Comedy clubs in Manchester

Tickle your funny bone at some of the best spots for comedy in Manchester

There’s a good chance that any night out in Manchester will feature plenty of laughs, but sometimes you need more of a guarantee than that. Where better to go, then, than one of the city’s excellent comedy clubs? On any given night you could stumble across the next Jason Manford – or the actual Jason Manford, as many big stars have a tendency to pop up unannounced to road test their new material. Here are our top tips for where to go in Manchester for a barrel of laughs.

The Comedy Store

This iconic London comedy club’s Manchester outpost is probably the city’s best spot for funny business. Its theatre hosts the regular The Best In Stand Up night, which features a rotating cast of top drawer comedy from local and visiting comedians including Justin Moorhouse, Jo Caulfield, Zoe Lyons and Glen Wool. Sundays are always a guaranteed hoot, though not always for the comedian, as members of the public try their luck on stage in the Gong Show-style King Gong night. If you’re feeling brave, you can get on stage and see how long you last before being ‘gonged’ off by the crowd.

Frog & Bucket

The Frog & Bucket is Manchester’s oldest comedy club, bringing laughs to the city since 1993. It’s got an excellent track record in uncovering future stars; Peter Kay, Sarah Millican and Johnny Vegas have all appeared here, while John Bishop showed up one night to watch an open mic, spontaneously got on stage and began his road to becoming one of the biggest names in UK comedy. Regular nights feature between three and five top local, national and international comedians, while the Beat The Frog night is a great way to either discover rising talent or have a laugh with (or at) some plucky amateurs.

Gorilla

This stylishly hip venue, bar and restaurant primarily hosts live music and club nights, but it also has regular comedy nights and one-off events from bigger name comedians. Group Therapy host regular nights here, bringing some of the most exciting comedy shows and stand-ups to Gorilla’s stage. Previous acts have included the Edinburgh Fringe hit The Elvis Dead (The Evil Dead II reimagined via the songs of Elvis) and Catastrophe star/writer Rob Delaney. Keep checking the Group Therapy site for news of what’s going to be featured each month.

The Stage Door Bar

Nationwide comedy promoters teamed up with The Stage Door Bar back in September 2017 to launch a new monthly comedy night in Manchester. The Palace Theatre bar hosts comedy on the first Saturday of each month, featuring local acts alongside national and international funny folk.

Bigger names, bigger stages

Of course, if you’re after someone more along the lines of a Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay or Jimmy Carr, you’ll need to head to a bigger venue. Manchester has no shortage of these, ranging from large theatres, such as the Apollo or The Lowry, to the supersized Manchester Arena. The likes of McIntyre and Carr will almost certainly be at the latter.