Lincoln Laughs: 48 shows, 17 venues and our top picks
Shakespeare famously wrote 'All the world is a stage' and that is particularly true of Lincoln this weekend as it plays host to the largest comedy festival the city has seen. Lincoln Laughs runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October, with 48 shows in 17 venues across the city, from restaurants on the Brayford to the Engine Shed, the New Theatre Royal and Lincoln City Football Club.
The bill, put together by Red Shoe Entertainment, runs from household names to stand-ups you may not have heard of yet. Henning Wehn has already sold out the Theatre Royal on Friday, and Rhys James, Sherrie Hewson and Matt Le Tissier all play on Saturday night.
Most of it costs nothing up front. 33 of the 48 shows are pay as you feel: reserve a free place online, then pay the comedian what you think the show was worth on the way out.
Take a look at the full line-up with our personal picks highlighted. Lincoln Laughs is sure to be an impressive event for the city.
Friday167pm
Jack Campbell
Who Are They?
Ask Italian
From £11.50 · 16+
English Comedian of the Year in 2014, with a show fifteen years in the making: a historical, geographical and interactive hour about where we all come from. He plays it again on Saturday at Tipsy Teapot and on Sunday at Strait & Narrow.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Friday168pm
Bobby Davro
Everything Is Funny If You Can Laugh At It
Stack
From £21.50 · 18+
Saturday-night TV royalty brings his Edinburgh Fringe sell-out to Stack on the High Street: impressions, sharp observation and the kind of timing that only comes from four decades on stage.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Saturday177pm
Peter Buckley Hill
The Mailbox
Pay as you feel · 16+
A fixture of the Edinburgh Fringe since 1994, who writes songs on just about anything. He bills himself as an “ancient monument”, so he should feel at home here. Also on Friday at Be At One and Sunday at Ask Italian.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Saturday178pm
Paul Riley
Too Smart To Be Nice
Tension Twisted Realities
From £21.50 · 18+
Winston from Still Game, and a double BAFTA winner, in a far smaller room than he usually plays, with a brand-new hour on the lost art of the proper complaint. The venue is up a flight of stairs.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Sunday187pm
Samantha Day
I’ve Started So I’ll Finish
Tipsy Teapot
From £14.00 · 18+
Three decades as a city accountant, then stand-up. The 2025 Leicester Comedy Festival silver winner celebrates bad decisions, stubbornness and never admitting you’re wrong.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Sunday187.30pm
Clinton Baptiste
An Evening with Clinton Baptiste
The Engine Shed
Tickets via the venue
The hapless psychic from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights reads the room, quite literally, with Patrick Monahan in support. Tickets are going fast.
Photo: Red Shoe Entertainment
Or pick a venue and see who’s on
- Tipsy Teapot8 showsCallum MacKenzie (Fri) · Dickie Richards, James Cook, Tim Biglowe, Jack Campbell, Phil Green (Sat) · Thao Cao, Samantha Day (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Ask Italian7 showsJack Campbell (Fri) · James Abernethy & Debs Holt, Thao Cao, Callum MacKenzie, Travis Booth-Millard (Sat) · Heman Makwana & Joel Walker, Peter Buckley Hill (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Be At One6 showsPeter Buckley Hill, Thao Cao (Fri) · Callum MacKenzie, Phil Green, Sallyann Fellowes (Sat) · Tim Biglowe (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- The Magna Carta4 showsHeman Makwana & Joel Walker (Fri) · Tim Biglowe, Thao Cao (Sat) · Pravanya Pillay (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- The Prince of Wales3 showsTrevor Bickles (Fri) · Heman Makwana & Joel Walker (Sat) · Justin Panks (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Slug and Lettuce3 showsTravis Booth-Millard (Fri) · Tim Biglowe, Thao Cao (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Trebles3 showsFriz Frizzle, Ashley Frieze & Edi Johnston (Fri) · Heman Makwana & Joel Walker (Sat) · Callum MacKenzie (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- The Bentley Hotel2 showsUndr The Cosh: LIVE! (Fri) · Sherrie Hewson (Sat) (opens the festival site)
- The Mailbox2 showsThao Cao (Fri) · Peter Buckley Hill (Sat) (opens the festival site)
- Strait & Narrow2 showsJack Campbell, Heman Makwana & Joel Walker (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Virtually Golf2 showsThe JJ Magic Show (Sat) · Callum MacKenzie (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- The Engine Shed1 showAn Evening with Clinton Baptiste (Sun) (opens the festival site)
- Lincoln Arts Centre1 showRhys James (Sat) (opens the festival site)
- Lincoln City Football Club1 showAn Evening with Matt Le Tissier (Sat) (opens the festival site)
- New Theatre Royal1 showHenning Wehn (sold out) (Fri) (opens the festival site)
- Stack1 showBobby Davro (Fri) (opens the festival site)
- Tension Twisted Realities1 showPaul Riley (Sat) (opens the festival site)
Tickets and the full schedule are at lincolnlaughs.co.uk.
The LoveLincoln Weekender
The week’s best of Lincoln, every Friday.