Leicester Comedy Festival is the UK’s longest running and biggest comedy festival. Since 1994 it has been bringing the best of live comedy to the heart of Leicester, the wider Leicestershire community and comedy fans from across the UK. In 2021 the Festival moved online to allow audiences access to live comedy during lockdown and produced over 1600 hours of online entertainment.
2022 will see the return of live performances in physical venues with a full brochure of performances and events: over 560 shows, over 800 performances and 64 venues from 2nd- 20th February.
As always, the festival hosts TV names, performing solo shows and the 2022 line-up will see a veritable who’s-who of comedy stars take to stages across the city - including Angela Barnes, Ahir Shah, Catherine Bohart, Ed Gamble, Henning Wehn, Katherine Ryan, Maisie Adam, Mark Watson, Nabil Abdulrashid, Nick Helm, Pam Ayres, Rachel Parris, Ria Lina, Richard Herring, Rosie Jones, Ross Noble, Seann Walsh, Simon Brodkin, Stewart Lee, Suzi Ruffell, Tim Key and Tony Slattery.
Leicester Comedy Festival also supports and nurtures new and emerging talent with programming for (as yet) unknown names. Working with festival partners De Montfort University, Union JACK Radio and Leicester City Council, Leicester Comedy Festival continues to create opportunities for comedy talent to perform, develop and progress.
“Leicester Comedy Festival has developed a really strong reputation for being a supportive and friendly place for comedians to try out their material each February since 1994. Given what life has been like over the last 18 months or so, comedians really need to try out new stuff, and get back on their feet. We’re thrilled our festivals engage with so many comedians, venues and promoters to entertain audiences from across the UK.”
Geoff Rowe BEM Founding Director Leicester Comedy Festival & The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival
Also returning for its 4th year is the supremely popular UK Kids’ Comedy festival which runs alongside Leicester Comedy Festival and is the UK’s only comedy festival for kids. The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival will present a lively mix of comedy based performances and activities suitable for the whole family - over 45 shows, with over 75 performances in 25 venues across Leicester city and county.
Both Leicester Comedy Festival and The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival are produced by Big Difference, a Leicester based charity whose aim is to improve people’s lives through comedy and laughter, working year-round to deliver festivals, cultural events and projects with communities in Leicester and beyond.
“Every time you buy a ticket for a show, make a donation or engage with the festivals, you are supporting not only Leicester Comedy Festival and The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival, ensuring that these brilliant cultural events continue to thrive, but you are also supporting new and emerging comedians and the work with communities young and old that Big Difference delivers year- round” Laura Arends Chief Executive Officer, Big Difference.
Both brochures will be available from 18th November 2021.
Physical brochures can ordered via [email protected]
The full Leicester Comedy Festival programme will also be available on www.comedy-festival.co.uk from 18th November.
