Avoiding ‘London-centric' thinking, high investment for acts and comedy lovers alike, Manchester's Creatures Comedy Festival returns for its second year from 15-26 July 2025 as a North West challenger to the ever-more-expensive Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Only in its second year, the line-up features an impressive selection of acts from Manchester, the North West and further afield, including Chloe Petts, Rob Copland, Huge Davies and Larry Dean, with over 40 performances, growing from its first year.
Sunday 20th will be the festival’s “Northern Takeover Day”, dedicated to showcasing comics from the North. The day will kick off with a live podcast recording of Proper Rank hosted by Brennan Reece and Danny McLoughlin before Rob Auton, Jack Carroll and Best In Class, a collective of working class comedians.
Recent years have seen calls by acts, audiences and critics alike for more accessible opportunities to nurture alternatives to London and Edinburgh comedy and festival scenes.
Costs being a big barrier often means huge accommodation bills compounded by a lack of opportunity to see ‘work in progress' shows in advance, making it fairly difficult to plan for Edinburgh if you don't live in London.
Other festivals like Mach Fest in Machynlleth and Aberystwyth Comedy Festival, alongside Leicester Comedy Festival, have done work to bridge this gap and now, festival organisers Chelsey Weisz and Jess Johnstone, who co-produced and programmed Creatures Comedy Festival, hope to do the same for the North West.
The festival has also partnered with Roomzz in the city to offer free accommodation to acts from outside of Manchester as one step to address the issue.
Chelsey says their aim is “to give acts a chance to preview their shows ahead of the Fringe and actually give them an opportunity to make money, as it's so hard to break even, let alone make a profit at Fringe.”
“We want to showcase the local talent and demonstrate that UK comedy isn't just in overpriced destinations like London or Edinburgh. We've got something for everyone from musical comedy to improv to classic laugh-out-loud stand-up.”
Jess adds, “the festival was also started to give Manchester locals access to a range of Fringe shows just before they head up to the Fringe, as WIPS & previews so often take place down in London, without having to worry about the costs of trekking up to Edinburgh for the weekend.”
“Accommodation prices & train costs are rapidly rising year on year, pricing those who can't afford it out of the festival. Obviously, this impacts those without as much disposable income first and we're committed to ensuring comedy is as accessible as possible for everyone.”
Creatures Comedy Festival 2025 runs from 15 – 26 July across Manchester's Northern Quarter. Tickets start from £5, with most sitting between £8–£12. View the line-up here: https://www.creaturescomedy.com/festival
