New York Comedy Festival 2026: Headliners and Venues
Over 200 comedians play 100-plus shows from Nov. 6 to 15. The announced headliners, venues and date-by-date schedule, with what has since changed unknown.
The New York Comedy Festival returns from Nov. 6 to 15 with more than 200 comedians in over 100 shows across the city. Founded by Carolines club owner Caroline Hirsch, the festival has announced headliners including Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Jordan Klepper and Ms. Pat, with a schedule that stretches from the Beacon Theatre to clubs in all five boroughs.
The lineup
The Hollywood Reporter's July report lists the headliners as Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Jordan Klepper, Ms. Pat, Sarah Sherman with Patti Harrison, Ziwe, Ben Bankas, Mojo Brookzz, Comic Relief x The Moth, Dropout Improv, Adam Friedland, Gayme Show! starring Matt Rogers and Dave Mizzoni, Jess Hilarious, Jordan Jensen, Joanne McNally and Daniel Sloss, "and more."
The festival's full schedule, the report says, features stand-up shows, live podcast recordings, film and TV screenings, sketch and improv showcases, industry panels and fundraising events such as Stand Up for Heroes.
Date by date
Here are the shows the report listed, by day. Times are as published in July and may have changed.
Friday, Nov. 6: Gayme Show! at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m.; Ms. Pat at The Venue on Music Row at Hard Rock Hotel New York at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.; Ziwe at Town Hall at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7: Joanne McNally's Pinotphile at Town Hall at 6 p.m.; Ms. Pat at The Venue at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 8: Sarah Sherman and Patti Harrison at Town Hall at 7 p.m.; Marc Maron's Yammering Into The Void Tour at the Beacon Theatre at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 12: Ben Bankas at Town Hall at 7 p.m.; Jordan Jensen at the Beacon Theatre at 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 13: Adam Friedland at Town Hall at 7 p.m.; Ilana Glazer Live! at the Beacon Theatre at 6:45 p.m.; Jess Hilarious at The Venue at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.; Dropout Improv at Kings Theatre at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14: Comic Relief and The Moth present Funny Story at Town Hall at 3 p.m.; Daniel Sloss's Bitter at the Beacon Theatre at 7 p.m.; Sh&t Show hosted by Jordan Klepper at Town Hall at 7 p.m.; Jess Hilarious at The Venue at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 15: Mojo Brookzz's Outta Pocket Comedy Tour at the Beacon Theatre at 6:30 p.m.
The venues
The Beacon Theatre hosts Maron, Jensen, Glazer, Sloss and Brookzz in this listing. Town Hall, the festival's most-used room in the report, hosts Ziwe, McNally, Sherman and Harrison, Bankas, Friedland and Klepper. Kings Theatre in Brooklyn hosts Dropout Improv, and the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center hosts Gayme Show!.
The festival says it takes place at venues across five boroughs, but the dates listed above are concentrated in Manhattan and Brooklyn. We did not find listings for the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island.
What the festival says about itself
Hirsch said in the report that each year the festival "serves as both a celebration of comedy's biggest voices and a showcase for the talent shaping its future." She called the lineup "established stars, fan favorites, and a remarkable new generation of comedians," and said the festival is proud to keep "making New York City the epicenter of the comedy world."
Planning notes
The festival lists sponsors including Bread Financial, NBC and Peacock, Hard Rock Hotel New York, ABC7, iHeart Radio, the New York Post, NYC Tourism and Conventions, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, The Onion, SiriusXM and Variety. Ticket information and presales are published through the festival's website, which we did not open.
Because the schedule above is from mid-July, readers should expect additions and changes. The Hollywood Reporter said at the time that additional shows would be announced soon. Buy tickets from the official festival or venue pages, not resellers, and check show times before traveling.
Why comedy belongs on an arts page
Comedy festivals are a barometer of the performing arts in a city: they show which rooms are full, which performers have crossed from clubs to theaters, and how podcasts and television feed live audiences. This lineup mixes all three, with podcast recordings, improv troupes and long-established stand-ups sharing a calendar.
What we could not confirm
Our only source for the schedule is a July 14 report, and we did not verify any show against a venue box office. We could not confirm sell-outs, ticket prices, the full list of 100-plus shows or any lineup changes since July. We did not find the festival's own current schedule.
FAQ
When is the New York Comedy Festival?
Nov. 6 to 15, 2026.
Who is headlining?
Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Jordan Klepper, Ms. Pat and others.
Where are the shows?
Venues including the Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, Kings Theatre and The Venue on Music Row at Hard Rock Hotel New York.
Sources
*Cover photo: Internet Week New York, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilana_Glazer_at_Internet_Week_02.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilana_Glazer_at_Internet_Week_02.jpg)* (CC BY 2.0).*