The Comedy Store Manchester

The Comedy Store Manchester is the northern outpost of the original London club, running under the Deansgate Locks railway arches. It has been a fixture on the Manchester comedy circuit since the 1990s and has launched and hosted pretty much every significant British stand-up at some point. The Monday night King Gong shows are the entry point for new acts – audience members can gong performers off if they’re not working, which is brutal in the best possible way. Thursday through Saturday the programme moves to established headliners and touring acts.

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The room holds around 450 and works well for comedy – good sightlines from most seats and a layout that puts the audience close enough to the stage to feel involved. The bar is busy and the atmosphere on a good Friday night can be excellent. Ticket prices are reasonable compared to the same acts doing theatre tours. King Gong nights in particular are worth attending on a regular basis – you see a lot of early-career acts who will be selling out larger rooms within a few years, and occasionally someone who really shouldn’t be on stage. Both are entertaining.