July 2026, London
: A brand new comedy festival is set to bring some of the UK's funniest performers to West Cornwall this autumn, with the first ever Penzance Comedy Festival taking place in the town from 1st- 3rd October 2026.
Featuring performances across eight venues in the heart of Penzance, the festival will showcase an extensive programme of comedy, with all tickets prices (bar the grand finale) at just £8 to make live comedy as accessible and affordable as possible.
The festival will take place The Front Room Bar & Kitchen, The Copper Fox, The Admiral Benbow, The Lugger Inn, The Globe and Ale House, The Mexico Inn, Pixel Penzance and The Ritz - creating a lively comedy trail throughout the town and encouraging audiences to explore Penzance's vibrant hospitality scene while enjoying an outstanding line up of performers – who include Matt Price, Suzy Bennett and Mike Capozzola. A grand finale will be hosted at The Ritz, presented by The Laughter Lab in association with the Penzance Comedy Festival with lineup to be confirmed.
The festival was the brainchild of Loretta Caughlin, owner of The Front Room Bar & Kitchen in Penzance. Loretta has owned the popular restaurant and bar for the past seven years. A lifelong stand-up comedy fan, Loretta has travelled around the country to attend comedy festivals and after visiting the Exeter Comedy Festival last year, she realised that Penzance had everything needed to host a comedy festival of its own and set to work.
"I've loved live comedy for years and after visiting the Exeter Comedy Festival I came home thinking, 'Why doesn't Penzance have something like this?' The more I thought about it, the more I realised that if it was ever going to happen, someone needed to take the first step, so I did!
"Penzance has an incredible collection of independent venues, a fantastic community spirit and so many visitors looking for unique experiences. My aim has always been to create something that is affordable, welcoming and showcases brilliant comedians while bringing people into the town and supporting local businesses. With ticket throughout the week at £8 ( the grand finale at The Ritz will be a little more), we hope people will take a chance on seeing acts they may never have heard of and discover their next favourite comedian."
The festival has been made possible thanks to funding from the Penzance Business Improvement District (BID), together with the generosity of local businesses that have supported the event through sponsorship, including poster design, printing and the loan of equipment.
Cornwall comedy promoter Graham Wilkes has worked alongside Loretta to curate an exciting line up, bringing established names and emerging talent to venues across the town.
By spreading performances across multiple independent venues, organisers hope visitors will experience the very best of Penzance while enjoying a festival atmosphere throughout the weekend.
The full programme and festival information will be available at pzcomedyfestival.co.uk.
ENDS
Media contact:
[email protected]
Tel 07939584215
Notes to Editors
Penzance Comedy Festival www.pzcomedyfestival.co.uk
Images and Logo : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qr9y662z0pv2b38j0eacl/AN6cE6jj_oF5Oeo3d3OYRPo?rlkey=6mvmy2z3o85bceaur6hpnldbs&st=n05jiehx&dl=0
Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 October 2026
£8 per show ( Grand Finale at The Ritz will be a little more – price TBC)
Venues: The Front Room Bar & Kitchen, The Copper Fox, The Admiral Benbow, The Lugger Inn, The Globe and Ale House, The Mexico Inn, Pixel Penzance and The Ritz
Tickets are available through Your Box Office.
