The festival was founded in 2016 with the aim to share the joy and exhilaration of clown and physical performance with a wide breadth of audiences and help to promote the image of modern clowns to the public.
This year’s festival takes place between place between 16th June to 4th July 2025 at two of London’s most dynamic performing arts venues, Soho Theatre and Jacksons Lane, transforming these iconic spaces into playgrounds of physical comedy, absurdity, improvisation and creative chaos. The 2025 festival features another exciting and diverse mix of performers from around the world who represent the spirit of clowning, with a new addition of physical theatre that uses clowning techniques for maximum artistic impact and creative performance.
London Clown Festival 2025 Full Line Up
Monday 16th June 18:45 – London Clown Festival 2025 – Opening Cabaret – Soho Theatre (120 mins, no interval) 18+
An opportunity to see a mix of artists from across the festival and maybe choose shows you want to come back to.
Tuesday 17th June 18:45 – The Day I Got The Horn – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Tuesday 17th June 20:30 – 50 Ways To Kill a Slug – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 18+
Wednesday 18th June 18:45 – Jessica Barton: Dirty Work – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Winer of Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this show combines a spoonful of song, dance, clowning, and deep-cleaning.
Wednesday 18th June 20:30 – Lachlan Werner: Wondertwunk – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
A surreal circus of stunts, secrets, and minimal lip movement from the “hilarious, extraordinary ventriloquist” (The Guardian), promising a brilliantly unpredictable hour of comedy.
Thursday 19th June 18:45 – Lil Wenker: Bangtail – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Thursday 19th June 20:30 – Dan Lees: Vinyl Countdown Vol II – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Thursday 19th June 22:15 – A Night Of Drama – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Here The Director live-directs his company of clowns in a melodramatic period piece, as the audience is encouraged to shower them with bottomless banana peels*! Up to 70 peels* per show.*Peels provided. Read our review here.
Friday 20th June 18:45 – Fred Strangebone Performs Comedy – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Friday 20th June 20:30 – Paulina Lenoir & Patricia Langa: CONCHOLA – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Friday 20th June 22:15 – The Clong Show – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Saturday 21st June 18:45 – Freddie Hayes: The Magic Lady – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Saturday 21st June 20:30 – Jonah Non Grata – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Saturday 21st June 22:15 – Slug in A Club – Soho Theatre (60 mins) 16+
Tuesday 24th June 19:30 – The Establishment – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
Wednesday 25th June 19:30 – Red Bastard – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 18+
The master of Bouffon brings his unpredictable mix of raw conversation, comic traps, and high-stakes audience interaction.
Tuesday 1st July 19:30 – Tatterdemalion – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
Wednesday 2nd July 19:30 – Otto & Astrid: The Stage Tour – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
Berlin’s dysfunctional art rock siblings return with a blistering set of Europop anthems that crash together the chaotic energy of The B-52s, The Pixies, Kraftwerk, and early Ramones.
Thursday 3rd July 19:00 – The Weight of Shadow – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
This physical theatre piece blends mime, dance, and aerial work to capture a psychiatric patient’s emotional chaos over a single day.
Thursday 3rd July 20:45 – Tatterdemalion – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
Friday 4th July 19:30 – Naughty Cabaret – Jacksons Lane (60 mins) 15+
Bringing the 2025 festival to a high energy close, this queer feminist cabaret will be packed with a line up from various genres – clown, circus, music, burlesque, character comedy and more.
From silly fun to thoughtful moments, the London Clown Festival offers a unique journey through the highs and lows of being human—bringing clowning back to the front of creative theatre. Today’s clowns are not like the old circus clowns. They tell stories through movement, using mime, illusion, and audience interaction. As artistic director Dan Lees says, modern clowning breaks the old stereotypes and blends theatre, comedy, and cabaret into something bold and new. Don’t miss the fun — show support to this creative art form and come to see one (or more) of this season’s shows!
Venues: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE and Jacksons Lane, 269A Archway Road, N6 5AA. Prices between £13 to £27 (plus booking fees) with good discounts when booking multiple shows. Full information and booking available at the festival’s website. www.londonclownfest.co.uk
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