Calgary’s FunnyFest faces financial difficulties after pandemic
Posted Feb 3, 2023 6:03 pm.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left a big dent in the finances of Calgary’s FunnyFest Comedy Society, after running for 22 years, according to comedian Joe King.
The society lost 90 per cent of its sponsors amid the pandemic, leading to a close to 95 per cent loss of revenue. The yearly average of shows, seminars, and workshops went down from 100 to only eight to 15 per year.
The festival normally runs in June.
“Coming off of a pandemic, which pretty much shut everything down, including the whole hospitality industry, which you know has an effect on what we do,” said King.
King says the comedy competition and festival has launched the careers of a number of headliners.
“There are several headline comics out there that FunnyFest gave a start to, that they help immensely in their careers, and we want to continue to do that,” King added.
He says they want to “save” Calgary’s festival, despite the difficulties.
“It’s the second largest one in Western Canada … It’s something people enjoy, and we need to keep it going,” he said.
Meanwhile, a “GoFundMe” page has been set up for the funniest society.
