Comedian Mark Watson is putting together a new online virtual comedy festival which will be streamed via NextUp in the New Year.

Watson has called the festival Access, because one of the things he is keen to point out is that during lockdown online comedy gigs gave fans who could not get to live shows even before the pandemic access to seeing performers in action.

Watson suggests that online comedy was one of the few positives to come out of Covid and that just because in-real-life gigs have resumed the online comedy world should not shut down.

A full line-up will be announced soon but Watson said in an Instagram Live post that some of the shows will include his own No More Jockeys show with Alex Horne and Tim Key, Kiri Pritchard-McLeans' Covid Arms club night, plus shows from stand-ups including Sarah Keyworth and Laura Lexx. 

Watson was one of the comedians who did everything he could to stay active during the pandemic, and was instrumental in the Carpool Comedy (pictured) tours in which comedians performed in front of fans parked in their cars and hooting to show their appreciation.

The Access festival will run for a month. More details to follow.