Reading Indie Comedy Festival 2026 - Festival Pass

Reading Indie Comedy Festival will return in 2026 between the 14 - 17 of May.

The festival will comprise of 4 days of hilarious shows across Reading's independent comedy circuit.

Further detail will follow as we confirm the festival programme so keep an eye on this page.

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Saturday's closing event at Pentahotel on Saturday 16 May will be headlined by the hilarious Simon Brodkin

Simon Brodkin

Named “the world’s most famous blagger” by The Daily Telegraph, untameable prankster and acclaimed character comedian Simon Brodkin has hit global headlines multiple times for his high-profile stunts. Most famously he handed Prime Minister Theresa May a P45 form during her keynote speech at the Conservative Party Conference and showered disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter with hundreds of dollar bills in bribe payments “for the North Korea 2026 World Cup bid”.

Of his many characters, Simon is best known for his irrepressible, south London wide boy Lee Nelson. With each of his Lee Nelson tours (Serious Joker, Suited & Booted, Lee Nelson’s Well Good Tour and Lee Nelson Live) being extended twice or more.

Simon is also the writer, star and creator of two series of BBC Three’s ratings smash Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show, sketch series Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People, and the 90-min special Jason Bent’s World Cup’s Best Ever Goals, Ever! (BBC Three). Lee has appeared multiple times on BBC One’s Live At The Apollo, as guest and host.

As well as numerous TV and radio credits including Sunday Night at The Palladium (ITV); The John Bishop Show (BBC One); Absolutely Fabulous (BBC One); Children In Need (BBC One) – Lee Nelson also made a highly anticipated return to BBC One’s Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, reaching the final with an impressive hip-hop-ballet performance of Swan Lake!

Sunday's headline event at Double-Barrelled Brewery on Sunday's 17 May will be closed by the hilarious Sara Pascoe.

Sara Pascoe

Sara Pascoe is a critically acclaimed comedian, author, screenwriter and broadcaster whose latest stand-up show I Am a Strange Gloop is her biggest ever and will tour the UK, Australia and Canada from 2025, including playing the UK's iconic London Palladium in 2026.

2025 also sees Sara's return to hosting The Great British Sewing Bee for BBC One and starring alongside a stella line up of British comedians in Prime Video’s Last One Laughing UK, co-hosted by Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty. As a TV regular, Sara has appeared on the likes of Taskmaster (C4), Live at the Apollo (BBC Two), QI (BBC Two), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) and Mock the Week (BBC Two) to name a few.

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Website: thereadingcomedyfestival.co.uk

Lineup subject to change. Timings may changes slightly as we finalise the festival schedule.