Hundreds of comedians unpaid by one of UK's biggest comedy festivals

BBC

Hundreds of comedians have been unpaid by one of the biggest comedy festivals in the UK.

Leicester Comedy Festival attracted about 100,000 spectators and more than 500 acts this year, including Sir Stephen Fry, Sara Pascoe and Rosie Holt, many of whom have not been paid.

Organisers said they aimed to pay all performers as soon as possible after the event, which ran from 4 to 22 February, but added the delay was due to cashflow problems that they were trying to resolve.

Comedian Ben Alborough said: "I'm owed just short of £2,000. It's very frustrating. I've got bills to pay like everyone else."

Dave Natriss

Alborough, who works in comedy full-time, said pay issues were common across the board.

"Between festival registration fees and travel and accommodation and production costs, I have to invest several hundred pounds per individual show," he said.

The 33-year-old said he owed his career to the Leicester event after starting out there as a student.

"I want the Leicester Comedy Festival to succeed because it's a brilliant thing.

"But in order to do that, everyone needs to get paid. Artists need to be paid money," he added.

Alborough is one of hundreds of performers owed money by the comedy festival.

They were set to be paid on 19 April, but instead were sent an email telling them their settlement payment would be delayed.

Andrew Max Levy

Canadian stand-up comedian Zoe Brownstone said she was owed £180 by the festival.

"I've done a few festivals. This by a mile was the most prepared, people donated more [for tickets], leaving the festival I felt great.

"I've never felt so positive," she said.

However, she said she was left disappointed to still be without payment.

"It is astonishing to me that a big organised festival can't pay me at the end of the day," Brownstone said.

Comedians are not the only ones waiting for payment.

Rachael Johnson, who organises events across Lutterworth in Leicestershire, said she was still owed £600 after hosting two events.

"We've paid all our acts and all of our team, but we haven't actually had the money for the ticket sales come through... so we're well and truly out of pocket.

"We've got staff to pay. We've got rates to pay. We've got VAT to pay.

"We've got all of those bills that come at us relentlessly, but other people aren't playing their part in keeping to the rules, and that's really, really disappointing," she said.

However, Johnson said she understood the pressures the organisers were under.

"I've got sympathy with anybody who's operating in this market right now because it is tough. This is worse than Covid for a lot of organisations.

"The things that the festival has done for Leicester and Leicestershire are amazing.

"But you messed up, and we really need you to get back on top of this for everybody's sake," she said.

Michael Harris-Wakelam, CEO of non-profit Big Difference - which runs Leicester Comedy Festival - said organisers were committed to paying comedians but were waiting on the money themselves.

"It is a case of the cashflow problem. 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.

"We're still waiting for money that's owed to us for our activities during the festival.

"That comes from a number of sources, sponsorship, commission shows, ticket sales through third parties."

Harris-Wakelam said organisers were speaking to banks about bridging loans to get artists paid sooner.

"We're having to look at alternative sources of finance to bridge that gap, but that takes time.

"We're prioritising those artists right now - to the detriment of some of our other planned activities.

"The way that we run that settlement process is to make sure that as many people as possible are being paid," he said.

Last month comedy industry leaders warned a lack of funding and incentives could risk the next generation of comedy voices, pointing to a lack of support for grassroots venues.

As of April 2026, live music venues and pubs in England can receive a 15% reduction in business rates - but this does not extend to comedy clubs.

Harris-Wakelam said: "I think if comedy was treated with more seriousness on a national level, be that funders, be that government, then we would be in a different place completely.

"We would want to make sure that there were further support packages provided around things like the business rates relief, things such as a potential VAT cut for tickets."

Jessica Toomey, chair of the Live Comedy Association, which acts as a network between venues, promoters, festivals and comics, said: "Grassroots live comedy receives far less support than other live arts.

"Without investment in emerging talent and supporting independent venues, promoters and festivals, the UK risks losing diverse, original voices and its global reputation as a leader in live comedy."

Live at the Lodge

Ian Manborde, Midlands representative for the artists trade union Equity, said: "We have received a commitment from Leicester Comedy Festival that all performers will be paid in full, and those owed money directly by the festival should be receiving updates on their individual payments.

"We hope that the festival is able to find its feet again as it has been a regular part of the comedy calendar for over 30 years.

"Payment problems in comedy have long been an issue. With venues going bust, small operators disappearing and more low and non-paid business models such as bringers, competitions and open mics springing up at the grass roots end, properly paid gigs are in lesser supply.

"Reliable funding for live comedy is desperately needed and it is something we are working on to achieve."

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said: "Comedy is a vital part of our cultural and creative industries. British comedy has long had a global impact and plays a major role in our creative life. It is a significant contributor to our economy and our national wellbeing.

"We have met with the comedy sector in recent months - from stand-up comedians, comedy club owners, agents, producers and broadcasters - to hear their views. We look forward to continuing the conversation in the future, as we share a desire to see comedy flourish."

Despite the uncertainty about payment, Ben Alborough said he would still return to the festival.

"I've come back to Leicester for the comedy festival every single year since I've graduated.

"I absolutely love it, and I really, really want to be able to come back next year," he added.

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