Aberdeen Comedy Festival makes a welcome return next week with a fortnight of funny in the Granite City fromMonday 22 September to Sunday 5 October.
Revived by Aberdeen Performing Arts and supported by Aberdeen Inspired, the festival promises a packed line-up of leading
names to rising stars, household favourites to local heroes, from stand-up to improv to tickle your funny bone.
The North-east will be awash with laughter, with events taking place across the city. With so much packed into the programme, here are some headliners and highlights to look forward to.
Amy Annette - photo credit Matt Stronge
Hilarious Headliners
There’s not much better than a room full of laughter, and fewer better rooms than the theatres of Aberdeen. The Tivoli Theatre welcomes comedic fireball Deirdre O’Kane as she mercilessly mines hilarity from the human condition in O’Kaning It.
Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Bridget Christie flies into the Music Hall with her new work in progress show, Witch. And at His Majesty’s Theatre, Rory Bremner gives a virtuoso display of vocal mimicry, razor-sharp political commentary and revealing insights as he explores four decades of being the voice of our times in his intimate and candid new show, Making an Impression.
Joe McTernan
Late Night Laughs
If the intimate surround of the comedy club is more your thing, then Late Night at the Lemon Tree has got you covered.
Critically acclaimed comedians Joe McTernan and Alexandra Haddow lead two late night comedy clubs both weekends of the festival.
On Saturday 27 September, following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Joe McTernan is joined by fast-rising new standup Amy Annette; Scottish surrealist Daniel Petrie; and award-winning comedian and clown Elf Lyons.
And on Saturday 4 October Alexandra Haddow (as seen on Comedy Central Live) hosts flâneur, raconteur and bon-viveur Marcel Lucont; award-winning UK-based Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani; and the bonafide “comedy-fizz bomb” Billy Kirkwood for one of the funniest nights of the festival.
Stand-out Scottish Stand-Ups
Aberdeen Comedy Festival proudly showcases some of Scotland’s most electrifying comedic talents. Edinburgh born-and-bred Connor Burns brings his newest show Gallus, a show that cements his place as one of the country’s latest international break-through artists.
Internationally acclaimed and East Fife funny man Daniel Sloss returns with a brand-new hour for one night only. And East Kilbride’s cheeky, irreverent and uproarious Kilty Comedy Pleasure, Craig Hill brings Wait 'Til You See My Entrance! To the Lemon Tree, a kilt swingin’, laugh-outloud, highland fling of a fun evening oot.
Rory Bremner
Family Friendly Fun
The hilarity isn’t reserved for the adults; the whole family is in for a treat with a fantastic lineup of kid-friendly comedy guaranteed to entertain audiences of all ages. The ever-popular and recent Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Comedy Club 4 Kids brings top comedians to the stage with sets designed especially for younger audiences.
Expect intergalactic laughs as Ignacio Lopez blasts off with Juan Solo’s Excellent Adventures in Space, a cosmic comedy journey packed with mischief and mayhem. Marcel Lucont’s Les Enfants Terribles offers a delightfully cheeky,
interactive gameshow to crown the most awful child.
And sketch duo Shelf round out the family programme with their signature mix of silliness and heart, promising to deliver big laughs for little (and not-so-little) comedy fans.
Aberdeen Comedy Festival 2025 returns for the first time in three years, Monday 22 September to Sunday 5 October with events taking place at Aberdeen Performing Arts spaces and venues across the city.
To browse the full programme and to book tickets, search Aberdeen Comedy Festival or visit www.aberdeenperformingarts.com.