Manchester-born Creatures Comedy Festival returns with a stacked line-up for its third instalment, bringing a standout mix of international icons and local legends from 23rd July to 1st August 2026. 

Presented by NOMAD and Creatures Comedy Club, the festival focuses on creating a space outside of London for acts to preview right before the world’s biggest arts festival, giving Manchester residents exclusive access to shows before they hit Edinburgh Fringe.

Kicking off the summer, the festival will host over 30 shows including: Catherine Bohart, Chris Grace, Yvette Segan, Paul Foot, Micky Overman and a top secret Taskmaster star. 

Championing the local scene is the primary focus of the festival. A special Northern Takeover on Sunday 26 July will spotlight some of the region’s best including Rob Auton, Hatty Preston & Kay Nicholson and Eric Rushton, alongside shows in the days leading up to this from Brennan Reece and Dan Tiernan. The day culminates in the Creatures Comedian of the Year final, offering a major career boost for emerging Northern talent. 

“Manchester is the next big comedy destination, not London, not Edinburgh.”  say festival producers, Chelsey Weisz and Jess Johnstone, “We want to showcase the incredible talent coming out of the North while bringing some of the most exciting international acts right to local audiences.”

For the first time ever, the festival introduces the ‘Festival Pass’, an affordable way for audiences to experience multiple shows across the festival. With limited availability, the pass encourages Mancunians to take a chance on both big names and breakthrough acts as the festival takes over venues across the city including Lost Cat and The Fitzgerald. The Festival Pass will be on sale soon - keep an eye on @CreaturesComedyFestival (Instagram). 

The festival is dedicated to showcasing rising stars of the local scene alongside some of the biggest names in comedy with an aim to celebrate the city’s growing comedy scene and establish Manchester as the UK’s next big comedy destination. Tickets are on sale now at creaturescomedy.com/festival. 

FULL LINEUP

And a Top Secret Taskmaster Star…

Follow @CreaturesComedyFestival on Instagram for updates and more act announcements.