A Virtual Comedy Festival - Preserving Culture During COVID-19 and Beyond

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Due to COVID-19, live comedy - one of the UK's most treasured cultural experiences - has been wiped out. Hugely popular comedy festivals including Brighton, Machynlleth, and the biggest arts festival in the world - Edinburgh, have been cancelled, not to mention the nightly comedy variety nights at local clubs all over the country. These events attracted over 3 million people every year. This cancellation of the comedy scene has impacted the lives of the public, comedians, venues and festivals who are suffering not only financially, but also from a dearth of live entertainment and the community that surrounds it. Comedy and laughter is proven to improve well-being and mental health and it is facing a shortage at a time when the general public need it the most.NextUp are creating a Virtual Comedy Festival that re-connects the public with live comedy and the talented acts who create it, allowing them to earn revenue in the process. Following on from NextUp's Virtual Comedy Festival, in February 2021, NextUp will be also partnering with the biggest comedy festival in the UK to digitally connect the public to as many of their shows as possible, bridging the gab between the festival, performers and comedy fans - delivering value on all sides.Our aim is to COVID-proof comedy, bringing laughter back into the nation's homes, and gaining an audience of over a million across all gigs.Not only does this project amplify the power of a live comedy during the UK's COVID-19 restrictions, it creates a working prototype for other festivals to reach more people than ever including those with physical disability, those facing social isolation, and those who are limited by their geographic or financial circumstances. None of these people should be deprived from enjoying live comedy and all its collateral benefits, and with this project - they won't be.