The Reading Comedy Festival (original) (raw)

16 - 18 MAY 2025

Festival Programme 2025

Festival Programme 2025

Reading Indie Comedy Festival will return in 2025 between the 16 - 18 of May.

The festival will comprise of 3 days of hilarious shows across Reading's independent comedy circuit.

Further detail will follow as we confirm the festival programme so keep an eye on this page. :)

Day 1 Friday 16 May

The Purple Turtle

Reading New Comedian of the Year Competition 2025

Venue
The Purple Turtle, RG1 2JR

Reading's second ever independent comedy festival will take place between Friday 16 May and Sunday 18 May 2025.

Kicking off the festival is Reading New Comedian of the Year Competition 2024 taking place at The Purple Turtle on Friday 17 May between 7:30pm and 9:30pm.

8 new comedians will battle it out to win a paid spot at Mates Rates Comedy Club and a cash prize.

The Roseatte

Hasan Al-Habib: Death to the West Midlands!

Venue
The Roseate Reading, 26 The Forbury, Reading, RG1 3EJ

Hasan Al-Habib, Death to the West Midlands!

Arab. Muslim. Brummy. Hasan Al-Habib’s Iraqi parents came to Birmingham after deciding Baghdad wasn’t dangerous enough.

The 2023 B’ham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award Winner’s debut show portrays his love for both cities, despite the hate they receive from the US Government / Leicester.

“Al-Habib will be famous” (Rolling Stone)

"Deliciously funny" (The Guardian)

"A man of a thousand voices" (Rob Beckett)

Day 2 Saturday 17 May

The Purple Turtle

Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Matt Richardson

Venue

The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR

2pm

Matt is a multi-award winning stand-up comedian and one of the most exciting names on the circuit currently rising through the ranks.

High wattage charisma from a talented young comic whos star is on the rise

The Guardian

Hilarious and Charming

The Mirror

Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Sara Barron

4pm

Venue

The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR

Matt is a multi-award winning stand-up comedian and one of the most exciting names on the circuit currently rising through the ranks.

High wattage charisma from a talented young comic whos star is on the rise

The Guardian

Hilarious and Charming

The Mirror

The Outlook

Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Sam Serrano

Venue

The Outlook, 76 Kings Rd, Reading, RG1 3BJ

5pm

In Sept 2021 Sam Serrano was spat at in the street for wearing make up. Fast forward to 2025 and they’ve written a show about it to make hate crime lucrative

Sam Serrano (as seen on Comedy Central, Dave, and UkTv) is one of the fastest rising stars on the comedy circuit. With “killer lines” (chortle) that “put that X in X Factor” (York Press), Serrano is a “game changing act” (concept comedy) and shouldn’t be missed.

Tour Support for Tom Stade, Brennan Reece, Stephen Bailey

Host of ‘Twink 182 Podcast’

Double-Barrelled Brewery

Comedy at the Taproom Saturday Showcase 2025 with Headliner Sean Walsh

Venue
Double-Barrelled Brewery, RG30 6BX

7:30pm

Saturday's headline event at Double-Barrelled Brewery on Saturday 17 May will be closed by the hilarious Sean Walsh.

Described as “the best observational comedian of his generation” (The Guardian), this Edinburgh Award nominee has been touring Back From The Bed throughout 2023 and 2024. His previous tour show After This One, I’m Going Home ended with standing ovations around the country.

Day 3 Sunday 18 May

Double-Barrelled Brewery

Comedy at the Taproom Sunday Showcase 2025 with Headliner Paul Sinha

Venue
Double-Barrelled Brewery, RG30 6BX

7:30pm

Sunday's headline event at Double-Barrelled Brewery on Sunday 18 May will be closed by the hilarious Paul Sinha.

A trained medical doctor who is perhaps best known as the Sinnerman on the hugely popular ITV quiz show 'The Chase', Paul has been a successful comedian for a number of years. As a club comedian, he has played every major comedy club in the UK, performed in eighteen other countries across the globe, and been three times nominated for Best Club Comedian at the Chortle Awards, winning in 2014.