Spiky Mike

Since it began in 1988, the competition has kick-started the careers of dozens of the country’s top comics including Dylan Moran, Lee Mack and Peter Kay.

Open to new acts who started performing in the last year. The winner gets a cash prize of up to £2500 and a trip to perform at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival 2018 along with other prizes.

The final is held at The Gilded Balloon during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe attended by members of the public, talent scouts, agents and celebrities. It is a hugely popular night and with two-and-a-half hours of top comedy, tickets are sold out within a couple of hours.