Bar had repossessed over comedy festival's financial woes

The manager of the venue forced to close because of the financial woes of Leicester Comedy Festival has raised almost £18,000 to save it.

A total of 376 supporters have so far pledged money to revive the Big Difference venue on Leicester High Street since  Anthony Lamb – known as Big Tony – set up the crowdfunder. 

That’s more than enough for him to take on the lease and rebrand the venue, and well on course for him to be able to update the fading furniture, too. 

As Chortle was first to report, the venue was forced to close earlier this month when landlords repossessed it over unpaid rent, sparking fresh fears for the comedians still owed ticket money from their performance at February’s festival. Both the festival and the venue are run by a charity called The Big Difference Company.

Writing on the crowdfunder page, Lamb, who has been manager of the venue since 2022, said he didn’t want ‘the hard work and community that was built around this venue to go to waste’.

Revealing a new name for the venue, he wrote: ‘The new venue will continue to be LGBTQIA+ friendly and provide a safe space for the alternative people of Leicester. 

‘Forum Porcorum will champion local artists and pay them fairly for their performances. I will continue to work with a range of booking agents and local promoters to bring new and exciting acts to Leicester. 

‘My aim is to build Forum Porcorum into more of a community bar rather than only a destination venue. Of course, I will continue running our events, but I want Forum Porcorum to be a real "third space" where people want to spend time with their friends and find community. Forum Porcorum will also make sure that payment to artists are ALWAYS made on time.’

And speaking of why he turned to crowdfunding, he added: ‘To put it bluntly, I don't have any money. I don't have any savings or generational wealth to fall back on. I will be starting this business with absolutely nothing but my reputation and determination to make Forum Porcorum a reality. 

‘I will also be looking at small business loans and funding options to help get this off the ground - I know I can't fully rely on this fundraiser to cover all the start-up costs.’

Speaking to the BBC, he added that he was ‘absolutely blown away by the support’, which should allow him to reopen the venue by the end of the year.

He added: ‘I was always quietly confident that the crowdfunder would do well, but not this well, this quickly. It's been amazing to see the city come together like this and show people really do care about art in the city and care about spaces like this. It's been lovely to see.’

The premises, which comprise a ground-level bar, mezzanine, and basement was opened in 2020 and hosted touring comedy shows as well as events during the Leicester Comedy Festival. It has a total capacity of 250.

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Published: 18 Jul 2026