James Acaster, Aisling Bea, and Rosie Jones are among the heavy-hitting names set to bring the laughs at a brand-new comedy festival in Manchester.
Taking over Castlefield Bowl in Manchester city centre from 21-25 September 2022, Laughterama is an all-new five-night festival that’s set to combine a packed lineup of some of comedy’s most famous and multi-talented names, with a selection of the city’s best bars and traders from the street food scene.
Laughterama is a new venture from the sibling team behind a series of successful comedy festivals that run annually across London and the South, and comedy fans in Manchester can expect a mix of the biggest names in stand-up to take to the same stage as some of the brightest new talents.
It’s gearing up to be “a seriously good time in the heart of the city”.
Some of the other names on the talented lineup include the legendary Dylan Moran, Taskmsater’s Phil Wang, observational master and star of The Last Leg Josh Widdicombe, the inimitable Daniel Kitson, and so many more.
The lineup for the inaugural Laughterama / Credit: Laughterama
Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Rose Matafeo will also be performing, as well as one-liner king Milton Jones, lo-fi hero David O’Doherty, and the Mash Report’s Nish Kumar on the lineup.
Homegrown Manchester talents Stephen Bailey, and Josh Jones will also make appearances.
Alongside a lineup of local names, a handful of fast-rising newcomers on the comedy circuit will also perform, including Celya Ab, Fatiha El-Ghorri, and Huge Davies.
Beloved stand-up and comedy actress Aisling Bea is one of the big names to take to the Laughterama stage in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
For the last fifteen years, sibling duo Will Briggs and Cass Randolph have been bringing a blend of comedy programming in boutique-festival settings to sell-out crowds, and the pair are now looking forward to arriving right here in Manchester next month.
“We’ve been dreaming of bringing this festival to Manchester for a long time now,” Will said.
“The city should absolutely have a stand-out event showcasing the wealth of comedy talent around at the moment [as] there’s a golden age for comedy right now, with so many platforms to enjoy amazing content.
“Many of our acts have their own TV or podcast series, but nothing beats live, and we can’t wait to put these acts in front of a Manchester crowd – we already know the shows are going to be electric.”
The legendary Dylan Moran, and The Mash Report’s Nish Kumar are also on the lineup / Credit: Supplied
Laughterama 2022 has partnered with used car dealer heycar for this year’s event, with the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Karen Hilton already singing the praises of the “truly world-class” lineup.
“It’s shaping up to be an incredible feel-good summer,” Karen said.
“We have so much laughter to catch up on after the last few years and I can’t think of a better way to do it as the lineup is truly world-class and we’re particularly looking forward to seeing the incredible James Acaster, and my personal favourite, Aisling Bea in action.
“heycar is honoured to be sponsoring this incredible event and we can’t wait to see everyone in Manchester this September.”
Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Rose Matafeo is on the packed lineup of talent / Credit: Supplied
Laughterama 2022 is landing at Castlefield Bowl from Wednesday 21 – Sunday 25 September, with tickets now on sale at £25 per person and already selling fast.
You can grab yours on the Laughterama website before they sell out here.
Manchester Arndale to host FREE beauty event with mini makeovers, live demos, and more this weekend
Emily Sergeant
A new free beauty event is coming to Manchester Arndale this weekend, featuring top brands such as Sephora and Space NK.
Taking over Exchange Court in the Arndale for two days, which is next to Next inside the major shopping centre, The Beauty in You event will be offering free mini makeovers and one-to-one consultations, as well as showcasing live demos, offering the chance to win exciting beauty prizes, and so much more.
Sephora, Space NK, The Body Shop, Bperfect, and Rituals are just some of the renowned brands set to be involved across the two-day event, while Boots-based and designer beauty brands like L’Oreal Luxe, MAC, and Estée Lauder will also be there.
Shoppers can discover new looks and upgrade their beauty routine with consultations and live demos from professional makeup artists.
There’s also a chance to be rewarded when you shop, as all weekend you simply just need to spend £50 or more across any of Manchester Arndale’s health and beauty stores, show your receipts to the event staff in Exchange Court, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £500 Beauty Bundle packed with must-have products to take your routine to the next level.
You can shop from the likes of PURESEOL, BPerfect, KIKO Milano, Bath & Body Works, and Lush for a chance to win big.
For the chance to win even more prizes, you can try your luck on the Spin to Shine Wheel to unlock some ‘uplifting’ rewards – from exclusive vouchers to brilliant prizes.
Manchester Arndale is hosting a free beauty event with mini makeovers, live demos, and more / Credit: Supplied
Don’t forget to strike a pose and snap a selfie at the interactive photo experience too.
Plus, as well as expecting to hear insider advice from some of the biggest names in beauty, the Arndale’s feel-good ambassadors, The Beauty Spots, will be at the event all weekend handing out compliments, encouragement, and just spreading general joy.
The Beauty in You event is the ultimate chance to ‘test, try and transform’ your routine all in one place, so make sure to head to Exchange Court this Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September.
The event runs from 12-6pm on Saturday, and 12-5:30pm on Sunday.
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Rochdale will be hosting its FIRST EVER comedy festival later month
Thomas Melia
There’s a comedy festival making its way to Rochdale for the first time ever, and it’s taking place over 10 days this autumn.
Rochdale is preparing for barrels of laughter, as the borough is about to host a comedy festival as part of its events programme for being crowned Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025-26.
The line-up features some well-renowned names in thecomedy world, many of whom have received awards and recognition along the way.
You can expect appearances from Lou Conran, who features as a regular support act for Sarah Millican, Tez Ilyas, from ‘Man Like Mobeen’, and TV comedy legend Mick Miller. There’s even some Britain’s Got Talent alumni in the form of last year’s finalist Alex Mitchell and 2017 semi-finalist Jonny Awsum.
Tez Ilyaz, Lou Conran and Brennan Reece are just some of the acts listed for Rochdale Comedy Festival / Credit: Supplied
Edinburgh Festival favourite Patrick Monahan will be performing along with English comedian of the year Rob Mullholland, Aaron Wood – named by Rolling Stone UK as one of the 12 rising comedy stars to see at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, and comedy musician Alex Camp.
The lineup also includes Robin Ince, co-host and creator of Sony Gold Award winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage, and a whole host of other stand-up acts who are all gearing up ready to make Rochdale giggle.
“Us northerners are famous for our sense of humour and there’s a big appetite for comedy,” commented Councillor Sue Smith, who is the cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council.
Rochdale Comedy Festival has an array of comedians taking part including Jonny Awsum and Daisy Earl / Credit: Supplied
“I’m happy to see Rochdale Comedy Festival launching during our year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.
“It will bring together communities and give new comedians a chance to shine.”
So whether you’re in need of a cheer up, or you’re a comedy aficionado, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to crack a smile at Rochdale Comedy Festival, as it’s happening across 10 days from 26 September to 5 October in various venues across the Greater Manchester borough.
Emily Sergeant -
21st July 2022 
