West Coast Comedy Festival 2026

Welcome to the festival Ali Woods

We’re pleased to share that Ali Woods is the latest comedian joining the line up for this year’s West Coast Comedy Festival.

You may already know Ali from TikTok and Instagram, where his clips have been reaching a growing audience. He’s also been steadily building his live work, winning Hackney Empire’s Best New Act in 2020 and being shortlisted twice for the BBC New Comedy Award.

He’s just come to the end of his latest tour Basher, finishing with a sold out show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Now he’s working up new material ahead of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with a stop in Whitehaven as part of that journey.

Headliner Flo & Joan Announced!

We’re thrilled to share that our headliner for this year’s West Coast Comedy Festival will be the AMAZING Flo & Joan!

If you’ve seen them before, it might have been on Live at the Apollo, The Royal Variety Performance, Have I Got News for You, or Cats Does Countdown. Or perhaps you recognise them from their Nationwide Building Society advert. This time, you’ll have the chance to experience their incredible musical comedy right here at Rosehill.

They’ll be stopping off in Whitehaven before their upcoming tour, which is already close to selling out in many places. As part of a packed West Coast Comedy Festival line up, it’s a rare opportunity to see them up close and in the kind of shared atmosphere that makes a live show feel truly special.

Announcing Our Local Comedian

Cumbria’s comedy scene is bursting with sharp minds, big personalities, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else, and our next festival acts prove exactly that.

From icy bus‑route stand‑up to BBC airwaves (with an unexpected detour through dairy farming), these homegrown comedians are bringing their brilliant, distinctly Cumbrian humour to the Rosehill stage.

Tom Little

If you’ve ever thought public transport needed more entertainment, Tom Little has already beaten you to it. After gaining local fame for performing stand-up on the Number 600 bus on a very cold Blue Monday, Tom has become something of a Cumbrian comedy legend.

But don’t let the bus route beginnings fool you, Tom has been crafting his sharp, surreal style for over a decade. He’s the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2015, triumphing over fellow finalist Kiri Pritchard-McLean, and he’s also a past BBC New Comedy Award finalist.

Expect clever absurdity, crazy twists, and maybe the only comedian who can say his audience has included pensioners, students, and unsuspecting commuters

Tom Little: Home Alone and Lucian Freud

Announcing Our First Comedian of 2026

We are fizzing with excitement to announce our first act of the Festival, you’ve seen her on all the panel shows, shedding sequins wherever she goes and co-host of the best murder podcast going… It’s

Kiri Pritchard-McLean!

This will be Kiri’s first time appearing at Rosehill, where she’ll be fine-tuning jokes for her latest stand-up show before heading to the Edinburgh Festival. Be the first ones to hear them and get your tickets for the full day of chuckles.

Check Out Kiri’s TV Appearances

Would I Lie to You?: Opening the Front Door with a Spanner in her Hand?

The Russel Howard Hour: Clubbing in your 30's