From 1st to 11th October, 53 shows will play across six venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter – plus a seventh one-off show in Altrincham.

 

WICF 2026 will see a range of acts with varied backgrounds and life experiences plus different types of shows from stand up to sketch, compilation shows and musical comedy. 

 

Festival Programmer Aimee Perry says, ‘Manchester is one of those special cities where people come out and support the arts, there is so much going on and the venues in the Northern Quarter embrace it all. They really have helped us keep this festival going.

 

There is still so much work to be done for women in comedy. I love programming this festival because in some small way, we are making a change and a path for more women of all backgrounds to know they have a city and a festival that embraces them.’

 

Manford’s Comedy Club are continuing to sponsor the main award for Best Show with a prize of £500 and The Frog and Bucket Comedy Club sponsors the award for Best Newcomer also with a prize of £500 as well as a spot at the club.

 

Please note that the festival is an all-inclusive event open to acts who are cis women and those who identify as female and non-binary performers.

 

Here’s a selection of what is in store…

 

After selling out Belfast’s Waterfront Hall and with a new sitcom commissioned by Channel 4, Irish comedian Emer Maguire brings her solo show Perfectly Chaotic to the festival.

 

Chloe Reynolds unveils her debut show Dissonance after winning the prestigious Leicester Comedian of the Year earlier this year.

 

Hannah Byczkowski, the winner of the first season of Traitors and host of the podcast Ghost, brings her debut stand up hour Killer following a run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

 

Lulu Simons explores her working-class background growing up in north Wales in this must-see debut show Zig-A-Zig-Ah.

 

Real life sex worker Lady M brings her feminist take on her job in her first ever UK gig in Feminist Pussy - Prostitution Comedy.

 

With ten online specials under her belt Diane Spencer (pictured) is a seasoned talent with a fine line in sauce. Her latest is Coming Together.

 

CK Nath has plenty of juicy stories about growing up in India, easily turning her sharp observational eye to a variety of characters.

 

BBC Comedy Award Winner and an unsung star of BBC’s Mandy, amongst many other telly appearances, Japanese stand up Yuriko Kotani brings her latest WIP to the festival. 

 

Also...

 

Sardines sketch troupe trio who were Sketch Off finalists last year plus sketch bingo with Quirks & Foibles. Bitches in Stiches provide a no holds barred compilation show and there’s musical comedy in the form of Northern Irish comedian Teresa Livingstone. We’re not sure he’s allowed in the festival but Shaun Guff is giving a self-help seminar inspired by his divorce – though there are rumours that Shaun is in actual fact critically acclaimed actor/comedian Clementine Bogg-Hargroves. 

 

Originally founded by Hazel O’Keefe back in 2012, the festival is now run by the Frog and Bucket’s Jess Toomey alongside programmer Aimee Perry. O’Keefe set up the festival after running the all-female comedy nights Laughing Cows to promote women in comedy. Jess and Aimee taking over was a natural progression as their programming at The Frog and Bucket encourages female talent.