'Biggest-ever' Leicester Comedy Festival launched

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan will perform at De Montfort Hall on Wednesday

Leicester Comedy Festival has returned for the 31st time, bringing some of the biggest names in UK comedy to pubs and bars across the city.

Hundreds of performances will take place during the 18-day festival, which will start on Wednesday.

It will feature shows from patron Stewart Lee, as well as Romesh Ranganathan and Paul Sinha.

Festivals and programme director, Charlotte Laidet, said it would be their biggest festival ever.

More than 65 venues in Leicester, Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Mountsorrel and Coalville will host events during the festival.

Kevin Daniel, who became a comedian after seeing a flyer at the festival in 2019, will be performing his debut hour-long show.

"The festival has been a big part of my whole comedy journey since I started in 2019," he said.

"We're so lucky to have it here on our doorstep in the East Midlands. It's brilliant."

Rosie Jones also features on the 2024 line-up

The festival will run alongside the sixth UK Kids' Comedy Festival, which is also being hosted in Leicester over the coming weeks.

Rosie Jones, who has become a patron of the kids' comedy festival, will also be performing.

Ms Laidet said: "We are delighted to be back this year to celebrate comedy with our largest festival ever.

"We are very proud to present a programme showcasing so many styles of comedy, with very different types of events.

"There really is something for everyone."

Leicester city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said the festival was a "real gem" for the city.

"The economic impact of the festival and the UK Kids' Comedy Festival - now in its sixth year - is important but so is the social impact," he said.

"People coming into Leicester, going to shows, enjoying the festival, meeting up with friends - all of this contributes to the continued wellbeing of our city."