Leicester Comedy Festival 2026 will take place from 04 – 22 February 2026.
Leicester Comedy Festival 2025 is over, but we’ll be back next year!
We’d like to say a HUGE thank you to all the acts, promoters, agents, venues, staff, volunteers and audiences who make Leicester Comedy Festival such a success.
Leicester Comedy Festival 2025 featured 1017 performances, with 753 shows taking place in 76 venues across Leicester and Leicestershire.
This year saw a number of sell-out performances, including Jen Brister, Josh Pugh, Rosie Jones, Nina Gilligan, John Smith, Michael Odewale, Mike Wozniak, Jessica Fostekew, Celya AB, Tony Law and Seann Walsh.
The winners of major competitions include:
- UK Pun Championships: Will B Found
- Silver Stand Up: Samantha Day
- Leicester Comedian of the Year: Louise Atkinson
Charlotte Laidet, Festivals & Programme Director, commented: “We’re incredibly proud of this year’s festival, which once again showcased the best of comedy in all its forms. Over the past three weeks, Leicester has been alive with comedians from all over the country—both new and established. It’s been truly rewarding to see audiences having a great time, enjoying more comedy at more venues than ever, and with a diverse choice of shows available. We truly believe the festival has something for everyone. A huge thank you to our venues, promoters, staff, performers, volunteers, and partners who all play a vital role in making these festivals a success. We’re already excited about next year!”
Meanwhile, The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival 2025 featured over 65 events across 30 venues, with performances from stars like Marcel Lucont, The Mighty Kids Beatbox, Iszi Lawrence, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Abi Carter-Simpson, Olaf Falafel (winner of Leicester Comedy Festival’s Best Kids Show in 2024), and many more.
The festival also worked with 5 local schools as over 100 students performed comedy for the first time at The Y Theatre as part of its Loving Laughing initiative.
The festival delivered eight joke spots, attracting hundreds of young participants, and 22 young people (aged 11-18) spent their half-term at Laugh Academy workshops developing their stand-up and performance skills.
Chris Butler, Producer of The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival, said: “We’re delighted to be able to present The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival, bringing the best in children’s and family comedy to Leicestershire each year. Thousands of families enjoy the shows, make memories, and laugh together. Through initiatives like Loving Laughing, Joke Spot, and Laugh Academy, we gave hundreds of children and young people their first taste of comedy performance. And of course, we made sure to embarrass plenty of dads along the way! The festival would not be possible without the support of our acts, venues, promoters, volunteers, facilitators, partners, and audiences, and we remain incredibly grateful for their contributions. We can’t wait to see what next year brings!”
Leicester Comedy Festival and The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival 2026 will take place on 4th-22nd February. See you there!
