Hundreds of comedians who performed at the Leicester Comedy Festival in February are still waiting to be paid, with some owed thousands of pounds. The annual event, which runs for almost three weeks and attracts around 100,000 attendees, featured stars such as Sara Pascoe, Maisie Adam, Chris McCausland, and Sir Stephen Fry. However, many acts have not received their payments, which were originally due on 19 April.
Comedians speak out
Comedian Benjamin Alborough told BBC News he is owed "just short of £2,000" by the festival. "It's very frustrating. I've got bills to pay like everyone else," he said. Alborough added that while he wants the Leicester Comedy Festival to succeed, "everyone needs to get paid. Artists need to be paid money."
Festival organisers respond
According to Chortle, only 22 per cent of performing comedians were paid on time. Michael Harris-Wakelam, CEO of the festival's organiser Big Difference, acknowledged a "cashflow problem" but assured that performers will be paid. "What we're trying to communicate with [the artists] is this is a case of a small delay rather than 'you won't be paid'," he said. He explained that the company is still waiting for money owed from sponsorship, commission shows, and ticket sales through third parties. Big Difference is exploring "alternative sources of finance to bridge that gap" and is "prioritising those artists".
Festival future
Despite the payment issues, the festival is set to return in 2027. The company told Leicestershire Live: "While completing the settlement remains our urgent focus, we want to assure all that Big Difference Company is continuing to trade... The 2027 festival is going ahead, with planning already underway." The festival is also moving forward with its upcoming event, LCF in the Park, scheduled for June in Leicester's Abbey Park Road, featuring comedians Lou Sanders, Tom Rosenthal, Kiri Pritchard-McClean, Nabil Abdulrashid, and Phil Ellis.
