Creatures Comedy Festival

The best comedy often happens before anyone knows it’s going to be brilliant. And that’s the joy of Creatures Comedy Festival – catching comedians as they test new ideas and sharpen punchlines right in front of you.

Back for its third year, Creatures Comedy Festival returns from 23 July to 1 August, transforming the Northern Quarter into a playground for stand-up fans with more than 50 shows spread across four intimate venues. What began as a homegrown offshoot of Creatures Comedy Club has quickly become one of Manchester’s most exciting summer festivals, bringing together household names, rising stars and Edinburgh Fringe previews before they head further north.

This year’s line-up is stacked too. Paul Foot, Catherine Bohart, Brennan Reece, Dan Tiernan, Milo Edwards, Eshaan Akbar and Chris Grace all bring work-in-progress shows, giving audiences a first chance to see brand-new material. Elsewhere, the festival shines a spotlight on emerging talent through the ‘Comedian of the Year’ competition, while the new ‘Northern Takeover’ celebrates some of the region’s funniest voices, including Rob Auton, Eric Rushton, Hatty Preston and Kay Nicholson.

For 2026, the festival spills beyond the basement home of Creatures Comedy Club, taking over Lost Cat, The Rat & Pigeon and The Fitzgerald for ten days of stand-up in cocktail bars, pubs and intimate performance spaces. That close-up atmosphere is part of the appeal – you’re never far from the action, and it often feels like you’re watching tomorrow’s sell-out show long before everyone else catches on.

Whether you’re booking to see a favourite comedian or simply taking a chance on someone you’ve never heard of, Creatures Comedy Festival is a reminder that Manchester’s comedy scene is truly thriving. Edinburgh may be just around the corner, but some of the summer’s biggest laughs will arrive here first.