Images courtesy of slapstick.org.uk
By Jon Donnis
There's something magical about Bristol in February. The wind bites, the nights stretch long, and yet, every year, the city lights up with laughter. The Slapstick Festival, now an institution in its own right, returns from the 4th to 8th of February 2026 with one of its most impressive line-ups to date. It's been 22 years since the festival first began celebrating the art of physical comedy and its silent-era heroes, and somehow it just keeps outdoing itself.
This year's big headline is the brand-new Golden Baz Award, honouring the late, great Barry Cryer. It's fitting, then, that the first ever recipient will be Armando Iannucci, the master satirist behind The Thick of It and In The Loop. The award, created to celebrate comedy writers who combine wit, warmth and originality, will be presented at a special reunion event that brings together familiar faces from Iannucci's acclaimed political universes. Expect sharp insights, affectionate chaos and perhaps a few unscripted barbs.
The Cryer connection doesn't end there. Bob Cryer, Barry's son, is premiering Joke, a short film turning ten of his dad's classic gags into sketches. The cast list reads like a who's who of British comedy royalty: Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Alison Steadman, Harry Hill, Rebecca Front, Les Dennis and Miles Jupp. It's a celebration of laughter in all its forms and proof that a good gag never really ages.
Satire sits at the heart of this year's theme. Alexei Sayle will take to the stage with Robin Ince to revisit Alexei Sayle's Stuff, the anarchic 80s show that broke every rule in the comedy handbook. Forty years on, Sayle remains one of the sharpest voices around, and the event promises to be a riot of memory and mischief.
Elsewhere, Lee Mack will mark twenty years of Not Going Out with a look back at how his sitcom went from a modest BBC pilot to the longest-running in the channel's history. Expect classic clips, behind-the-scenes tales and Mack's famously quick tongue at full speed.
For younger festival-goers, Andy Day's Cracking Brass Comedy Show brings Laurel & Hardy and Wallace & Gromit to life with a full brass band, while families can also enjoy Sing!, the musical animation inspired in part by silent legend Buster Keaton. It's that perfect mix of nostalgia and fresh energy that keeps the festival's spirit alive.
There's also a focus on women in early cinema, with screenings of The Flapper starring Olive Thomas, a film that captured the spark and freedom of the Roaring Twenties long before the term became a cultural shorthand.
Festival Director Chris Daniels says the aim this year is simple: to remind us why laughter matters. And really, it couldn't come at a better time. Between the political noise and the daily grind, a few days spent in the company of Britain's finest funny folk feels like a tonic for the soul.
With appearances from Lucy Porter, Shazia Mirza, Rick Wakeman, Chris Addison and more surprise guests to come, Slapstick 2026 looks set to be another glorious celebration of comedy's past, present and future. Grab your seat, and bring tissues, not for tears of sadness, but for the kind that come when you've laughed far too hard.
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