With all the drama currently unfolding across the world stage, take a look at these five comedy festivals for a dose of things far less serious.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Fringe festival is arguably one of the most famous arts festivals worldwide, and it is certainly the biggest. Taking place in Edinburgh, as the name suggests, over a quarter of the 1.5 million tickets sold for the event last year were for comedy shows. A huge number of comedians perform, from the well known to the more obscure, so there’s sure to be something there to suit all tastes.
Just for Laughs
Billed as one of the most important comedy shows worldwide, Just for Laughs is the largest comedy event in the world and draws crowds of around two million to Montreal. The event includes 1,500 shows to entertain the huge number of visitors who flock to it each year. Both established and new acts have the chance to perform in acts spanning comedy, theatre and open-air shows.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne hosts its international comedy festival each year, continuing its success since its launch in 1987. Crowds of over 415,000 people will gather to enjoy acts that vary from cabaret to film screenings as well as traditional standup, and to take advantage of workshops. There is plenty of free entertainment to see, in addition to some of the finest comedy Australian comedians have to offer.
Leicester Comedy Festival
This festival is the longest-running comedy festival in the UK, boasting around 800 performers each year. Small venues, including restaurants, student unions and galleries, play host to a varied collection of acts both grass-roots and well known. It includes standup and workshops, among other things. As a result of small festivals, more and more venues are realising the popularity of comedy acts and their potential to get customers through the door, leading to more people looking to hire a comedian through websites such as https://thecomedyclub.co.uk/.
Smithwick’s Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
Perhaps slightly less well known than some festivals, this Irish event is far smaller than its cousins and has achieved almost cult status among comedy fans. Often taking place in small venues such as local pubs, the event attracts performers from all over the UK as well as some from the US and Australia.