Steve Royle, Rob Rouse and Markus Birdman to headline Lancashire comedy networking event
Comedy is set to take centre stage in Lancashire’s business scene as a long-running networking event is reimagined for 2026.
The Lancashire Entrepreneurs Lunch, founded in 2002 by the late Geoffrey Thompson, has been a fixture of the county’s business calendar for more than two decades.
Now, the event has been revamped with a new name - Funny Business - and a fresh format designed to move away from traditional networking.
Run by Pleasure Beach Resort, the relaunched event will shift from a daytime lunch to an evening show-and-dine experience, combining comedy with a more relaxed approach to making business connections.
Guests will enjoy a three-course meal alongside a full comedy line-up, with organisers hoping the entertainment-led format will help break the ice and encourage more natural conversations.
The event will be hosted by Lancashire favourite Steve Royle, who came third on Britain’s Got Talent and is a regular performer at comedy clubs across the UK.
He will be joined by Rob Rouse, known for appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Friday Night Project and Upstart Crow.
Rob won Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny? award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has toured internationally for more than 25 years.
Also on the bill is Clayton Jones, an observational comedian and finalist in the English Comedian of the Yearcompetition, as well as winner of Last Minute Comedian of the Year.
Completing the line-up is Markus Birdman, an award-winning comedian and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist who has performed worldwide and released his own Netflix special.
The aim of Funny Business is to remove the pressure of forced introductions and awkward small talk, using comedy as a catalyst to spark more genuine connections across Lancashire’s business community.
Nick Thompson, deputy managing director at Pleasure Beach Resort, said: “We’re hoping this refreshed event will attract both loyal supporters of the original lunch, and a new generation of business professionals looking for networking opportunities with a twist.
“The way we network has changed, and this event will bring people together in a way that feels more relaxed, more human, and far more fun.”
Funny Business takes place at 7pm on Friday, March 6, in the Paradise Room at Pleasure Beach Resort.
Show and Dine tickets, which include a three-course meal, cost £50 per person, while Show Only tickets are available for £25.
Tickets are available at blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/events/funnybusiness.