Sold-out venues across the town centre have played host to some of the most respected names in UK stand-up – with organisers hailing this year’s Northampton Comedy Festival as “the best yet”.
More than 50 comedians appeared at multiple venues across Northampton as part of a two-month-long series of gigs, including top names such as Rosie Jones, Paul Sinha and Josh Pugh – with many acts using it as a warm-up en route to the Edinburgh Fringe.
The festival was organised by locally based promoters The Comedy Crate with support from Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID). Venues hosting performances included Saints Coffee, Cheyne Walk Club and V&B.
Mike Chase from The Comedy Crate said: “Seeing some venues selling out well in advance was a brilliant feeling and we’re so pleased to see audiences properly buying into the festival now. It’s having a real impact in the comedy world now, with big names actively wanting to come and perform here.
“This year saw a good mix of venues, catering for big shows and smaller intimate gigs. We’re grateful to everyone who has supported us and we’re looking to go even bigger and better next year.
“We’re always open to having new host partners so we’d love to hear from venues interested in getting involved in something that is starting to feel very, very special.”
Many of the acts appearing at this year’s festival made their name on shows including Live at the Apollo, Mock The Week and Eight Out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Organisers are hopeful of attracting another raft of big names in 2026.
The focal point of the festival was the ‘Weekender’ which saw 25 acts appear across three stages.
The gigs kicked off a period of entertainment being dubbed ‘The Festival of Festivals’ – with other events including the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton, Northampton Music Festival, Northampton Carnival, Northampton Pride, The Amazing Northampton Run and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Mark Mullen, operations manager of Northampton Town Centre BID, said: “The Comedy Festival continues to grow every year and the public are voting with their feet, regularly packing out venues across the town.
“It’s giving comedy fans the chance to see TV acts, circuit headliners and stars of the future at bargain prices without travelling hundreds of miles and paying fortunes for accommodation. We’re looking forward to seeing it go from strength to strength.”
For more information, visit www.thecomedycrate.com.
