London Comedy Clubs: Where to See Stand-Up Worth Paying For

London has more stand-up on any given night than most cities manage in a week, which is both the good news and the problem. The same evening might offer a polished triple bill in a Soho basement, a pub room where a comic is reading from notes, or a show where you decide the price after the final act. This guide sorts the main clubs from the experimental nights, so you can pick the one that matches what you actually want.

The big names

The Comedy Store is the obvious starting point. It sits at 1a Oxendon Street, between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Its own site calls it the UK's most iconic comedy club, and The Nudge describes it as one of London's longest-running, going strong for more than four decades. The Nudge says it moved into its current purpose-built home in 1993, and that shows run Thursday to Sunday with the occasional Monday, with tickets from £10. Check before you go, as prices and schedules change.

The Nudge also notes that the club draws more than 3,500 people a week. That is useful if you dislike being picked on: in a crowd that size, hiding in the dark is easy.

Soho Theatre at 21 Dean Street produces new theatre, comedy and cabaret, and its What's On page can be filtered by Stand Up. Prices vary by act, so check the site. It also has a second home, Soho Theatre Walthamstow, a restored Grade II* auditorium with 960 seats, which opened in 2025 with comics including Dara O Briain and Josie Long.

Soho Comedy House is at 30 Dean Street. Do not confuse it with Soho Theatre, a few doors along. DesignMyNight says it hosts stand-up every night and books acts from Taskmaster and Live at the Apollo. A listing for one August evening show gave tickets from £4, 18+ and unreserved seating, so bring ID and arrive early if you want a good seat.

99 Club is listed by Londonist under Soho, Tuesday to Sunday, with triple bills six days a week in a snug West End subterranean room. Londonist's example names include Catherine Bohart, Laura Lexx and Ivo Graham. The club has appeared at more than one address, and Fever lists shows at St Martin's Lane Hotel, Leicester Square and Covent Garden, so confirm the room when you book. One Fever listing showed tickets at £15.

The pay-what-you-want rooms

The Top Secret Comedy Club is at 170a Drury Lane, with a second room at 23 Kingsway, handy for Covent Garden or Holborn. Time Out describes the line-up as up-and-coming talent plus a smattering of big names. The club's own listing says its Sunday to Wednesday shows (and Thursdays at Kingsway) run on pay-what-you-think-it-was-worth after the show. It markets comedy every day of the week.

Angel Comedy works on a similar principle in Islington. Visit London calls the Camden Head a Grade II-listed pub among the independent shops of Camden Passage, and it hosts the Angel Comedy Club. A Tripadvisor description says entry is always free with a voluntary donation, though a January review says the expectation is about £15. A fair summary: pay what you want, but expect to give about £15. Thistle's roundup mentions RAW nights for rising stars, plus surprise slots for TV-level comics trying out new material.

The same promoters also use the Bill Murray, at 39 Queens Head Street, a few minutes' walk from Angel. The Nudge describes a Victorian boozer with a wooden bar, hosting big names, comedy game shows and stand-up masterclasses.

Clubs worth the journey

Up the Creek at 302 Creek Road, Greenwich, is a short walk from Cutty Sark DLR. Visit Greenwich says it was founded by comedian Malcolm Hardee in 1991. The Nudge calls it one of the most respected clubs on the circuit and describes a new-act night built on black cards: 15 comics get five minutes each, and if three black cards go up from the audience, the lights go out. A Tripadvisor reviewer paid £15 for a three-hour night with a disco afterwards, though treat that as one person's receipt.

Backyard Comedy Club is at 231 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green. The List describes a mix of seasoned pros and rising stars from the UK and beyond, plus pizza and a full bar. DesignMyNight and The Nudge both list Thursday to Saturday shows. Major ticket platforms showed no events for it, so book through the club's own site.

Big Belly Bar and Comedy Club, formerly Vauxhall Comedy Club, is at 6 South Lambeth Place, a two-minute walk from Vauxhall station and right under the bridge. Londonist lists it as most days, with a cavalcade of acts.

Camden Comedy Club meets above the Camden Head pub in Camden Town. SmartBrit calls it a go-to for live comedy since 2014, and Londonist lists it Tuesday to Sunday. It is a separate operation from Angel Comedy, despite the shared pub name.

How to pick a night

Choose by what you want to see

• Big names and TV faces: the Comedy Store, Soho Theatre, 99 Club and Backyard.
• New talent and lower prices: pub rooms such as Angel and Camden.
• Improv: The Nudge lists Sunday improv with the Comedy Store Players.

Understand work in progress

A work-in-progress show is one where comics test unfinished material. The Top Secret Comedy Club defines it that way and has run dedicated A Work In Progress nights, with one listing at £3. Expect rougher edges and the odd glance at notes, in exchange for a low price and the chance to see ideas before they harden into a tour. Soho Theatre tags shows as Work In Progress on its site, and the Comedy Store's Old Rope is its night for trying out new material. Comedy Freaks suggests following comics on social media, which reveals smaller gigs and work-in-progress shows.

Set a budget

• Around £3: Comedy in Your Eye, which advertises Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Camden Eye, with Skiddle listing the show at £3.
• From £4 to £15: Soho Comedy House, 99 Club and the Angel donation.
• From £10: the Comedy Store.
• Free or pay after: Top Secret and Angel.

Prices at the bigger clubs move with the act, so check the club's own site first.

Free and cheap pub nights

Londonist's guides cover plenty of pub rooms where entry costs little or nothing and the acts are newer:

• Candlemaker Comedy, Battersea, gives new acts and new material a public airing on Sunday evenings.
• Jester Jesters runs Monday nights at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon.
• Rose and Crown, Kentish Town, has free comedy on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
• Comedy Oxygen at The Trinity, Borough, on Fridays, lets pro comics try out new bits while newer ones dip a toe in.
• Comedy Club Shoreditch at Bistrot Walluc runs on Friday and Saturday. The comedy is free, though Londonist points out the fondue is not.

A free room is a gamble, but a cheap one. Go with an open mind, buy a drink and tip the promoter if the night delivers.

A few practical notes

Bigger rooms have fixed start times and often ask for ID, so arrive early for unreserved seating. Pub rooms can move: Comedy Rumblings, for instance, shifts between Charlton, Leytonstone and Blackheath. Always confirm the venue on the night's listing, particularly for 99 Club and Backyard. And if you are choosing one place to start, the Comedy Store for a classic night, Top Secret for a cheap one and Soho Theatre for something newer make a sensible trio.

Read more: Londonist's best comedy clubs list, The Nudge's club guide, and the clubs' own sites at the Comedy Store and Top Secret.