What Is Daliso Chaponda's Topical Storm Comedy Tour?

Ever feel like the news is just one giant, overwhelming tidal wave of chaos? One minute it’s a serious political headline, the next it’s a story about a cat that can play the piano. It’s a lot. Well, it seems comedian Daliso Chaponda feels the same. He's been making jokes about the news for years, but now he’s turning his sharp wit to the news itself. His brand-new show, Topical Storm, is hitting 40 venues across the UK on a massive tour, and it’s all about figuring out if the way we report on things has become part of the problem, not the solution.

What's the deal with the news?

Think about it. We're bombarded by 24-hour rolling headlines from every direction. There are professional journalists, passionate bloggers, and a whole lot of stuff in between that might be real, might be fake, or might be satirical news designed to make a point. It’s a bit of a mess. Daliso Chaponda's new comedy show asks a big question: has reporting become part of the chaos rather than the cure? The show dives headfirst into this modern muddle, looking at how the constant stream of information affects everyone.

Daliso, known for his smart comedy, has found the recent headlines so wild and full of absurdities that they seem to be writing their own punchlines. So, the Topical Storm tour is his response. It isn't just a collection of jokes about the latest political gaffe; it's a show about journalism itself. It looks at the people who bring us the news, from traditional journalists to online bloggers, and questions if we’re more divided than ever before. This comedy special promises to explore whether the relentless news cycle is a force for good or just more noise contributing to the chaos.

From cave paintings to clicks

The show promises a hilarious journey through the history of journalism. Seriously. Daliso is asking if we’d be better off going back to the very first news bulletin—a caveman scratching a story on a wall—and starting all over again. It’s a funny thought, but it has a serious point. How did we get from simple storytelling to the complicated world of news we have today?

A big part of the problem, which the show will explore, is algorithms. That’s a fancy word for the computer codes that decide what you see online. Think about your YouTube or TikTok feed – it shows you more of what you already like. These algorithms can be great for finding new music, but when it comes to news, they can trap us in a bubble. They show us headlines and opinions they think we'll agree with, making it harder to see different points of view. This lack of exposure can stop important conversations before they even start. Daliso’s new material questions whether this digital sorting is making us, as citizens, less able to find common ground. The whole point of the show is to use comedy to find some clarity in the middle of this information storm.

Who is Daliso Chaponda?

If the name Daliso Chaponda sounds familiar, it’s probably because he shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent. His audition has been watched over 10 million times on YouTube, and he went all the way to the final. But Daliso, or Daliso as his fans know him, is much more than a talent show star. He’s a clever comedian, writer, and satirist who has been a regular voice on British comedy for years.

He’s appeared on popular TV shows like QI and performed at The Royal Variety Performance. His voice is a familiar one on the radio, too, with his own fantastic Radio 4 series, Citizen of Nowhere, and appearances on the topical comedy show, The Now Show. For over a decade, he's been writing jokes about current events for programmes like Have I Got News For You. He is also performing at Ripon on 4th November alongside Kevin Daniel.

It’s comedy, but not as you know it

While the laughs are guaranteed, a Daliso Chaponda show is often about more than just jokes. He’s known for starting important conversations. In his home country of Malawi, he once joked about a subject that was completely taboo, sparking a national dialogue where there had only been silence. For Daliso, comedy isn’t about forcing people to change their minds. It's about creating a space where people can talk about the things they're usually too afraid to mention. The Guardian noted that he “Gets laughs out of topics other comedians shun.”

His Topical Storm tour continues this tradition. It’s an attempt to make sense of the world and the headlines that shape it. The show promises jokes about the latest absurdities, a look at the history of journalism, and a finale that makes you think about the role we all play, as citizens, in this storm. As Metro put it, “The laughs come thick and fast,” while Wee Review described his comedy as “Brilliantly bold, thoroughly engaging and provocative.” This isn't just a comedy tour; it's a search for clarity through laughter.

Catch the Topical Storm tour in 2026

Daliso is taking his new show across the country. The tour kicks off in February 2026 and runs through to July. Here’s where you can see him:

• February 2026: Guildford (5th), Bradford (7th), Leek (8th), New Milton (12th), Shoreham-by-Sea (13th), Bury St Edmunds (14th), Leicester (15th), Barton-upon-Humber (20th), Aldershot (26th), Birmingham (27th), N. Finchley (28th).
• March 2026: Salisbury (5th), Chorley (6th), Bristol (7th), Sale (11th), Maidenhead (13th), Deal (14th), Edinburgh (22nd), Glasgow (23rd).
• April 2026: Mold (9th), Stockton (11th), Chipping Norton (15th), Blackheath, London (18th), Faversham (19th), Hemel Hempstead (24th), Ulverston (28th), Brighton (29th).
• May 2026: Newcastle (3rd), Southend-on-Sea (9th), Peterborough (10th), Shrewsbury (16th), Salford (24th), Bedford (30th).
• June 2026: Coventry (2nd), Leeds (7th), Winchester (11th), Cambridge (26th).
• July 2026: Oxford (3rd), Norwich (29th).

For tickets and more details, it's best to check out his official website. This tour is the perfect chance to laugh at the chaotic state of the news and maybe find a little bit of a cure for the confusion.