The Government of Canada has allocated $1.2 million to ComediHa! for its comedy festival in Montreal.
ComediHa! Hello Montréal is part of the 25th anniversary of the company’s annual comedy events. The Montreal edition of the festival took place from July 18 to 28 at the Quartier des spectacles de Montréal. ComediHa! Fest in Quebec City will run from Aug. 1 to 24.
The funding was announced during the festival on July 26 by Heritage Minister Pascale St‑Onge and Tourism Minister and Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED).
The grant from CED provided a non‑repayable contribution of $600,000 under its Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP) to promote and hold the festival in Montreal, while the Department of Canadian Heritage also allocated $600,000 for 2024‑25 under the Canada Arts Presentation Fund.
ComediHa! is a content producer and distributor, in addition to organizing its comedy festivals. The company made news in May with the acquisition of assets from the troubled Just for Laughs Group, which cancelled its annual comedy events in Toronto and Montreal for 2024. ComediHa! rebranded its distribution arm to Amuz Distribution in 2023.
“Montreal is recognized as a comedy hub that each year attracts millions of tourists from around the world. That is why I am proud that our government is supporting the ComediHa! hello Montréal comedy event, which will help the metropolis maintain its important position in this industry,” said Ferrada in a statement.
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