Hundreds of comedians say they are still owed money after performing at this year’s Leicester Comedy Festival
The BBC has reported that festival organisers are aware of the problem and say they are aiming to pay all performers ‘as soon as possible’.
This year’s event, hosted by multiple venues across the city, ran from 4 to 22 February and attracted about 100,000 spectators and more than 500 acts this year, including Sir Stephen Fry, Sara Pascoe and Rosie Holt, many of whom have not been paid.
Organisers said the delay was due to cashflow problems that they were trying to resolve it.
Comedian Benjamin Alborough told the BBC he was owed just short of £2,000 and is one of hundreds of performers still awaiting payment after appearing at the comedy festival.
Canadian stand-up comedian Zoe Brownstone said she is owed £180 by the festival.
Artists were set to be paid on April 19, but instead were sent an email telling them their settlement payment would be delayed.
And it seems comedians are not the only ones waiting for payment.
Rachael Johnson hosted two events in Lutterworth and said she was still owed £600 after hosting two events.
Michael Harris-Wakelam, CEO of non-profit Big Difference – which runs Leicester Comedy Festival – told BBC News that they were committed to paying comedians but were waiting on the money themselves.
“It is a case of the cashflow problem. What we’re trying to communicate with [the artists] is this is a case of a small delay rather than ‘you won’t be paid’,” he said.
“We’re still waiting for money that’s owed to us for our activities during the festival.
Harris-Wakelam said organisers were speaking to banks about bridging loans to get artists paid sooner but said ‘that takes time’.
