy legend Jeff Green flies in from Australia for a special appearance at this year’s Southport Comedy Festival.
One of the UK’s funniest comedians, Jeff has entertained audiences all over the world. With a solo West End season, best-selling books and numerous full length TV comedy specials under his belt, this world class stand-up comic has enjoyed three decades at the top of his game.
‘Laugh for laugh Jeff is one of the best comedians in the land’ The Guardian
‘Pin-sharp comedy beautifully delivered is the trade-mark’ The London Evening Standard
‘Makes you laugh with him and stays with you long after the lights go down’ ★★★★★ Broadway Baby
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £17
Age Restriction: 16+ PG
Saturday 15th October
Jason Byrne -Unblocked
King of the Southport Comedy Festival returns for more comedy chaos!
Jason Byrne has not only had his heart unblocked and been given a new lease of life, but his whole career has been unblocked too! The constipation of Covid has been cleared, live entertainment has been colonically irrigated and readied up for us all. The bans from social media platforms have been lifted and Jason is back dishing up platters of fun to everyone.
As seen on Live at the Apollo, The Royal Variety Performance and judging Ireland’s Got Talent
‘Outright King of Live Comedy’ The Times
‘Unmissable’ Evening Standard
‘A comedy God’ The Mirror
Door: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Price: £19.50
Age Restriction: 14 + PG
Sunday 16th October
Al Murray The Pub Landlord– A Gig For Victory
As the dust settles and we emerge blinking into the dawn of a new year, the men and women of this great country will need answers. Answers that they know they need, answers to questions they never knew existed.
And when that moment comes, who better to show the way, to provide those answers, than the people’s man of the people, the Pub Landlord? Steeped in the deep and ancient barroom wisdom of countless lock ins, the Pub Landlord is there to show the way offering people thirsty for common sense a full pint of the good stuff.
‘Stand up Gold’ The Guardian
‘A supremely polished performer’★★★★★ Mail on Sunday
‘Wickedly witty Stuff’ ★★★★ The Telegraph
Door: 6.30pm, Show: 7.30pm
Price: £27.50
Age Restriction: 14+ PG
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