Leicester Comedy Festival – one of the UK’s largest and longest-running comedy events will kick off next month, showcasing a diverse range of comedic talent.
The festival, taking place between February 5 and 23, is set to showcase a vibrant mix of over 700 shows across 81 venues throughout Leicester and Leicestershire.
Picture credit: Leicester Comedy Festival
Key features include the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year competition, and special events like the popular ‘UK Pun Championships.’
This hilarious highlight is set to take place on February 10 at De Montfort Hall.
The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival will also run alongside the main event, providing laughs for a younger audience.
High profile comedians are set to descend on Leicester as part of this year’s festival. Katherine Ryan will be bringing her new show ‘Battleaxe’ to De Montfort Hall on February 6. Jack Dee will grace the venue on February 7 and Jarred Christmas will be there on February 15 with his show ‘Nincompoop’.
Picture: Katherine Ryan
The Y Theatre is a great place to catch smaller shows by comedians like Zoe Lyons, who’ll be debuting her show ‘Werewolf.’
Award winning comedian and actor Marcus Brigstocke will be bringing his show ‘Vitruvian Mango’ to the venue and Rob Manuel will be bringing the ‘corniest confessions’ to the stage.
More offbeat offerings include ‘Disabled Cants’ – a revolving line-up of disabled comedians who’ll be doing stand-up at King Richard III pub on February 5.
Alex Hylton will be performing his fantastically titled ‘Settle for Leics’ show at the city’s Real Ale Classroom on February 13.
In this love-letter to the city he now calls home, Alex Hylton explores the past and present of Britain’s most ‘underrated city.’
‘101 Naughty Jokes in 1 Hour’ will be performed at King Richard III Pub between February 14 and 21 and at The Globe on February 6, Grace Mulvey asks: ‘Did You Hear We’re All Going to Die?’
Picture: Grace Mulvey
A dozen new venues are joining Leicester Comedy Festival this year, including Leicester Cathedral, The International, De Montfort Student Union and the Soundhouse.
“With an economic impact of around £3 million annually, the Leicester Comedy Festival plays a significant role in the city’s cultural and economic landscape,” said a spokesman for the festival, which was founded by Geoff Rowe in 1994.
“As an open-access festival, it welcomes performers at all career stages, creating a platform for both new and established comedians.
“The event continues to evolve, embracing new venues and formats while maintaining its core mission of bringing laughter and entertainment to diverse audiences.”
For more information on what’s on, visit: https://comedy-festival.co.uk/
