Wells Comedy Festival books James Acaster for 2026
By Laura Linham 25th Nov 2025
By Laura Linham 25th Nov 2025
The 10‑year milestone edition of the festival in Wells will take place from Friday to Sunday, 22–24 May 2026, with top‑tier comedy names confirmed and tickets already on sale for headline acts.
Headliners announced so far include James Acaster, Bridget Christie, Nish Kumar and Tim Key. Festival favourites such as Lou Sanders, Jessica Fostekew, Pat Cahill and others will join the lineup, along with debut appearances in Wells from avant‑garde comic Frankie Thompson and magician Andrew Frost.
Venues across the city, including Cedars Hall and Wells Little Theatre, will host Friday and Saturday Night Galas plus a special 10th Anniversary Gala on the Sunday night. Profits from the Sunday gala will be split between charity partners Vision Action and Wells Storehouse.
Tickets for most shows are on sale now, with James Acaster, Tim Key, Nish Kumar and Bridget Christie going on sale this Friday (28 November) at 10 am.
Full list of shows announced so far:
Friday, 22 May 2026
– James Acaster
– Bridget Christie: Jacket Potato Pizza
– Huge Davies: Work‑in‑Progress
– Friday Night Gala: Cedars Hall & Wells Little Theatre
Saturday, 23 May 2026
– James Acaster
– Harriet Kemsley: Floozy (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Frankie Thompson: Horrible Things (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Lou Sanders: So Which One of You's My Husband Then? (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Andrew Frost: The Greatest Card Magician in the World
– Nish Kumar: Work‑in‑Progress
– Jessica Fostekew: Iconic Breath
– Pat Cahill: Pat‑On‑the‑Back‑Foot‑Forward (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Saturday Night Gala at both venues
Sunday, 24 May 2026
– Nish Kumar: Work‑in‑Progress
– Celya AB: We Must Stop Meeting Like This (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Amy Gledhill: Thanks For Having Me (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Chris Cantrill: Rewilding (Work‑in‑Progress)
– Tim Key: Loganberry
– Amy Annette: Are We All Ok? (Work‑in‑Progress)
– 10th Anniversary Gala: Cedars Hall
More acts are due to be announced in the coming weeks.
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