The Biggest Comedy Event of the year, Let's leave Manchester behind and head over to Leicester for a weekend of comedy, shows, great accommodation, good food and friends.
Are you ready for a good old belly laugh? Then fill your socks.
Travelling early on Saturday the 10th of February and returning early evening on Sunday the 11th of February, 2 full days and 1 night attending the Uk’s biggest Comedy Fest.
Leicester Comedy Festival is the largest single comedy festival in the UK, and is a must for comedians from all over the world.
With over 120 shows taking place on the Saturday and Sunday and tickets prices which are as low as £5.00 for a big Saturday night show with a star performer, this is an ideal opportunity to kick Valentines day in too touch and have a good laugh instead.
We can visit as many shows as we can fit in and enjoy a meal and a few drinks whilst we talk over our recommendations.
Meet your Social Circle host and travel together to this epic city by either train or car.
Hotel Description:
Just minutes from Leicester city centre and the M1/M69 motorway, Holiday Inn Express Leicester hotel opened in November 2004 and has 110 fully equipped en-suite rooms. Free Wi-Fi and free parking are available.
Rooms feature air conditioning, work desk, power showers, Freeview TVs, direct dial telephone, hairdryer, and complimentary tea and coffee tray. The hotel also has a fully stocked bar, and is fully a non-smoking hotel.
There is a restaurant just beside the property, open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.
You will be sharing a twin bedded room with en suite facilities and a full English Breakfast.
The Leicester Comedy Festival takes place from 7-25 February and the programme features over 830 shows in 69 venues across Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.
They will be welcoming over 120,000 people to the 2018 festival. The line-up includes comedians such as Barry Cryer, Harry Hill, Sara Pascoe, Jonathan Pie, Katherine Ryan, Paul Chowdhry, Dave Spikey, Dr John Cooper Clarke, Griff Rhys Jones plus the usual mix of special and exclusive shows being produced just for the festival. !
The Leicester Comedy Festival started in 1994 with 40 events programmed into 23 venues over 7 days throughout Leicestershire. In 1994 it attracted an audience of 5,000 and enjoyed a modest amount of media attention and a high profile within the community.
Since then we have featured top stand-up names such as Roseanne Barr, Jo Brand, Paul Merton, Jack Dee, Dave Gorman, Tony Slattery, Rory Bremner, Barry Cryer, Alan Davies, Jeremy Hardy, Bill Bailey, Garth Marenghi, Rhona Cameron, Ross Noble, Lee Hurst, Johnny Vegas, Simon Day, John Shuttleworth, Daniel Kitson, Rich Hall, Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Russell Brand, The Mighty Boosh, Dara O’ Briain, Simon Pegg, Lee Mack, Dave Spikey and Harry Hill.
The festival also incorporates comedy film, poetry & spoken word, comic theatre, photographic and art exhibitions, and children’s shows.
Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights and History
1994
First Leicester Comedy Festival takes place featuring Matt Lucas, Harry Hill and John Shuttleworth.
1995
Leicester Comedy Festival features The Comedy Store Players, Felix Dexter and George Melly. The programme also features a Disability Comic Workshop led by Johnny Crescendo and a performance by Khel Rangara. First Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Competition takes place; Stevie Knuckles wins.
1996
Emergency Exit Arts launch festival with amazing pyrotechnic performance through the streets of Leicester. Programme also includes Mark Lamarr, Linda Smith, Julian Clary, Jon Pertwee and Russell Peters. A live production of Fever Pitch takes place in a conference room at Filbert Street stadium and an education programme tackles issues linked to racism and sexism in football.
1997
Craig Charles, Alan Davies, Barry Cryer, Bobby Davro, Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Graham Norton and Jack Dee perform at the festival whilst Johnny Vegas wins Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year. A bumper year! The Guardian said the community programme helped create “a pretty broad grin”.
2000
Stewart Lee, Lee Hurst, Mighty Boosh, Jo Brand and Reginald D Hunter perform at Leicester Comedy Festival as well as the first Leicester charity gig in aid of Amnesty International, hosted by Jo Brand. The creator of “The Weakest Link” Cathy Dunning performs at 27a Access Artspace.
2005
Jason Manford, Phil Cool, The Umbilical Brothers, Jason Byrne and John Otway perform. The first Chortle Comedy Quiz takes place as well as the first festival performances by Gujarati Comedy Group. BBC Radio 4 record The News Quiz and young people from Bosworth Community College perform sketches.
2009
Gilded Balloon set up camp at The City Rooms for duration of festival. They feature over 30 shows in 3 venues. Ed Byrne, Clive James, David O’Doherty, Hans Teeuwen, Mark Thomas and Shazia Mirza perform.
2011
We received a letter from The Queen wishing us luck.
2015
The Festival featured over 630 events in 47 venues across 19 days – yep, we extended the festival by 2 days and ran for the full period from 4-22 February. Highlights included The UK Pun Championships, hosted once again by Lee Nelson and won by Leo Kearse, The Preview Show (hosted by Alan Davies), an exclusive live interview with Sarah Millican, and gigs by Johnny Vegas, John Thomson, Milton Jones, Nina Conti and Jimmy Carr
2017
Leicester Comedy Festival 2017 included over 800 individual events in 62 venues across the city, over the festival’s 19 days. 80,000 tickets were sold via the main box office and a further 35,000 people attended free events. Audience research shows that around a third of all attendees travel to the festival from across the UK helping to generate the festival’s economic benefit to Leicestershire at over £3million. There were more sold out shows than ever before, including: Adam Buxton, Johnny Vegas, Jimmy Carr, Sue Perkins, Stewart Lee, Ken Dodd, Stuart Goldsmith, Sooty, Mark Watson, Dane Baptiste, Tony Law, Tom Allen, Joe Lycett, Ed Gamble.
#UKPunday, which trended throughout Monday 13th February, generating 30,000,000 impressions on Twitter.
The winner of the UK Pun Championships was Lovdev Barparga. The Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Competition was won by Alasdair Beckett.
Weekend Information:
What is included?
Cathy your Social Circle host ‘who has lots of experience will give you the attention to detail which will make this a thoroughly enjoyable trip, your host will recommend some of the best shows to see and each evening they will take care of your dinner reservations at a restaurant offering the best in local cuisine. Cathy will assist and answer any questions, and will enhance your enjoyment of your weekend.
You will share a twin bedded room with an en suite bathroom and a full choice of English breakfast.
Your host will organize the best comedy shows to visit over the course of your weekend, you are welcome to join in this itinerary, or you may decide to venture out on your own or with friends and your host can advise you on some of the local attractions, we invite you attend dinner in the evening, when we can talk over the exciting days events sharing information and stories with your group of friends and companions.
If you have any questions or need any further assistance please email cathy@social-circle.com
This 2 day break will introduce you to The Leicester Comedy Festival and it's perfect for those who wish to enjoy this annual event.
What’s left to do: Simply book your place and join us.
Booking Information
PLACES ARE LIMITED to 8 - YOU MUST BOOK EARLY to take advantage of the best flight prices and be assured of a place on this extremely popular weekend with your host.
Price: Member £75.00
Non Member £95.00
*To receive member price you must be a member at time of booking and at time of event.
*Lunch and Dinner meals are also your responsibility and any organised payable tours.
