Welcome to Leith Comedy Festival!

Comedy for good. Laughter for all.

In October 2023, Leith rocked with laughter as we proudly hosted the very first Leith Comedy Festival. It was a weekend filled with stand-up, storytelling, workshops, family shows, and even a quiz.

Our Mission: Inspiration through Laughter

Leith Comedy Festival is a social enterprise with a mission. We exist to inspire and create opportunities for the community of Leith through the universal language of laughter.

How do we do this?

There are three parts to Leith Comedy Festival:

1. Leith Comedy Festival Annual Event

Join us every October for a weekend filled with laughter in all its forms. From side-splitting stand-up to family-friendly shows and interactive workshops, our annual event is a celebration of the different types of laughter.

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2. Leith Comedy Festival Presents…

Throughout the year, we produce individual comedy gigs that showcase the funniest comedians around, with a spotlight on the incredible talent based in Scotland. In August, we handpick the finest visiting comedians so you can see the best of the Edinburgh Fringe right here in Leith. Shows feature TV names, international sensations and emerging local talents.

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3. Leith Comedy Festival Community

In collaboration with other local social enterprises and charities, we host events that go beyond the stage. From comedy performance workshops with the Citadel Youth Centre to other community initiatives, we believe in using laughter as a catalyst for positive change.

Our story so far...

Our journey hasn't been easy. The original plan for a weekend festival in October 2020 faced an unforeseen obstacle of a global pandemic. Undeterred, Leith Comedy Festival navigated through the challenges and ever-changing restrictions, creating events one at a time using perseverance and a massive dose of creative thinking.

The pandemic meant that normal rules didn’t apply, and it was necessary to reinvent the plan to get people laughing, at a time when people needed it most. A Beer Yoga class with Projekt 42 connected people online with a drink and a stretch. Once restrictions were lifted, a comedy tour with Invisible Cities guided us through the streets of Leith as we ventured outside. This was also filmed and live-streamed for those who were unable to join us on the live tour.

As indoor events became legal again, Leith Comedy Festival embraced the stage with "Leith Comedy Festival Presents..." Headlined by the likes of Christopher Macarthur-Boyd, Josie Long, and Larry Dean, we finally got to put on live standup shows.

In October 2023, we finally got to put all the events together into one fantastic weekend.

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See you at an event soon!