Summer is the time when music festivals abound, but they’re not the only way to spend July and August. Comedy festivals, which feature a mix of stand-up, improv and sketch comedy, are growing in number. A great way to discover up-and-coming acts or revisit favorite comics and troupes, comedy festivals offer audiences a front-row seat to innovative voices throughout the United States and Canada. Here are five comedy festivals to keep your summer full of funny.
1. Just for Laughs
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
July 8-28, 2015
It’s hard to fit all the funny into a three- or five-day event, which is why Just for Laughs doesn’t even bother. The festival takes place over nearly three weeks in July and features everything from solo shows, to showcases, to outdoor shows, and more. Headliners this year include Dave Chappelle, Mike Myers, Bill Burr, Patton Oswalt, Pete Holmes, Margaret Cho and Reggie Watts, among many others. In the mood to pack more comedy into the night than just a solo show? Just for Laughs hosts a club series with names like “The Dirty Show,” “The Ethnic Show” and “The Homegrown Show” (for Canadian comics), which include a slew of comics. Oh, and Weird Al will be performing a free outdoor concert as part of The Mandatory World Tour.
2. Megaphone Marathons 4
July 18-25, 2015
Austin, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana
Taking place at The New Movement locations in Austin and New Orleans, this festival starts in Austin for the first week and moseys on over to New Orleans for the second. As a theater in the vein of Upright Citizens Brigade, The New Movement uses Megaphone Marathons as a reunion when its members get to show off and celebrate each venue’s anniversary. In addition to shows every night, the days involve workshops. From Austin shows like Rob Gagnon’s Sandbox to New Orleans shows like 1919 (the troupe boasts an impressive combined improv experience of “almost 100 years”), this festival shows off the South’s best comedic voices.
