Slapstick Festival

What Slapstick Festival does

Slapstick Festival is a UK-registered nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Bristol, operating the country's largest annual festival dedicated to silent film and screen comedy. Each year the festival runs over 30 events across five days at partner venues including the Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, Arnolfini, and Colston Hall, with programming spanning silent-era restorations (Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Lloyd), contemporary visual comedy, live music accompaniment, and comedy tributes. Flagship events include the Silent Comedy Gala, performed live by ensembles such as the European Silent Screen Virtuosi with named musicians (Rick Wakeman booked for 2026), and the Big Comedy Bash fundraiser held at off-Bristol venues such as Reading's Hexagon.

The organization runs an awards program including the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award, the Visual Comedy Award, the Legacy Medal, and the newly inaugurated Golden Baz Award (2026 recipient: Armando Iannucci). Revenue is generated primarily through individual event tickets and multi-event festival passes sold via slapstick.org.uk and partner venue box offices, with a secondary merchandise line and charitable contributions (10% of Gromit-related event proceeds to The Grand Appeal for Bristol Royal Hospital for Children). Distribution is direct-to-consumer and event-driven, with marketing distributed across Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky, YouTube, an email newsletter, and printed brochures. The festival operates from C/O Aardman Animations at Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, with a 1-10 person team and a patron network including June Whitfield CBE and Nick Park CBE.

Name

Slapstick Festival

Legal name

Slapstick Festival

Website

https://slapstick.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

<Slapstick Festival is a Bristol-based UK nonprofit running an annual five-day festival of silent film and visual comedy, delivering 30+ events across multiple venues for comedy enthusiasts and families via ticket, pass, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Festivals

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Comedy Festivals (MPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Silent film festival
• Visual comedy events
• Comedy awards program
• Live music screenings
• Nonprofit arts festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket and Pass Sales: The festival generates revenue primarily through the sale of individual event tickets and festival passes. The 2026 festival offers exclusive festival passes allowing attendees to watch multiple events at reduced rates compared to individual ticket purchases.
2. Merchandise: The festival operates a merchandise store selling branded items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Slapstick Festival is an annual multi-day festival of silent film and visual comedy held in Bristol, UK, featuring more than 30 events across five days. It sells individual event tickets and multi-event festival passes online and through partner venue box offices, and runs an awards program honoring comedy legends. Revenue is generated through ticket and pass sales plus branded merchandise.

Product overview

Slapstick Festival is the UK's premier festival for silent film and visual comedy, offering a multi-day annual event featuring screenings of classic silent comedies (Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy), contemporary comedy tributes, live musical accompaniment, and an awards program. The core offering is the annual Bristol-based festival with over 30 events, complemented by the flagship Silent Comedy Gala with live orchestra, the Big Comedy Bash fundraiser, and merchandise. The 2026 festival introduces the inaugural Golden Baz Award honoring Armando Iannucci. Events span venues including Colston Hall, Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, and the Hippodrome.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Slapstick Festival (Annual Festival) The UK's biggest festival of screen comedy, held annually in Bristol, celebrating silent film and visual comedy from Chaplin and Keaton to contemporary performers, with over 30 events across five days including screenings, live performances, comedy tributes, and themed strands. Sold to individual attendees and households through tickets and passes.
• Silent Comedy Gala Annual signature event featuring classic silent films accompanied by live music from orchestras or guest musicians, presented at major Bristol venues such as Bristol Hippodrome and Colston Hall. Targeted at comedy and film enthusiasts.
• Festival Passes Multi-event passes (including Full Passes) offering discounted access to multiple festival events versus individual ticket purchases. Sold to individual attendees planning to attend several events across the festival.
• Big Comedy Bash Annual comedy fundraiser event featuring line-ups of UK comedians, held at theatres like Reading's Hexagon, sold to general audiences as a standalone ticketed event.
• Slapstick Festival Awards Program Award program including the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award, Visual Comedy Award, and Legacy Medal, honoring comedians and contributors to visual comedy. Celebrates recipients at the annual festival.
• The Golden Baz Award Inaugural award (2026) presented to Armando Iannucci, celebrating visual comedy and innovation in satire and comedy writing.
• Slapstick Festival Merchandise Official branded merchandise including t-shirts and promotional items sold through the festival's online store to attendees and fans.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Aardman AnimationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlapstick Festival's website and operations are c/o Aardman Animations at their Bristol headquarters. Aardman partners with the festival on the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award, and the festival supports The Grand Appeal charity (Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and St Michael's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) with 10% of proceeds from Gromit-related events.
• Colston HallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Bristol venue hosting annual Silent Comedy Galas and festival events. Former primary venue for festival programming before moving to other Bristol venues.
• Bristol Old ViccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistoric Bristol theatre hosting festival events including Slapstick Sunday programming and live performances.
• WatershedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBristol's cinema venue hosting festival film screenings and pre-festival events.
• Bristol HippodromecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Bristol theatre venue hosting the annual Silent Comedy Gala and other big events. In 2019, the gala moved to the Hippodrome for the first time.
• ArnolfiniminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBristol contemporary arts centre hosting select festival events.
• European Silent Screen VirtuosicoreTechnology or IntegrationMusical ensemble providing live orchestral accompaniment to silent film screenings at the annual Silent Comedy Gala.
• Rick WakemanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegendary musician providing live music for the Silent Comedy Gala, performing with the European Silent Screen Virtuosi for Charlie Chaplin's The Kid (1921) in 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hay Festival: UK literary and cultural festival held annually in Hay-on-Wye with satellite editions globally. Comparable as a ticketed, multi-day cultural festival with a curated programming model and direct-to-consumer ticket sales.
• BFI London Film Festival: Major UK film festival featuring screenings, tributes, and live events in London and partner venues. Comparable to Slapstick in operating curated film programming with special appearances and ticketed live events.
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The world's largest arts festival, including a substantial comedy and live performance program in the UK. Comparable to Slapstick as a UK-based, multi-venue cultural festival selling tickets directly to consumers, though much larger in scope.
• Just For Laughs: Major international comedy festival based in Montreal with UK satellite events. Comparable as a multi-venue live comedy festival with pass-based ticketing and curated performer programming.
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival: One of the world's largest comedy festivals, featuring live stand-up and comedic performances over multiple weeks. Comparable to Slapstick as a multi-venue comedy festival selling tickets and passes directly to consumers.

Others

• Bristol Old Vic: Historic Bristol theatre and one of Slapstick Festival's primary venue partners. Comparable as an adjacent performing arts organization in Bristol hosting live comedy and theatrical programming.
• Aardman Animations: Slapstick Festival's host and partner organization, sharing the Bristol Gas Ferry Road HQ and jointly administering the Comedy Legend Award. Comparable as an adjacent UK-based animation/entertainment brand with shared IP and charity tie-ins.

Direct peers

• San Francisco Silent Film Festival: US-based annual festival dedicated to silent-era cinema with live musical accompaniment. Directly comparable to Slapstick in programming focus on silent-era restoration and live-music-plus-cinema presentation.
• Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival: Irish comedy festival featuring curated live comedy performances and pass-based ticketing. Directly comparable to Slapstick in scale, format, and curated comedy festival model.
• Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone Silent Film Festival): The leading international silent film festival held annually in Pordenone, Italy, featuring restored silent-era screenings with live musical accompaniment. Most directly comparable peer to Slapstick in both subject matter (silent film) and format (live music + cinema).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SlapstickFest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SlapstickFestival/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/SlapstickFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/slapstickfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slapstick-festival-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Slapstick Festival