The Hull Comedy Festival was established in 2006, when a local businessman John Gilbert received funding from Hull Business Improvement District to develop a sustainable event that would benefit the evening economy. John Gilbert handed over the reins of Hull Comedy Festival in 2013 to C69 Comedy. However, in 2015, John Gilbert resumed the role as the director of Hull Comedy Festival with the support of a team of volunteers.
The festival ran from 23 October to 7 November. This year, Hull Comedy Festival became East Yorkshire's largest ticket festival, with a 400% increase in sales, it led to over 12,000 tickets being sold. Paddy McGuinness, Frankie Boyle, Pete Firman, Russell Howard, Jason Manford, Keith Chegwin and Russell Kane performed at what was billed "the difficult second festival". Whilst local acts created Green Helmet Day and Festival anthems. It was delivered in partnership by Hull City Centre BID, eskimosoup, Hull Colour Pages and St. Stephens with the support of over a dozen local companies and organisations.
2009
The festival ran from 23 October to 7 November, organised by eskimosoup in partnership with Hull Business Improvement District, KCFM 99.8 and Hull Colour Pages. Performers included Alistair McGowan, Al Murray, Rich Hall and Keith Chegwin. Shows included stage comedy Little Shop of Horrors and an adaptation of the TV sitcom, Porridge starring Shaun Williamson. Festival Director John Gilbert hailed the festival the "most satisfying yet" due to high audience figures throughout the programme as well as several successful community projects. The Festival hosted multiple community projects, that were aimed at improving health and boosting confidence.
2010
The 2010 festival took place between 21 October and 7 November and was again organised by eskimosoup with Jon Reed as creative director. Performers included Sarah Millican, Milton Jones, Ross Noble, Mark Watson, Joe Pasquale, Greg Davies and Phil Cool. Organisers claim that 5,388 tickets of a target of 5,600 were sold and that the festival had become a commercial success as well as an annual highlight for the creative community. In the 2010 the festival was voted Hull's second favourite festival by users of Karoo.co.uk and was short listed in the Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Remarkable Tourism Awards]. A week of events at the I-Scream creates a festival venue to big success. John Gilbert hands the festival over to a successor.
2011
The festival ran from 21 October to 21 November under the new direction of Rich Quelch, who took over as festival director with assistance from creative consultants C69 Comedy Performers included Tim Minchin, Tommy Tiernan, Andy Parsons, Paul Zerdin, Joe Pasquale, Lee Hurst and Jerry Sadowitz, however there where other acts also.
This year the festival returned with a fresh new face now under the direction of C69 Comedy. It ran from 1 to 17 November 2013 with performers including Jack Dee, Alan Davies, Josh Widdicombe, Jonny & The Baptists, Tony Law and Sean Lock to name but a few. This is also the first year of the festival's Funny and Free Fringe bringing 18 free shows.
2014
This year Hull Comedy Festival was scaled back, as the lead promoter cancels many of the shows. Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont are amongst some of the remaining performances. Local acts and fans rallied together to help save the festival and aim to bring it back stronger.
