John Bishop - 25 Years of Stand Up

On 2 October 2000, John Bishop stepped onto the stage at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester to perform his first ever comedy gig in front of just a handful people. John was working by day in the pharmaceutical industry, but that night, as he picked up the mic and performed for the very first time, he changed his life forever.

Now, a quarter of a century later, the comedy superstar is embarking on his tenth stand-up tour John Bishop: 25, to celebrate his incredible 25-year career. And to mark this special anniversary, every ticket at every show will be just £25*. The tour will take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on 1 November 2025.

John Bishop said: “I can't believe that next year it will be 25 years since I first performed at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester. It's been a rollercoaster! And I can't thank the fans enough who have supported me all the way. I wanted to mark the anniversary with a brand-new tour and do something to say thank you – so every ticket throughout the tour will be £25*. I really hope you can come and celebrate with me.”

Since that first gig in October 2000, John has achieved so much in his incredible career. Within three years John was playing to sold out arena audiences across the country and released the fastest selling stand-up DVD in UK history.

He has achieved huge success with a number of his own comedy, entertainment and documentary TV shows including: ‘John Bishop’s Australia’ (BBC1), ‘John Bishop’s Britain’ (BBC1); ‘John Bishop’s Only Joking’ (Sky1); ‘The John Bishop Show’ (BBC1); ‘The John Bishop Christmas Show’ (BBC1) and ‘John Bishop’s Gorilla Adventure’ (ITV1), ‘John Bishop’s Ireland’ (ITV1) and four series of the critically acclaimed ‘John Bishop: In Conversation With…’ (W Channel) which saw him chatting one to one with some of the biggest names in entertainment, music and sport. Other TV credits include two series of ’The John Bishop Show’ (ITV1), ‘Doctor Who’ (BBC1) and the documentary John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf (ITV1).

Last year, John starred in the UK & Ireland tour of Mother Goose with Ian McKellen, which included a hugely successful run in London’s West End.

Earlier this year, he embarked on a major sold-out international tour – Back At It - his first stand-up show in two years, which culminates at the London Palladium in April 2025. The tour includes legs in Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

*All tickets: £25 + fees