I have always found that a skiing holiday has the ability to transport me away from my daily stresses so much more than a flop on a beach — not only are the mountain vistas breathtaking, but it’s hard to think about emails and to-do lists when you’re focused on not falling over. I find a day in the mountains to be almost meditative, as you're thinking about nothing except your next turn and what type of cheese you'll have for lunch. However last year I discovered a way to improve this feel-good factor even more — add some comedy into the mix.
I almost wish I could keep Altitude Comedy Festival as a secret to myself, as it is one of those rare events where you can’t quite believe it’s still remained its intimate, family feel. It is like an Alpine Edinburgh Fringe, with three comedy shows a night, and a number of pop-up events on the mountains. Last year, I found myself dancing in a silent disco above the clouds stood next to Dara O’Brien and having sandwiches in Hans Butchers with a number of the comedians, debriefing on our day.
Altitude was founded in 2007 by Andrew Maxwell and Marcus Bridgstocke, as a new answer to après, and since then they have welcomed comedy greats onto their Gala stage, including Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey, Katherine Ryan, Eddie Izzard and Tim Minchin. This year, the annual festival will take place on the 24th - 28th March 2025, with more than 15 shows across the week, with plenty of time left in the schedule for full days of skiing too. Headline acts for 2025 include Tim Vine and Jason Byrne, along with dozens of other brilliant comedians who are all listed below.
The charm of it being a small festival is that it has a really friendly, welcoming attitude, with the comedians and festival goers all getting to know each other over the week. It's an unusual gig for the comedians, too, as they perform to the same audience each night, resulting in a lot of in jokes and themes developing throughout the week, with a real feeling of camaraderie.
Tempted? There are still tickets available to buy for this year's festival, with a full week festival wristband (which gets you access to all shows and events) costing £209. Blanqo is partnering with Altitude for the second year, offering 15% off rentals to all ticket holders with the discount code ALTITUDE15 applied at check out.
I hope to see you there!
