New Year’s Eve comedy in London

London has the biggest and best comedy scene in the world, so if you love a good laugh (or a good heckle) you're in the right place. From tiny basements and rooms above pubs to boats to huge venues, there’s comedy in the capital for comedians (and audiences) of all shapes and sizes. But not all spaces are created equal. Avoid getting sucked into a rip-off joint with a vibe that's deader than Monty Python's notorious parrot with our list of London’s liveliest and best comedy nights and clubs. From try-out nights at pocket money prices to massive gigs from names off the telly, here's where to look for your next comedy night out. RECOMMENDED: Here are the very best cinemas in London.

Joe Lycett is a man of many talents, and one of those talents is knowing where the best bins in London are. ‘Borough Market!’ he enthuses. ‘They’re very jolly, they look like they’re smiling because they’ve got two holes for coffee cups. There are also some lovely bins around the Clerkenwell area. Lewisham’s I think are the ugliest: they’re just blocks of blue, like cylinders of PVA glue.’ We’re not specifically here to talk about the fact that the superstar comedian and sometime artist has just released a limited-edition, £95 coffee-table book of photographs he’s taken of bins (it’s called ‘Bins’ and I believe its print run of 1,000 copies has already sold out, so maybe let’s not dwell on it). In fact, this interview was loosely conceived as a catch-up on his remarkable 2022. But he will insist on constantly announcing more stuff. In the two weeks before we meet, a pair of new projects comes to light: the book, and ‘Late Night Lycett’, a live Channel 4 Friday-night comedy show broadcast from his hometown of Birmingham from March 31, spotlighting England’s second city and its inhabitants. ‘A new show coming from London is like: So what?’ he says. ‘But hopefully the people of Birmingham will be excited about it happening here and I’ll be excited at doing it in Birmingham and that excitement will translate on to screen and it will bring something that you’ve not seen before.’ The show will also eschew traditional celebrity guests in favour of ‘real Birmingham working people’.

London is heaving with comedy shows, from intimate pub gigs with surprisingly high-profile line-ups, to massive arena blowout spectaculars at The O2 with huge international superstars. We've rounded up the biggest and best shows to see in London this month: something here is guaranteed to split your sides, no matter your taste in chuckles.  The best comedy clubs in London. The best new theatre shows to book for in London.

It’s all very well watching the big guns strut their stuff at the big theatres and arenas, but how did they first set foot on the road to comedy stardom? Answer: open-mic nights. Here you can see fresh, raw comedy hopefuls honing their first few minutes of material. Some will be great, some will be terrible, but visit any of Time Out's top ten open-mic nights and you may help spot the household names of tomorrow…

It’s April 1, that godforsaken time of the year. The one day when you have no choice but to be suspicious of everything and everyone, to question everything you once took for granted, until the clock strikes midnight and you can relax (that’s how it’s supposed to work, at least). Jokes aside, we have to admit that London did pretty well this year on the pranks front. If you fancy a chuckle, here’s our round-up of some of the silliest April Fool’s Day larks in the capital. A private tube station under Buckingham Palace has been revealed  View this post on Instagram A post shared by London's Best (@londonsbest) First the Elizabeth line, now, a private tube station in honour of Her Majesty, hiding somewhere under Buckingham Palace. The private stop will apparently open to the public for the first time on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.   Aldi Air is the discount supermarket’s new airline We're pretty fly. #AldiAir pic.twitter.com/1iZVj8maoR — Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 1, 2022 Forget random things you didn’t know you needed and fake branded beer: Aldi has now launched its own airline. According to Twitter, it’ll soon be announcing flights to Caldifornia and The Middle Aisle of Wight – the prices might give Ryanair a run for its money.  Top Cuvée has launched a vintage bottle of bright green wine View this post on Instagram A post shared by Top Cuvée (@topcuvee) Highbury’s trendiest wine bar may

As the unofficial comedy capital of the world, London's comedy circuit doesn't take a break. There are stand-up shows seven days a week, from early evening through to the small hours. To help you plan your week of witticisms, here's a nifty calendar of regular comedy shows in London.

People on TikTok are going wild for a loo in London that is basically a miniature nightclub. In the video, which has had more than 800,000 views, a chic mirrored black-and-gold bathroom appears. But after slamming a big red button, lights start flashing in rainbow colours and the loo starts pumping out Rihanna banger ‘Don’t Stop the Music’.  Leonie Hanne, who posted the viral TikTok, wrote: ‘Toilet goals! Only in London!’ People are living for it. One person commented: ‘That’s so cool!!’ while another added: ‘I would spend my night in the bog.’ @leoniehanne Toilet goals! Only in London! 😬 #london #londonlife ♬ original sound - Leonie Hanne If you want to check out the diddy disco for yourself, it’s the toilet at Rika Moon London, a Japanese fusion restaurant in Notting Hill. Perfect for dancing off all those rice calories.  This isn’t London’s only party toilet. At Boom Battle Bar in Oxford Circus we’ve heard there’s a magic button that blasts out ‘La Bamba’ in the bogs. For huns who spend the whole evening making new besties in the bogs, this is a dream come true.  Could this be a rising trend? Will every bathroom in the capital come kitted out with disco lights and big speakers? Could be great, but think of the queues… Rika Moon, 120 Kensington Park Rd, W11 2PW. A literal party in a toilet: A nightclub in a toilet has reopened in London. London restaurants open on Christmas Day.

Originally set up by the legendary Malcolm Hardee, Up the Creek is an extraordinary, purpose-built club that's been around since the 1990s, and is still one of the best places to see live comedy. It's renowned for a lively – some would say bear-pit – atmosphere where only the strongest comics survive. On Sunday there's a more chilled feel to the 'Sunday Special Club', which makes it the perfect place to end the weekend.

Making a huge comeback with his first stand up tour in 12 years, Peter Kay is pulling an Elvis-style move and doing a monthly residency at the O2 Arena, being the first stand-up in the world to do so. And it will last all the way until 2025, so you've got plenty of opportunities to catch the Boltonian's signature gags, guffaws and one-liners in the capital. And with tickets at £35, the price they were for Kay's last tour in 2010, it won't break the bank.

This one man show has it all. Jazz Emu's genre-busting stand-up, musical theatre extravaganza will have you tapping your feet with tears of laugher streaming from your eyes. The multi-instrumental show, performed on a complex rig with keys, guitar and electric sax, pushes the limits of musical comedy combining real laughs with musical precision. Portrayed by Archie Henderson who garnered a cult following on YouTube and Reddit, Jazz Emu is coming to London fresh off the back of a sold-out critically acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe. Prepare to be regaled by Emu's 'up-tempo pop for the emotionally stunted'.