Stand Up For Southport Blog by Andrew Brown
The annual Southport Comedy Festival gives over 6,000 people the gift of laughter every year, having grown to become one of the biggest comedy festivals in the UK – after a local couple saved the event from being axed.
Sefton Council originally launched Southport Comedy Week and ran it in the early days. But 14 years ago, due to funding pressures, the local authority decided it could no longer continue with the event and were about to put an end to it.
Local comedian Brendan Riley and wife Val Brady, Southport-born and living in Formby, were determined to keep it going and stepped in to rescue it, with the support of local businesses including Barron Financial Solutions, Anthony James Estate Agents and others.
It’s now run by a local family for the local community to enjoy.
It is a very organic, grassroots event.
Since those early days, not only have they kept it going, they have built the ‘comedy week’ into a packed 17-night festival which attracts some of the biggest comedy names in the world, performing sell-out shows to thousands of people.
Southport Comedy Festival 2023.
It grows bigger and better every year, surviving hurdles such as the Covid pandemic to become one of the major comedy festivals in the UK.
This year reads like a who’s who of some of the biggest names on the circuit; Ben Elton, Jason Manford, Henning Wehn, Jason Byrne, Jo Caulfield, Jimeoin, Mark Thomas, Mick Miller, and many more.
Previous years have seen stars including Al Murray, Milton Jones, Chris McCausland, Seann Walsh and others.
They pride themselves on attracting the biggest TV names to town as they urge people to switch off the TV and enjoy some top live stand up comedy on their doorstep.
Southport Comedy Festival 2023. Jason Byrne
This year, three shows have already sold out, with weeks to go; more are in line to follow soon.
The festival, which this year is again sponsored by Halliwell Jones MINI, attracts over 6,000 visitors to Southport from across the UK.
It’s a big boost to local businesses such as guest houses, hotels, bars and restaurants through staging a major event during the quieter autumn months. It’s a great time of year to boost the local economy.
Organisers also work with a number of local suppliers to make everything happen, with an array of local firms supporting their events, and suppliers such as Elite Marquees, Elite Bars, Bro Design, Sefton Council Tourism, Southport Flower Show and Victoria Park Events, and others.
The Southport New Comedian of the Year finlaists
As well as the headline acts, Southport Comedy Festival also provides a platform to support budding new comedians.
Their annual Southport New Comedian of The Year contest, sponsored by Dragon Soop, attracts hundreds of entries every year from every corner of the UK, with the prestige of winning the contest or being a finalist a huge boost to young comics’ careers.
The 2024 Southport Comedy Festival is opening in style with an exciting night of Comedy Bingo
Southport Comedy Festival has raised tens of thousands of pounds for local charities over the years, ‘raising money while raising a smile’.
Every year they give up two of their nights to staging fundraising Comedy Bingo or Disco Bingo nights with recipients including Claire House Children’s Hospice, the Community Link Foundation, Southport Lifeboat, Queenscourt Hospice, Help For Heroes, Southport Flower Show and others.
Ben Elton will star at Southport Comedy Festival
It’s now just a little over a month to go before the start of the 13th annual Southport Comedy Festival.
From 27th September to 13th October 2024 stars of the comedy world will descend on the lovely seaside town of Southport for 17 fun filled days of laughter.
Courtesy of Elite Marquees the whole festival will take place inside a luxury heated and seated marquee in Victoria Park where you can watch some of the biggest names in comedy up close and personal.
Take a look at the Southport Comedy Festival website and click the links to see who has helped keep Southport Smiling.
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