Leicester\u2019s comedy scene is set for a new chapter with local performers and promoters joining forces to launch an independent festival across the city and county.<\/p>\n
The Independent Comedy Festival will take place in February 2027, bringing hundreds of shows to dozens of venues across Leicester and the wider county.<\/p>\n
The event has been launched by local comedy promoter Colin Bowles and stand-up comedian Alex Hylton, following the financial difficulties surrounding The Big Difference Company, the charity behind the Leicester Comedy Festival.<\/p>\n
The Big Difference Company left performers, promoters and venues unpaid following shows staged in February 2026, with a number of those affected still waiting for payment.<\/p>\n
The new festival will feature a mix of established television comedians and emerging performers, with shows planned at venues including The Y Theatre, Firebug, Real Ale Classroom and Oadby Royal British Legion.<\/p>\n
Hylton, who is based in Leicester and regularly performs and hosts shows across the city, said: “I can\u2019t wait! We\u2019re going to put on something really special. Leicester deserves a brilliant comedy festival, artists deserve to be treated fairly, and audiences should know that their ticket money is going to support the show they have paid to see.<\/p>\n
“For too long in the comedy industry, comedians have been at the bottom of the pecking order. It\u2019s time to start again. Hopefully comedians can trust that with one of their own kind at the helm, The Independent Comedy Festival will treat artists with the respect they deserve. With the support of many of the top comedy promoters and the city\u2019s favourite venues we have combined to put on a new, fairer festival in 2027. It\u2019s time that comedy in Leicester is run responsibly by people from the industry who will give the festival the love that it needs.<\/p>\n
“Let me be clear, this is definitely not the Leicester Comedy Festival, this will be The Independent Comedy Festival.”<\/p>\n
Bowles, who runs local promoter TripleCeePee and has organised shows at venues including The Y Theatre, Firebug and Sue Townsend Theatre, said: \u2018Over the last 10 years putting on a bunch of comedy every February has become a huge part of my life, so I had to take the chance to work with Alex to maintain that and try to continue the legacy with all the great things about having a huge festival of comedy in the city.\u2019<\/p>\n
The new event has also received backing from comedians including Mark Watson, a television performer and BBC Radio 4 regular.<\/p>\n
He said: “Leicester as a city has supported a unique, hugely valuable festival for many years now, and it would leave a huge gap in the comedy calendar. I’m very happy to hear that that gap is going to be filled by people who know what they’re doing and truly care about comedy. I’m excited to see what comes next, and look forward to being part of it for years to come, unless I stop being funny.”<\/p>\n
Organisers are now looking to build partnerships with businesses, venues and public sector organisations as they develop the festival ahead of its launch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Local comedians and promoters are joining forces for a new city-wide event after a turbulent year for Leicester\u2019s comedy scene<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2113780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2113779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","tag-featured-story","tag-leicestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n