2018 SXSW Comedy Festival Reveals Initial Lineup

The SXSW Comedy Festival has prided itself on bringing performers from all corners of the industry together to present live shows, podcast recordings and various other collaborations between heralded veterans and burgeoning comedic talents for more than a decade. This legacy is set to continue at this year’s gathering in March, and the initial lineup for the festival has now been announced.

2018’s festival opens on March 9 with WFMU’s Dave Hill hosting a conversation with the near-60 year broadcasting veteran Dick Cavett, titled “Cavett on Comedy,” that chronicles his career working with comedic luminaries during his time writing for Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show and The Dick Cavett Show.

Other featured panels include “Comedy Central’s Corporate Retreat”, which will feature the minds behind the network’s cubicle critique Corporate, a sneak-peek live performance of Adult Swim’s new show Joe Pera Talks With You and a performance of Brooklyn’s best new show “Butterboy,” featuring Roy Wood Jr. of The Daily Show.

Speaking of Wood Jr., he will join The Daily Show producers for a panel titled “Real Fake News Never Stops: Convo with The Daily Show” to discuss audience engagement through social media.

Upright Citizen’s Brigade co-founder Matt Besser returns with a litany of shows, including a live recording of his podcast improv4humans, a live performance of the long-running UCB show “ASSSCAT,” a riff session on hit songs with “Sing-A-Long Comedy Experiement” and the stoner friendly “The 420 Show.”

Dave Hill and Phil Costello reunite the joke black-metal band Witch Taint for a live performance and retelling of how they almost signed with a legit Norwegian record label, and James Adomian brings his glorious Bernie Sanders impression to a special “Bernie Sanders Town Hall” following a morning conversation with the actual Sanders and CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Live recordings of comedy podcast favorites Comedy Bang! Bang!, Doug Loves Movies, The Dallop and Maltin on Movies will also be featured.

Nick Offerman will also host a night of comedy and music featuring Jim Gaffigan and plenty of other top performers from the festival as well, to benefit the Ally Coalition.

“We hope to bring together compelling voices in comedy and provide them a place to shine within SXSW’s diverse media landscape,” said festival head Charlie Sotelo. “The unique gathering from all reaches of entertainment so often leads to surprising moments and lasting relationships.”

Even this expansive list is only a taste of everyone and everything that will grace the stages at 2018’s SXSW Comedy Festival from March 9-18. Find the full list of shows and performers here.