In the crisp Autumn days of Fall 2023, the minds behind QED Comedy Lab felt at ease. Perhaps too at ease. So they decided to increase the stress on themselves and all those around them by starting a second festival that was still comedy adjacent but different from The Oxford Festival Fringe Preview Comedy Festival. As they tossed and turned in their sleepless nights searching for inspiration, one word shines bright in their brains: Podcasts.

Yes, it is this artform [citation needed] that would work as a precarious hook on which to hang the skeleton of a public event that they could run for the benefit of their community and their own strange ideas of “fun”.*

This year, the theme of the festival is Telling Tales It’s a collection of podcasts celebrating  the art of storytelling. From ancient history to current events, true crime to food, mythology to science, these shows exemplify how we often learn and discuss some of the most interesting, fun, and often horrifying information that we love to tell our friends. Think of it as a weekend of eavesdropping on all the best conversations at the cocktail party.

So, over one weekend in May, these intrepid fools will bring some of their favorite podcasts to the city they love (Oxford) for live episode recordings and general shenanigans. They hope that will come along to join them in a unique long weekend of fun, to enjoy the podcasts they love and maybe find some new ones to enjoy while folding laundry or crying over the sink.

*For those of you who have never run a festival, we would not suggest doing it for money, your health, to improve your relationships, or for money. It’s really a labor of love.