See big names and rising stars at this year’s Oxford Comedy Festival

We chat to Matthew Chadourne ahead of Oxford Comedy Festival which returns with lots of big names, bold previews and brilliantly intimate shows throughout July.

We all need a laugh about now, don’t you agree? And, if you like your comedy up close, unpredictable and a bit special, Oxford Comedy Festival is your perfect fit.

Running between Wednesday 1 & Friday 31 July 2026 across a mix of intimate venues, this much-loved highlight has quietly become one of the best ways to catch top comedians before they hit the big time… or at least before they head north to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

At the heart of it all is Matthew Chadourne – a stand-up, producer and self-confessed comedy obsessive. A New Jersey native now firmly rooted in east Oxford, he’s spent over a decade in the industry, while raising two kids and, at home, answering to a cat called Commander Sisko. The festival itself started, as many good things do, slightly by accident…

“We are maniacs,” Matthew laughs. “Comedians were asking for preview spots, and instead of doing one or two shows, we thought… why not just make a whole festival?”

Eight years on (with a brief pandemic pause), that spontaneous idea has grown into a staple of the cultural calendar.

What makes it special is the format. These are preview shows – works in progress, fresh material, ideas still being shaped. That means audiences get something rare: a chance to see big names and rising stars in smaller rooms, figuring things out in real time. It’s comedy stripped back and all the better for it.

This year’s line-up includes the likes of Catherine Bohart, Maisie Adam and Matt Forde, alongside a strong mix of emerging voices.

The programme has also expanded, with family-friendly shows at Pegasus Theatre and film screenings at the Ultimate Picture Palace – a venue Matthew is keen to champion as part of ongoing efforts to support it.

There’s also a clear ethos behind the booking. The festival is carefully curated to platform a diverse range of voices, with a focus on comedians from under-represented backgrounds. Tickets are deliberately affordable, too, keeping things open and accessible.

For Matthew, it all comes back to something simple. “The world can feel like a lonely place,” he says. “We just want people to come, have a great time and laugh together – even if it’s only for an hour.”

When he’s not running a festival, you’ll likely find him browsing Caper bookshop or grabbing a jian-bing from Coba Bubble Tea in Cornmarket Street – a hidden gem he swears by. But come July, it’s all about the laughs. And in rooms this small, with talent this big, they tend to land even better.

Visit oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk for info, to buy tickets & to join the mailing list.

Share