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.
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.
Also at HMT, local favourites Flying Pigs Productions will debut their new show The Fashed and The Furious, which runs from Wednesday, September 24 to Saturday, September 27, and promises to be packed full of their usual blend of sketches and songs in the doric humour tradition of Scotland The What? and Aberdeen Student Show.
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-out- loud, highland fling of a fun evening oot.
Family Friendly Fun
In Case You Missed it:
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.
Aberdeen Comedy Festival 2025 Line-Up
- Chris McCausland: Yonks! Mon 22 & Thu 25 Sep, Music Hall
- The Fashed and The Furious Mon 22 Sep – Sat 27 Sep, His Majesty’s Theatre
- Gary Faulds: Panic at the Midlife Disco Wed 24 Sep, Tivoli Theatre
- Matt Richardson: Comedy Night Wed 24 Sep, Cheerz
- Lou Conran: Gooch Thu 25 Sep, Lemon Tree Studio
- Connor Burns: Gallus Fri 26 Sep, Music Hall
- Stuart Mitchell: Tips Not Included Fri 26 Sep, Tivoli Theatre
- Elf Lyons: Horses Fri 26 Sep, Lemon Tree Studio
- Late Night at the Lemon Tree 27 Sep & 4 Oct, Lemon Tree Lounge
- Rory O’Hanlon, Steve McLeod and Steve Johnson 26-27 Sept, Breakneck Comedy
- Neil Skene Seeing it the Doric Way Fri 26 Sep, Breakneck Comedy
- Comedy Club 4 Kids Sat 27 Sep Lemon Tree Studio
- Adam Kay: Undoctored Sat 27 Sep, Music Hall
- Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America Sat 27 Sep, Lemon Tree Lounge
- Dr Dave Wandless: Straight Outta Practice Sat 27 Sep, Breakneck Comedy
- Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf Sun 28 Sep, His Majesty’s Theatre
- Ignacio Lopez: Juan Solo’s Excellent Adventures in Space Sun 28 Sep, Lemon Tree Studio
- Ignacio Lopez: Nada! Sun 28 Sep, Lemon Tree Studio
- Bridget Christie: Witch (WIP) Thu 02 Oct, Music Hall
- Sophie Duker (Work in Progress) Thu 02 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Daniel Sloss: Live Fri 03 Oct, Music Hall
- Mark Watson: Before It Overtakes Us Fri 03 Oct, Lemon Tree Lounge
- Marcel Lucont’s Whine List Fri 03 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Robin Grainger Fri 03 Oct, OGV Taproom
- Scott Forbes: Live Fri 03 Oct, Breakneck Comedy
- Billy Kirkwood, Martin Bearne Fri 03 & Sat 04 Oct, Breakneck Comedy
- Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles Sat 04 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Craig Hill – Wait ‘Til You See My Entrance! Sat 04 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Angela Barnes: Angst Sat 04 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Deirdre O’Kane: O’Kaning It Sat 04 Oct, Tivoli Theatre
- Craig Campbell: Raging Gracelessly Sat 04 Oct, Breakneck Comedy
- Peter Wood: Back in the Day Sat 04 Oct, Breakneck Comedy
- Shelf Sun 05 Oct, Lemon Tree Studio
- Rory Bremner: Making an Impression Sun 05 Oct, His Majesty’s Theatre
