Case study

Creatures Comedy Festival

Successfully scaling a comedy festival from one venue to six

7 min read

Written by Dale Grogan

21 Oct 2026

Promoters

Creatures Comedy

Genres

Comedy

Manchester’s comedy scene has grown rapidly in recent years, becoming a destination for comedy lovers from across the UK. An important part of the city’s evolving circuit is the team behind Creatures Comedy Festival, one of its increasingly popular annual events.

Launched three years ago by festival producers Evan, Chelsey and Jess, the festival set out to bring a flavour of the comedy events they had experienced around the world to Manchester, matching the ambition of those they’d been inspired by. Although the city already boasts numerous exceptional comedy clubs, the team saw an opportunity to create something bigger: a festival that could bring established names, emerging Northern talent and comedy fans together.

“We’ve been doing the festival circuits across the world for many years and wanted to bring a bite of that to Manchester. There are incredible comedy clubs across the city, but nothing that compares to the festivals happening around the world and the country, so we wanted to change that – and the city loves it.”

From its first edition in a single 60-capacity venue, Creatures Comedy Festival has expanded with real purpose. The inaugural programme ran for ten days and featured names including Maisie Adam, Paddy Young and Brennan Reece. By year two, the festival had moved into a larger 120-capacity venue and added a second space dedicated to showcasing emerging Northern comics.

This year, Creatures Comedy Festival returned to its 120-capacity home and added five more Northern Quarter venues. More than 40 shows took place over ten days, allowing comedians to test material ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe while giving Manchester audiences more choice than ever.

The result was the festival’s biggest year yet, with ticket sales rising from 800 in its inaugural year to almost 2,000 in 2026 – an increase of more than 115%.

“We’re really passionate about platforming emerging comics. It’s so important to allow new talent to perform alongside established acts, which is something that sets us apart from other festivals.”

Growing the festival has involved far more than adding shows to a programme. With multiple venues, performers and ticket types to coordinate, the operational picture becomes more complex with every new edition.

Alongside co-presenters NOMAD Comedy, the team drew on their experience working at festivals across the world – including Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival – to build systems that could support the event’s growth.

“There’s a lot to coordinate with multiple venues. This year, we got to see the behind-the-scenes of some of Australia’s biggest and best comedy events, and adopt some techniques that help those larger-scale festivals run, integrating them into our own.”

Where audiences were concerned, the team’s goal was to create an experience that felt welcoming and varied and easy to explore. The team introduced a festival pass in 2026, allowing customers to see as many shows as possible for one affordable price. Meanwhile, staff and volunteers helped create the friendly, personable atmosphere that has become central to the Creatures Comedy Festival experience.

As a young festival finding its feet, Creatures Comedy Festival needed more than a straightforward ticketing provider. The team wanted a partner that could offer practical guidance, accommodate big ideas and support their growth.

“Skiddle has been with us from the very start, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. We’re growing a festival from the ground up, and we couldn’t have done it without Skiddle. It’s made a huge difference having them to bounce ideas off and lead us to the best ticketing solutions.”

Creatures Comedy

As the festival has expanded across the Northern Quarter, Skiddle’s Brand Pages feature has become a central part of its customer journey and success. With dozens of shows staged at multiple venues, the team could bring the whole programme together in one place, making it easier for audiences to discover and book events.

“Having multiple venues, it’s been hugely beneficial to have all the shows in one place on the Brand Page. This is a feature we couldn’t live without.”

That joined-up approach also helped the team stay connected with both new and returning audiences. Skiddle’s text and email marketing reminded past customers about upcoming shows, while inclusion in content produced by Skiddle’s in-house marketing team, such as listicles, newsletters, social media posts and curated Inspire Me selections, introduced the festival to potential customers who had not yet discovered Creatures Comedy Festival.

For an event built around discovery – of new comedians, new venues and new audiences – those tools are especially valuable. They help turn a packed programme into an experience people can navigate with confidence.

The team found that getting tickets on sale early, alongside timely customer reminders, made a tangible difference to ticket sales this year. Looking ahead, Creatures Comedy Festival is keen to build on that momentum, including exploring creative PR opportunities and stunts with Skiddle.

“We’re really looking forward to working closely with Skiddle again next year and will aim to meet with the wonderful team early in the process to plan ahead. They’re so experienced and know what the market needs.”

Creatures Comedy Festival has grown rapidly, but its purpose has stayed consistent: create a festival that gives Manchester’s comedy scene the stage it deserves.

With an expanding programme, a growing audience and reputation, and a trusted ticketing partnership behind it, the festival is well placed to continue bringing some of the biggest names and brightest emerging talents to the city for years to come.