The LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year Competition is back for 2026 featuring some of the most exciting emerging talent on the LGBTQ+ comedy scene! Join us to watch & vote for your favourites and help us find who will be the new LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year!
MC - Alex Stringer - hysterically sarcastic material and brilliant dead pan delivery has audiences howling with laughter
HEADLINER - Sean Barnham - LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2025 finalist serving big laughs, bold vibes, and pure queer comedy magic
Alex Duffy - Songs you didn’t know you needed to hear
Becky Cheatle - "Trying to shake things up in Irish comedy, and succeeding"
Caitlin Jones - finds hilarious magic hiding inside life’s wonderfully weird everyday moments
Eden Voss - A gay and autistic comedian with a darkly optimistic view
Jack Wilkens - ADHD, First Queer relationship.... I've been more confused than most
Jamie-Diane Rajaram - "tourette-sprinkl’d trans woman with a bullet-spitting spitfire of a ... set"
Jen TR - Awkward moments. Expertly delivered.
Kit Allen - Joyful, offbeat, energetic and a knack for the unexpected
Kimia Etemadi - Iranian-British, bisexual comedian who survived stage-4 cancer
Matt Male - A cross between a toddler and a tacky mom
Ushiku Crisafulli - Comedy and hip hop from a neurodivergent lens
Willow Marler - JK Rowling's Sleep Paralysis Demon
Zuza Ritt - Making people laugh in my third language. Am I confusing?
Now entering its fifth year, the competition has become one of the UK's leading platforms for emerging LGBTQ+ stand-up comedians. Previous finalists and winners have gone on to secure comedy agents, perform at major comedy clubs and festivals, appear on television and radio, and build their significant online audiences. This year's competition will once again bring together some of the most exciting new voices in LGBTQ+ comedy from across the UK, with performers competing through heats and semi-finals for a place in the Grand Final at the legendary Comedy Store in London. Who will walk away with £1,000 cash prize and the title? Join us and find out for yourselves!
Please note doors open at 6.30pm
Showtime start is 7.30pm