The Swindon Old Town Comedy Festival will bring a week of stand-up performances to venues across Old Town. Organisers say it is the first time a festival of this scale and format has been held in the town.
The event has been created by Swindon comedian Sam Michael, founder of the award-winning Swindon Old Town Comedy Club. The launch follows a landmark year for the club, which won the 2026 Chortle Award for Best Pro Comedy Night in the West of England and Wales.
More than 20 comedians are expected to appear across the week. Headline names include Sara Pascoe, Ivo Graham, Harriet Kemsley, Fiona Allen and Stuart Goldsmith.
Events will be staged at a range of established Old Town venues. These include The Hop Inn, The Victoria, Christ Church Community Centre, The Pulpit, Old Town Gardens Bowl and Mam’s Gallery.
The festival will begin with a launch show headlined by Sara Pascoe on Saturday 31 May. A Comedy and Cocktails night at Mam’s Gallery will follow on Friday 6 June, ahead of the main programme.
The core festival week will run from Sunday 8 June to Saturday 14 June. Performances are scheduled daily, with a mix of solo shows, mixed bills and special events planned throughout.
Festival organiser Sam Michael said the idea had been years in the making as the local scene continued to grow.
He said:
“This festival is something I’ve wanted to bring to Swindon for a long time. The comedy scene here has grown massively over the past few years and winning the Chortle Award showed that people are really paying attention to what’s happening in the town.
“To now launch Swindon’s first ever independently run comedy festival, and to do it across multiple venues with such huge acts involved, feels incredibly exciting.”
Organisers say the ambition is to establish the festival as a permanent addition to Swindon’s cultural calendar. They hope it will attract visitors from across Wiltshire and beyond, while also providing a platform for emerging local comedians.
Tickets are now available online. Some performances are expected to sell out in advance due to limited venue capacities.
