London: Bottomless Brunch Comedy – The Ding Dong Gong Show

The Ding Dong Gong Show turns brunch into a comedy contest. After pizza and 90 minutes of bottomless drinks, you watch new comedians get five minutes to win over the room. If they fail, the audience can send them packing with the gong. It is part stand-up show, part friendly bear pit.

I like the central Southbank location, which makes this easy to add to a day in central London. I also like the simple food-and-drink setup: wood-fired pizza, lager, cider, Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, soft drinks, and Lucky Saint are included.

The catch is clear: the comedy can be rough and uneven. Strong language, sexual references, and gutter humour are common, while the judging can feel more obnoxious than funny. This is for adults who enjoy a noisy, unpredictable room, not for anyone seeking polished theatre comedy.

Key points to know before booking

• Five minutes can make or break each comic: The audience decides which new performers survive the gong.
• The food and drinks come first: Arrive for the 1pm start, with pizza and 90 minutes of bottomless drinks before the comedy begins at 3pm.
• The Southbank setting is convenient: The venue is between Upper Ground and Stamford Street.
• The tone is deliberately rough: Expect strong language, sexual material, and lowbrow jokes.
• Your $74 ticket covers a full four-hour session: The value depends on how much you drink and how much you enjoy audience-led comedy.
• This is an adults-only event: Anyone under 18 is not permitted.

A 1pm start with pizza and bottomless drinks

Your afternoon begins at 1pm at Big Belly Bar & Comedy Club, in the Southbank area between Upper Ground and Stamford Street. The format gives you time to settle in before the comedy starts, rather than dropping you straight into a show.

The included food is a wood-fired pizza from Mr. Pizza Baby. That makes this more substantial than a simple drink deal, especially if you plan to stay for the full four hours. The pizza is part of the ticket, so you do not need to arrange a separate meal before the performance.

For the first 90 minutes, you can order from the bottomless drinks selection. It includes Big Belly Lager, cider, Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, soft drinks, and Lucky Saint. This is a broad enough choice for a mixed group, since one person can choose beer while another sticks with wine, a cocktail, or a soft drink.

You should read the timing carefully. The drinks are bottomless for 90 minutes, not for the entire four-hour event. The comedy starts at 3pm, so the food and drink period acts as the social opening to the afternoon.

That schedule may suit you if you want a relaxed start and a chance to chat. It may feel less useful if you mainly want a comedy show and would not make much use of the drink package. At $74 per person, the value improves for someone who wants the full brunch format rather than only the performance.

If you need a vegan or gluten-free pizza, note the restriction before booking. You can request either option at checkout, but those pizzas are not bottomless. You receive one pizza per person.

The 3pm Ding Dong Gong Show

At 3pm, the focus shifts to the comedy contest. New comic hopefuls receive five minutes to amuse the crowd. That short time limit keeps the pace moving, but it also means a performer can lose the room quickly.

The audience has a direct role in deciding what happens next. This is not a standard stand-up bill where you sit back and watch a fixed set of comedians. The crowd helps determine which acts continue and which one gets the gong.

That setup creates the show’s main appeal: you do not know how each act will land. Some comics may find their feet and win the audience over. Others may struggle, and the room can turn quickly. If you enjoy watching performers take a risk in front of a live crowd, this format offers more tension than a normal comedy set.

It also creates the main weakness. Comedy quality will vary because the event is built around fresh performers. You should not expect every five-minute set to be polished. The unevenness is part of the design, but it can test your patience if you prefer experienced comedians and carefully shaped material.

The atmosphere has been described as a bear pit, and that is a useful warning. The event is good-natured, but the judging is intentionally brutal. One of the available comments praised the host, staff, food, and drinks, but found the judges obnoxious and questioned their purpose. Keep that in mind if you dislike comedy that leans on confrontation.

A friendly room with a rough edge

The staff are one of the strongest parts of the experience. The available feedback specifically praises their friendliness and attentive service, and that matters during a long afternoon built around shared tables, drinks, pizza, and live performance.

A good host also matters here. One booking comment singled out the host as a success, which fits the structure of the show. The host needs to keep the contest moving, explain the rules, manage the room, and stop the five-minute sets from dragging.

Still, the tone is not gentle throughout. Strong language, sexual references, and gutter humour are common. The audience participation can add pressure, and the judging may be deliberately loud or harsh.

I would think of this as adult comedy in the broadest sense, not simply a show that happens to admit people over 18. If you are comfortable with crude jokes and performers being rejected in public, the edge may be the fun. If you prefer clean comedy, polished sets, or a quieter brunch, choose another afternoon activity.

Why the Southbank location helps

The venue is centrally placed on London’s Southbank, between Upper Ground and Stamford Street. That is useful for both local residents and people visiting London because the event can fit into a central sightseeing day without requiring a trip far from the main areas.

The location also makes the four-hour duration easier to use. You can plan the event as the main activity of your afternoon, rather than trying to squeeze it between distant attractions. Arrive for 1pm, take part in the brunch period, and stay for the comedy from 3pm onward.

The supplied information does not give a precise walking time from a station or a full address. Use the meeting point carefully when planning your route, and allow enough time to find the entrance. The stated location is between Upper Ground and Stamford Street.

The venue is wheelchair accessible. That is important for anyone who needs step-free access, though you may still want to confirm any personal seating or access needs when booking.

Is $74 good value?

The $74 price covers more than a short comedy set. You receive one included pizza, 90 minutes of bottomless drinks, and a four-hour experience at a central London comedy venue.

For a person who would normally pay for brunch, several drinks, and live comedy separately, the package can make sense. The pizza also removes the need to find food during the event, and the range of drinks gives you several choices.

The calculation changes if you do not drink much. Since the bottomless period lasts 90 minutes, a light drinker may not get the same value as someone who plans to make full use of the package. The comedy itself is also a gamble because the performers are new and the quality varies.

The event has received a strong overall score from a small number of bookings, including a five-star rating praising the funny comics, host, food, drinks, and intention to return. A four-star score also praised the staff and concept, while raising concerns about the judges. That mix gives you a fair picture: the format and hospitality work well, but the judging style will not suit everybody.

I would rate the ticket as a reasonable choice for a social afternoon if you value the full package. I would be more cautious if your main goal is a guaranteed set from established comedians.

Who will enjoy this most?

This works best for adults who like interactive comedy and do not need every joke to land. You should enjoy the possibility of surprise, the risk of awkward moments, and the crowd’s role in shaping the show.

It also suits a group outing. Pizza, drinks, and a shared reaction to new comics give the afternoon a built-in social rhythm. The friendly staff help keep the experience welcoming, even when the stage material gets rough.

The event is a good fit for you if:

• You want a different kind of London brunch.
• You enjoy crude or strongly worded comedy.
• You like audience participation.
• You are happy to watch new comedians rather than famous names.
• You expect some acts to fail.
• You want a central venue with food and drinks included.

You should be cautious if you want clean humour, a quiet meal, or a carefully balanced professional line-up. The show’s whole point is unpredictability, so the ticket does not promise a consistently high level of comedy.

Practical planning for the afternoon

Arrive in time for the 1pm start. The first 90 minutes are when the included drinks are available, and arriving late could reduce the value of that part of the ticket.

Think about your food needs before checkout. Standard pizza is included, while vegan and gluten-free options are available by request. Those special-diet pizzas are one pizza per person, not an unlimited arrangement.

The show is in English, and the host or greeter speaks English. If you are not comfortable following fast spoken English, audience reactions, and comic wordplay, you may miss much of the experience.

The event lasts four hours. That is long enough to feel like a full afternoon plan, so do not schedule a major attraction immediately afterward unless you are comfortable with the timing. The comedy portion begins at 3pm, but the full booking starts at 1pm.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. The reserve-now-and-pay-later option also lets you hold a place without paying at once, which is useful when your London plans are still changing.

My booking verdict

Book the Ding Dong Gong Show if you want a lively adult afternoon with pizza, drinks, and risky new comedy. Its best qualities are the friendly service, convenient Southbank location, generous drink range, and unusual audience-led format.

Skip it if you need polished stand-up, clean material, or a calm brunch. The judges may irritate you, and some five-minute acts will not work. For the right audience, though, that roughness is the point: you are not just watching a comedy show, you are helping decide which performers survive.

FAQ

Where is the Ding Dong Gong Show held?

The venue is in central London on the Southbank, between Upper Ground and Stamford Street.

What time does the experience start?

The experience starts at 1pm. The comedy show begins at 3pm.

How long does the event last?

The total duration is four hours.

What food is included?

You receive a wood-fired pizza from Mr. Pizza Baby.

Which drinks are included?

The 90-minute bottomless drinks selection includes Big Belly Lager, cider, Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, soft drinks, and Lucky Saint.

Can I request a vegan or gluten-free pizza?

Yes. You can request a vegan or gluten-free pizza at checkout. These options are one pizza per person and are not bottomless.

Is the event suitable for children?

No. The event is for adults aged 18 and over.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.