New York Comedy Festival Brings More Than 200 Performers to City

The New York Comedy Festival returns November 6-15, filling venues across all five boroughs with comedy performances and events. Its program includes more than 200 comedians and over 100 shows, from stand-up sets to improv, live podcasts and storytelling.

Performers on the lineup include Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Ms. Pat, Jordan Jensen, Jordan Klepper and Sarah Sherman. Dave Chappelle is scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden on opening night. Shows will take place at major stages such as Kings Theatre, the Beacon Theatre and Town Hall, as well as smaller comedy spaces.

Festival founder Caroline Hirsch said the event has expanded since its launch in 2004, when it ran for four days with about eight or 10 shows. She described the current festival as a 10-day program with more than 250 shows around the city.

The festival also aims to help emerging comedians build audiences, Hirsch said, pointing to Jordan Jensen’s path from winning New York’s Funniest at Carolines to headlining the Beacon Theatre. She said social media, online video and podcasts have changed how comedians grow followings and how organizers find performers.

Stand Up for Heroes, a festival fundraiser for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, is also part of the program. Since beginning in 2007, the event has raised more than $117 million. The full festival schedule and ticket information are available at NYComedyFestival.com.