The Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival returns in 2026 with star-studded lineup including Dara Ó Briain
The Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival will return to the historic grounds in Leeds next summer with a stacked lineup of some of the UK's best-known comedians.
Following on from the sellout inaugural event, next year’s festival is set to be the largest outdoor comedy festival in the country, set within the grounds of one of Leeds’ most recognisable landmarks.
This year’s festival will feature comedian, presenter, and actor Jason Manford, award-winning comedian and one of “Britain’s favourite Irishmen” Dara Ó Briain, and stand-up, screenwriter, broadcaster, and Yorkshire native Lucy Beaumont.
Joining them are comedian, presenter and actor Sara Pascoe, TV comedy royalty and QI mainstay Alan Davies, comedian, writer and political commentator Geoff Norcott, and actor, writer and Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Hal Cruttenden.
Host for the day is New Zealand-born, Chortle Comedy Best Compère Award-winning Jarred Christmas.
Organiser Andy Smith said: "We’re so excited to be collaborating with Leeds Comedy Festival again to bring comedy back to the iconic Kirkstall Abbey.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with the city's most respected comedy promoters and, with some of the biggest names in comedy on board, this is shaping up to be a brilliant day with some household names, exciting new voices and lots more to close out an incredible run of music and comedy at the Abbey.”
The Kirkstall Comedy Festival is part of the Live at Kirkstall Abbey series, which also includes the one-off return of Leeds indie heroes The Sunshine Underground as well as British hip hop multi-hyphenates The Streets, who will be performing their second album A Grand Don’t Come For Free.
General sale opens at 9am on Wednesday, October 29. A Kirkstall postcode presale for residents living in the LS4, LS5, LS13, and LS18 postcodes will open at 9am on Monday, October 27.