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The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival Announces February 2025 Programme
The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival is the only comedy festival in the UK dedicated to children, young people, and their families. The event takes place alongside the Leicester Comedy Festival, the largest and longest-running comedy festival in Europe.
Celebrating its seventh year in February 2025, The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival invites families to join in the laughter, creativity, and fun over 19 days across more than 25 venues. The Kids’ Gala Preview show will take place at The Y on 8th December 2024.
The fun-packed festival programme includes Marcel Lucont’s ‘Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow for Awful Children’ (‘insanely funny’, The Scotsman), beatboxing & guaranteed LOLs from The Mighty Kids Beatbox Comedy Show by Jarred Christmas & Hobbit, and ‘Pirates, Pharaohs and Pterosaurs’ – a hilarious journey through history from BBC broadcaster, comedian and author Iszi Lawrence.
Britain’s Got Talent star Abi Carter-Simpson shares uplifting stories, hilarious comedy and musical interludes with her show ‘Enough’, A.L.Ex & The ImpRobots Present: An AI Show For Kids - an interactive science, theatre and comedy impro show featuring real robots. Audiences can also expect sausage birds, radioactive bogies and truth-telling cheese in ‘The Stupidest Super Stupid Show So Far’ as the festival welcomes back Olaf Falafel, winner of the Leicester Comedy Festival’s Best Kids Show (2024).
The festival is excited to continue its outreach and education initiatives, bringing the joy of comedy to inspire the next generation of performers. From workshops for aspiring comedians to partnerships with local schools, nurturing talent at every level and improving confidence and mental health.
Activities include Laugh Academy, a dedicated half-term programme (17th -21st February 2025) for aspiring stand-up comedians aged 11-18 to develop their skills and experience performing live comedy, with workshops leading up to an exciting live showcase.
On the opening day of the festival, primary schools compete to be crowned Leicestershire’s Funniest School as part of Loving Laughing, an annual project promoting creativity, confidence and resilience as children take part in sketch workshops before performing their original sketches on stage at The Y Theatre for the very first time.
Pop-up activity Joke Spot will visit six local public libraries, inviting children to share their favourite jokes, teaching performance skills and encouraging reading comprehension
The UK Kids’ Comedy Festival is an opportunity to make memories and new friends and share laughter as a family. So, let’s embrace the silliness, celebrate our unique voices, and most importantly, have a blast!
Chris Butler, Producer for The UK Kids' Comedy Festival at Big Difference, the charity behind the festival, said, "This year we are back and bigger than ever, with more venues and workshops for everyone to enjoy. We are delighted to bring back many of our outreach projects and launch brand new initiatives, including The Completely Made-up History of Coalville, where students from Broom Leys Primary School will be rewriting the town's history through hilarious short stories. Watch out for this premiering as an interactive walking tour on Go Jauntly during the festival.
Families can enjoy returning favourites such as Marcel Lucont, Jody Kamali and Alasdair Beckett-King alongside brand-new kids' shows from Ignacio Lopez, Iszi Lawrence and Robin Morgan. Plus, if you can't make up your mind, you can always get a taste of the festival at mixed bills: Comedy Club 4 Kids, Keep It Clean: Family Comedy Club and Comedy in the Dark for Kids."
Leicester Comedy Festival main partners are De Montfort University and Leicester City Council.
The Patrons of The UK Kids' Comedy Festival are: Rosie Jones & Michael Rosen.
The Patrons of Leicester Comedy Festival are: Eshaan Akbar, Stewart Lee, Sikisa, Jo Brand & Tony Slattery.