The Little Foxton Beach Comedy Fest: Funny People To Descend On Foxton Beach In January 2023

People flocking to Horowhenua this summer can catch some of the best comedians from Aotearoa New Zealand at The Little Foxton Beach Comedy Fest.

With eight shows held over four nights from 5 to 8 January, the festival features legendary comedians Brendhan Lovegrove and Sully O’Sullivan, up and coming talent such as Sri Nair, Chardé Heremaia (Memoirs of a Māori) and Kajun Brooking, as well as local favourites Krystine Nation and Reon Materman.

“When we first started running shows at OBE, we had a lot of locals tell us that Foxton Beach doubles in population over the summer, so it made sense to give a festival a go,” says DIY Comedy producer Ben Tito Caldwell.

He started planning about six months ago and was successful in applying for funding from Horowhenua District Council’s Creative Communities Scheme. There’s also sponsorship from local supportive businesses.

“The funding and the sponsorship allows us to keep ticket prices capped at $20. But it also means that we can pay each show a set fee for taking part in the festival, which I think is pretty cool having done festivals myself. They can be awesome to be in, but more often than not you’re lucky to break even,” says Caldwell.

It was important for Caldwell to be able to achieve these two things. He’s passionate about making comedy financially accessible for both performers and audiences, especially given the economy currently.

Lovegrove, who has been performing for over 25 years and has TV appearances on the Comedy Gala and 7 Days, as well as being the star of A Night At The Classic, is excited to be taking part in the festival.

“It’s going to be super cool seeing this festival become a reality. I love performing in towns like Foxton Beach, the people really appreciate you coming to them. And there’s some great talent coming that I’m looking forward to seeing them in action,” says Lovegrove.

Tickets for the festival can be purchased from KiwiTicket, with some shows still having $10 and $15 tickets available.

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