Just For Laughs is back!

Comedy brand unveils new slate of international festivals

The new owners of the Just For Laughs comedy brand have announced a raft of international festivals – including the return of the flagship Montreal event.

ComediHa! officially acquired Just For Laughs in June, after the original company collapsed, having racked up losses of £4.5million in the first ten months of last year.

One contributing factor was the comedy festival held in the O2 Arena in London last year which tanked, racking up a £450,000 loss.

ComediHa! today said one of their top priorities was to make next summer’s Montreal festival ‘one of the most memorable in the brand’s storied history’ and was ‘committed to honouring the legacy of the festival and its profound impact on the world of comedy’. The event will run from July 16 to 27.

A vastly scaled-down Montreal festival was put together at the last minute this year, following ComediHa!’s acquisition of the brand.

Other forthcoming Just For Laughs festivals now confirmed are:

SYDNEY: November 18-23 with a line-up that includes Trevor Noah, Eric Idle, Brad Williams and a gala hosted by Melanie Bracewell, who is currently at the Edinburgh Fringe. It will be the 12th time JFL has staged a festival in Sydney.

BERMUDA: January 22-24. The 17th JFL festival on the Island

VANCOUVER: February 13-23, the 9th edition of JFL there.

Sylvain Parent-Bédard, president of ComediHa!, said: ‘We couldn’t be more excited to present these incredible festivals.. Each ones holds a long and significant history that we deeply respect and cherish.

‘Working with our festival partners, we are bringing a new breath and vision into these events, which we believe will resonate with both long-time fans and new audiences alike. I’d also like to acknowledge our exceptional programming team, some returning and some new programmers, who are working swiftly and diligently to put together some truly remarkable lineups. Their dedication and creativity are at the heart of what will make these festivals a resounding success.’

Nick Brazao, head of programming at Just For Laughs, added, ‘Programming these festivals is an exciting opportunity to innovate while staying true to the core of what has made Just For Laughs so special for over four decades.

‘We’re focused on curating a diverse mix of established names and emerging talent to platform and celebrate comedy's best. We’re embracing the industry’s dynamic future, and we can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience what we’re putting together.’

Thanks for reading. If you find Chortle’s coverage of the comedy scene useful or interesting, please consider supporting us with a monthly or one-off ko-fi donation.

Any money you contribute will directly fund more reviews, interviews and features – the sort of in-depth coverage that is increasingly difficult to fund from ever-squeezed advertising income, but which we think the UK’s vibrant comedy scene deserves.

Subscribe or donate here

Published: 21 Aug 2024