TheatreGardner Street
Komedia
Gardner Street's home for comedy, gigs and Dukes cinema
9.8/10
Local score · A local favourite
No. 1 of 19 nights out on r/brighton, from 184 locals across 163 threads.
93% would send a mate. Some say it’s gone downhill lately.
A Gardner Street institution for stand-up comedy and gigs, with several locals saying they'd pick the Dukes at Komedia cinema screens over the Odeon for comfort and vibe. It also runs club nights like Gals Pals for queer women and trans/GNC people, and has lift access for wheelchair users. One recent thread was angry about a ChatGPT-generated kids' panto, and another flagged unexpectedly pushy tipping prompts at the bar.
- Go for
- Stand-up comedy, gigs, or Dukes cinema
- Heads up
- AI-generated panto and pushy card-reader tip prompts annoyed some
What locals say
…free on a weeknight as it’ll be quiet, weekends are busy) or Dice Saloon (£5 reservation fee per person). Luna Hut sauna is great, especially in winter when it gets cold. The one near Kemptown seafront is £8 for 30 minutes and is very welcoming. Comedy acts are great at Komedia, or if you’re into theatre or live music then keep an eye out for tickets at the Brighton Dome or Theatre Royal. Long walks if you fancy it. Try the walk from Brighton to Peacehaven and stop by the Y the Yemeni coffee shop in Peacehaven. It’s a nice treat at the end of the walk with lovely pastries and cakes.
…comfortable seats. Hands down a better cinema... Free parking at the marina is a bonus if you drive. I've almost always had issues at the Odeon, crackling speakers, screens with low contrast. Worth avoiding in my opinion unless it's the only option. Would prefer Dukes at Komedia for the vibe and general experience. But for a 'better' screen the Cineworld is better... God knows what'll happen to Cineworld as it sounds like it's about to be sold off. And this isn't to say that all Odeon's are crap, the Odeon Lux cinema in Leicester is great, all screens are 4K, all have huge amounts…
…kayaks, which is a lush thing to do on a good day. Another good cheap one is to use the hire bikes and cruise along from the pier down towards king Alfred leisure centre in Hove. Worth the journey purely to get some home made gelato at Marocco’s. In the evening maybe try Komedia or the Secret comedy club?
…is like serving them Tesco Value custard for every meal. Technically edible, but they’ll grow up weird. Back in the 90s I saw a bloke dressed as Buttons collapse into a custard pie and the entire audience joined in singing Wonderwall. That’s live theatre. That’s humanity. Komedia flogging ChatGPT bedtime stories is like letting your nan’s funeral be livestreamed through a George Foreman grill. Proper bleak.
Ranked from 21,200 r/brighton comments. Summaries are written by AI from what locals said; quotes are word for word. Not affiliated with Reddit. Back to the guide