Founder & Director of the Festival Geoff Rowe said: “As the longest running comedy festival in Europe, it’s been a pleasure to work with some of the best stand up comedians over the past 19 years. We’ve also developed a tradition of producing original and special events which can’t be seen anywhere else. I’m delighted to be announcing the sponsorship with Dave, which will allow us to grow and develop the festival over future years”.

As Geoff says, the festival has built up quite a reputation for distinctive quirky events over the years, and we’re happy to say this year will be no different.

Hotel D’Comedie is an exclusive experience that gives you the chance to see four comedians up close and personal and out of their comfort zone, in a hotel room to be precise. Held at Hotel Maiyango, one of Leicester’s swankiest digs, on the first Friday and Saturday of the fortnight, the event takes you on a tour of the hotel’s luxurious suites to encounter and interact with a variety of intriguing comedy acts.

Comedy in the Dark will be making a re-appearance this year at the Phoenix.

Dave’s Comedy Society: The Late Show will bring you some of Dave’s favourite handpicked acts including Paul Foot, Josh Widdicombe, Phil Nichol, and more. The night is on every Friday and Saturday of the festival from 10pm at Dave’s Curry House (Chutney Ivy).

The Comedy Curry Cook Off, also at Chutney Ivy on Friday, 10 February, will see two top comedians battle it out to cook one of Leicester’s hottest curries, with guidance from the restaurant’s head chef, to be judged by a panel of culinary and comedy critics.

Running for a fortnight with around 390 shows at over 40 venues, there’s a lot to take in when it comes to a festival of this proportion. DLCF runs from 3 - 19 February this year and hosts talents such as Alistair McGowan, Sarah Millican, Josh Widdecombe, Seann Walsh, Shappi Khorsandi, Jarred Christmas, Mitch Benn, Tom Rosenthal (Friday Night Dinner, Ch 4), Greg Davies, Chris Addison, Josie Long, Andi Osho and Alex Horne.

Some of our favourites this year include the venue The Crumblin’ Cookie, on Leicester’s High Street. Tinny Hopkins, the owner, seemingly steps up the amount of gigs they host every year and he’s even opening a new space in the basement called the Cookie Jar to make room for more.

FD2D journalist Michael Somerville spoke to Tinny to hear what he had to say about the Cookie’s involvement this year: “We’ve been given 50 shows and 30 of those will be in the basement where we’ll be showing paid comedy. We have free shows every evening during the festival; it’s important to offer something that is free in these tight economic times.

“I’m really excited about Paul Foot, Josh Widdicombe and Chris Ramsey who are major acts playing at the Cookie. I’m looking forward to seeing Josh as I’ve not seen him before. His humour is very South-West and very dry. Paul Foot is my favourite, his show at the Crumblin’ Cookie last year was fantastic, he is a comedy genius. Paul took 45 minutes to introduce himself and did all these backstage characters impressions on stage, I’ve never laughed so much in my life.”

Another FD2D favourite is the Bottle Rocket Comedy Club, a promotions company bringing a strong variety of acts to some great venues at this year’s proceedings. In particular we like Friday, 10 February’s line up at the Y Theatre which includes alternative Hip-Hop comedian, Doc Brown who mixes his rapping skills with some great stand-up followed by Rich Fulcher (aka Bob Fossil from The Mighty Boosh), one of the wackiest guys in comedy then some quick witted razor-sharp gags from Garry Delaney and Ellis James (as seen on Dave’s One Night Stand).

Michael spoke to Ad Ahmed, Bottle Rocket Director, “There are some really great acts this year; rising star Nick Helm is really good. We’ve tried to make our comedy choices at the festival as eclectic as possible; we’ve got ‘Abandoman’ who are two people that completely improvise their whole hip-hop based show with requests from the audience, they’re really good. Tom Deacon from Radio 1, who is amazing, will be here as well. Jarred Christmas is another act that I’m very much looking forward to”.

Bottle Rocket will also be bringing us Josie Long at Firebug on Thursday, 16 February. Returning to Leicester this time with her ‘The Future is Another Place’ show, described as more ranty than ever, yet still friendly and approachable, whether you agree with her politics or not it’s bound to be fun.

At De Montfort Hall we especially like Chris Addison (of The Thick of it and Mock the Week fame) and Dave Spikey who will be examining all those situations where words don’t come too easy like parents explaining the facts of life or adolescent chat-up lines.

The Curve will see the return of one of our favourite comediennes full stop, let alone at the festival, Shappi Khorsandi, who is back with a brand new show with a funky name; ‘Me and My Brother in Our Pants, Holding Hands’. Apparently it’s about her and her brother being best friends but also occasionally beating each other up.

From Dusk 2 Dawn itself has been involved with raising the profile of this year’s most highly anticipated event. We approached thirteen talented students from a variety of backgrounds at Leicester University and DMU to work alongside FD2D and Embrace Arts, the University of Leicester’s arts centre. Their mission was to come up with a marketing campaign to promote the nine fantastic performances Embrace Arts will be showing during the fortnight.

The ‘Cheer Up Leicester’ campaign is creating a buzz about these shows using videos, flashmobs, advertorial, radio, and marketing strategies to stir up interest in the accessible nature of the entertainment at Embrace Arts.

The point made by Gillian Garratt, Embrace Art’s Marketing Manager, is that ‘comedy is not just about stand-up’ so the group aim to demonstrate there are many different avenues within comedy and it is something that is accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, age or race.

Basically whoever you are if you’re up for a laugh this year there’s plenty to choose from at Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival.

For more information about shows visit the city’s local bars, cafes and shops to pick up a brochure or go online, where you can also buy tickets at: