Russell Howard, Susan Calman, Larry Dean and more head to Aberdeen this autumn
The 2026 edition of Aberdeen Comedy Festival, running 19 September to 4 October, is the most ambitious yet. Three weekends, and dozens of acts across the city. The line-up has been announced today, and it’s an absolute belter!
Russell Howard opens at the Music Hall on 19 September with Don’t Tell the Algorithm. Susan Calman follows on 25 September with Tall Tales, and the final weekend brings Connor Burns (Flow, 2 October) and Larry Dean (Hellbent, 3 October), both at the Music Hall.
Maisie Adam, fresh off Taskmaster, A League of Their Own, and Last One Laughing, brings Whatsherface to the Tivoli Theatre on 22 September.
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The Lemon Tree programme
The Lemon Tree carries the bulk of the festival across all three weekends, and the programme there is dense. Fred MacAulay runs across two nights (26 and 27 September), reflecting on four decades in the industry. Mark Thomas does something similar on 24 September, with a show built around his own forty-year career.
There’s newer work alongside it. Killian Sundermann (Killian Dollar Baby, 30 September), Sophia Wren (The Best Girl in the World, 2 October), and Ted Hill (PowerPoindexter, 27 September) represent a younger generation of acts. Grace Campbell (The Lady is a Tramp, 3 October) and Alexandra Haddow (Deadly, 26 September) both appear on what looks like a particularly full final weekend.
Shaparak Khorsandi brings a work in progress on 2 October. These shows can be rough around the edges, but they’re often more revealing than a polished tour set, and sometimes more entertaining.
Janet Street-Porter arrives on 1 October for Is Still Off the Leash at 80! Shane Daniel Byrne (Baby This Time) and Andrew Ryan (Honest Capacity) appear on 1 October and 24 September respectively. Craig Hill (You’re Not Even Safe Up the Back) and Kim Blythe (Puzzle) are both on 25 September. Alasdair Beckett-King (King of Crumbs) appears on 23 September.
John Kearns (Tilting at Windmills) is on 29 September, and Laura Lexx (Yo-Yo) on 3 October.
The late-night and family strands have both been expanded this year following a strong 2025 response. Aberdeen Performing Arts chief executive Sharon Burgess said the Lemon Tree’s late-night gigs and family shows went down well enough that they’ve been “made bigger and better” for 2026, “featuring some of the sharpest and funniest up-and-coming comics.” Late Night at the Lemon Tree runs on 25, 26 and 27 September, and again on 2 and 3 October.
Beyond the Lemon Tree
Tony Roper’s The Steamie runs at His Majesty’s Theatre from 29 September to 3 October, starring Louise McCarthy, Lesley Mackie, and Paul J Corrigan. It’s a Scottish play with considerable laughs in it, and it sits nicely within the festival programme.
Breakneck Comedy Club contributes across all three weekends, with Al Thompson, Shazia Mirza, and Rab Mulheron among the acts at various points through the run.
The children’s programme includes Balloonatic on 3 October, billed as the UK’s only balloon-based comedy act. Comedy Club 4 Kids runs across 3 and 4 October. Ted Hill adds a family-friendly science show on 26 September.
It’s a big programme, and we’re excited for it. Aberdeen Comedy Festival 2026 runs Saturday 19 September to Sunday 4 October across the Music Hall, Lemon Tree, His Majesty’s Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, and Breakneck Comedy Club. The full programme and tickets are available at aberdeenperformingarts.com.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at Aberdeen Comedy Festival? Let us know in the comments.
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