Reading Indie Comedy Festival present: Finlay Christie

Reading Indie Comedy Festival will return in 2026 between the 16 - 18 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.

The Festival Pass will grant entry to every show at the festival including Special Saturday Show at The Pentahotel with headliner Simon Brodkin and Comedy at the Taproom Sunday Showcase 2026 with Headliner Sara Pascoe.

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Finlay Christie

Winner of “So You Think You’re Funny”

550,00 subs on YouTube, 13 million likes on TikTok

At 19, Finlay became one of the youngest ever winners of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition, following in the footsteps of Peter Kay, Lee Mack and Sarah Millican. 3 years later, his debut Edinburgh show “OK Zoomer” was nominated for NextUp’s “Best Show” award and was released as a special in October 2023, with over 550,000 views. His material, based around his experience as a Gen Z, led Chortle to describe him as “the voice of his generation.”

His 2024 Fringe show “I Deserve This” received multiple 5 star reviews, won the Entertainment Now “WoW” award and was nominated for the ISH “Best Show” award. The Guardian described it as “Comedy gold” and Edinburgh Festivals Magazine stated there was “Barely a single joke that wasn’t a fresh zinger.”

His YouTube channel, featuring sketches and stand-up clips has over 550k subscribers. He has produced multiple online series, including “If Peepshow was Set in 2025” and “Asking black and white people the same questions about…”. He has produced branded content for Amazon Prime, Branston, Olli Olli World and Spotlight Oral Care.

He has appeared on Have I Got News For You (BBC One), Live at the Apollo (BBC One), Bake Off Extra Slice (Channel 4), 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Dictionary Corner (Channel 4), The Stand-Up Sketch Show (ITV2), Comedy Central Live (Comedy Central), Person on a Chair (Channel 4), The BBC New Comedy Awards, Get Off My Phone! (Dave) One Person Found this Helpful (BBC Radio 4), and Jokes Only An AI Can Tell (Channel 4). He has performed at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival, Capital XTRA Comedy Club and across Europe for the Comedy Store. He was on the lineup for 2025 Teenage Cancer Trust fundraiser at Royal Albert Hall.

His first script “Born to Rule” was optioned by Boffola Pictures, who produced a taster directed by Rosco 5 and starring Game of Thrones’ Isaac Hempstead-Wright, and he is currently developing a scripted project with Hat Trick.

He has appeared as an actor in The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff (BBC2) with Stephen Fry and David Mitchell, The Go-Betweenies (Radio 4) with David Tennant, Waybuloo (CBeebies), Dominos Pizza Spa (Channel 4) and comedy blap The Pharmacy (Channel 4). He is also fluent in French, and performed French stand-up in Lyon for 6 months.

He recently appeared in a collaboration with Channel 4 and Tourism Ireland and on Channel 4’s digital show, ‘A Comedy Thing.’ BBC Radio 4 have also commissioned a stand-up special from him to go out in 2026.

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