Byron Comedy Festival cancelled

THE Byron Comedy Festival, which was due to take place on May 2 and 3, has been cancelled after a major sponsor withdrew from the event.

Dave O’Neil, Wil Anderson, Glenn Robbins, Denise Scott, Bob Franklin, Mandy Nolan, Ellen Briggs and Peter Rowsthorn are among the comedians who have performed at the event over the years.

Festival director Mell Coppin said retaining sponsorship was increasingly difficult for a small festival in tough times.

“We have never made or lost any money, but we have kept afloat with a little bit of sponsorship money,” she said.

“We were also informed by Ballina Shire Council that we could not display our large vinyl banners any longer as our event did not take place in Ballina Shire.

“This was a big blow to our event, as we had already printed the banners and had displayed them in previous years without any issues.

“Coupled with sponsorship problems, it became the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Coppin and Zara Noruzi have been running the festival since 2019.

“Our shire didn’t have a comedy festival and we are laughter enthusiasts who grew tired of having to travel for quality comedy, so we chatted to local comedians and confirmed that an event like ours would be a welcome inclusion to the Byron events calendar,” Coppin said.

“We tried to bring the comics to town who would otherwise not visit.

“Our event was very much for and supported by the community.

“Tickets were affordable and we made an effort to create a cool comedy club vibe by dressing the venue in a way that the community had not seen it before.”

Coppin said it was unlikely the event will return next year, unless a major sponsor lands in their lap.