Dara Ó Briain not booked for Salisbury Comedy Festival

Dara Ó Briain was advertised as one of the headliners for the city's debut funny festival, but talent agency Off The Kerb has confirmed this wasn't the case.

Organised by Tiki Events Ltd., the initial comedy festival and a 90s music festival were planned for August 2021, postponed to July 30 and 31, 2022, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, the leisure company has been placed into liquidation, causing the cancellation of the events altogether.

READ MORE:

• Comedy and 90s festival cancelled as company 'placed into liquidation'
• 'No choice but to close' - Cancelled festival organisers speak out
• Organisers make 'exceptionally difficult decision' to reschedule Salisbury festivals

According to Off The Kerb, the headlining comedian was requested at last year's event, but when it was postponed the rescheduled dates were "too far in advance to contemplate", resulting in rejection of the offer.

Despite this, he was still advertised by organisers as attending.

Other comedians believed to be performing include Seann Walsh, Frankie Boyle, Dane Baptiste and Angela Barnes.

Salisbury City Council, responsible for event bookings at Hudson's Field, also revealed the site had not been booked for the festival at all.

Clerk Annie Child said: "In 2021 a provisional booking was made for a comedy festival on Hudson’s Field. 

"This booking could not be confirmed as the organisers were not able to satisfy the city council’s conditions for such a hire. 

"The organiser subsequently postponed the event due to Covid and so the provisional booking was made void.  The organiser told the city council that the event would now take place on July 31, 2022. 

"However, the city council has had no contact with the organiser during 2021 and therefore Hudson’s Field has not been booked as the venue for this event in July."