The Women in Comedy Festival returns to Manchester from 1–11 October 2026, with an especially strong line-up of award winners, comedians fresh from this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival and up-and-coming talent from across the comedy world.
This year, 53 shows will play across six venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with a seventh one-off show in Altrincham. The programme features a range of acts with varied backgrounds and life experiences, alongside stand-up, sketch, compilation shows and musical comedy.
Festival Programmer Aimee Perry says: “Manchester is one of those special cities where people come out and support the arts, there is so much going on and the venues in the Northern Quarter embrace it all. They really have helped us keep this festival going.
“There is still so much work to be done for women in comedy. I love programming this festival because in some small way, we are making a change and a path for more women of all backgrounds to know they have a city and a festival that embraces them.”
Among this year’s performers is Emer Maguire, who brings her solo show Perfectly Chaotic to the festival following a sold-out Belfast Waterfront Hall show and the commissioning of a new sitcom by Channel 4.
Chloe Reynolds presents her debut show Dissonance after winning Leicester Comedian of the Year earlier this year, while Hannah Byczkowski, winner of the first season of The Traitors and host of the Ghost podcast, brings her debut stand-up hour Killer following a run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Other highlights include Lulu Simons, who explores her working-class upbringing in north Wales in Zig-A-Zig-Ah, and Lady M, a real-life sex worker bringing her feminist take on prostitution to her first UK gig in Feminist Pussy – Prostitution Comedy.
Seasoned comedian Diane Spencer brings her latest show Coming Together, while CK Nath draws on her experiences growing up in India and turns her sharp observational eye to a variety of characters.
BBC Comedy Award winner Yuriko Kotani, described in the press release as an unsung star of BBC’s Mandy, brings her latest WIP to the festival.
The festival also features sketch comedy from Sardines, sketch bingo with Quirks & Foibles, a compilation show from Bitches in Stitches, and musical comedy from Northern Irish comedian Teresa Livingstone.
The festival is an all-inclusive event open to acts who are cis women and those who identify as female, as well as non-binary performers.
Originally founded by Hazel O’Keefe in 2012, the festival grew from her work running the all-female comedy nights Laughing Cows. It is now run by The Frog and Bucket’s Jess Toomey, alongside programmer Aimee Perry, continuing its commitment to supporting and showcasing female comedy talent.
For more information and to book a show, head over to the Women in Comedy website.
