Live Comedy Association opens a hardship fund

The Live Comedy Association has set up an emergency fund of £5,000 to help comedians and promoters left out of pocket by the financial chaos at the Leicester Comedy Festival.

Chortle was the first to report how hundreds of acts have not been paid the ticket money they are owed from their shows there – four months after the event.

Organisers held on to sums likely to be total tens of thousands of pounds, saying they had to prioritise ‘operational expenditure’ over paying comedians. It subsequently pulled a large outdoor festival it was planning for this month, too.

The £5,000 pot has been taken from the LCA’s Stand Up And Give fund, and is intended to provide ‘financial breathing room for those facing urgent out-of-pocket deficits or hardship’  

The wider fund, which was launched last autumn, has so far raised more than £30,000 through donations and fundraising events.  That money is mainly used to support the association’s lobbying work and to fund projects that benefit the live comedy industry, but its directors agreed to set some aside to address hardships caused by the Leicester fiasco.

Jessica Toomey, director of the Live Comedy Association, said: ‘We recognise that increasingly times are tough for comedians, promoters, festivals and venues and we want to support those working in the live comedy sector when things become difficult.

‘We know £5,000 won’t help everyone affected but wanted to make a start for the members struggling most. If we find there is a need to allocate more funding, we will explore every opportunity to provide more funds so a greater number of people can benefit.’

The LCA points out that accepting support from this fund does not affect comics’ right to pursue Big Difference Company - the charity behind the Leicester Comedy Festival  for the full amount owed.

Anyone wanting to apply for support can do so at the Live Comedy Association’s website, while donations to the wider Stand Up And Give fund are invited to use its Crowdfunder page.

Published: 22 Jun 2026