Alt Comedy Events: A Festival Calendar and How to Find Great Shows

The best alt comedy events are often the hardest to find: a monthly show in a bookshop basement, a sketch night above a bar, a comedian workshopping a strange new hour in a room for forty people. This page does two things. It gives you a month-by-month calendar of the major recurring comedy festivals, and it explains how to find alternative shows in your own city any week of the year.

We don't list individual shows or specific dates, because they change constantly and an out-of-date listing is worse than none. Always confirm details on the official site before you buy. For an in-depth look at what each festival is like, see our comedy festivals guide.

The comedy festival calendar

These festivals run every year (or, in one case, every other year) in roughly the months shown. Dates shift slightly year to year.

Festivals can pause, move or end, especially smaller ones. Treat this table as a planning guide, then check the official site for the current year's dates and lineup.

How to get festival tickets

• Join the mailing list. Festivals announce lineups and on-sale dates to subscribers first, and headliners can sell out quickly.
• Buy from official sources only. Use the festival's site or its named ticketing partner. Resale tickets for sold-out shows are often marked up or fake.
• Consider a badge or pass. Festivals like Moontower and SXSW sell badges that include club shows and priority access; at Edinburgh, previews in the first days are often cheaper.
• Don't only book headliners. The club showcases and fringe shows are where alt comedy lives, and tickets are cheaper and easier to get.

How to find alternative comedy shows in your city

Outside festival season, alternative comedy is a local, word-of-mouth scene. Most independent shows aren't advertised widely. Here's how to find them.

1. Follow the venues

Every city has a few rooms that book interesting comedy: independent theatres, music venues with comedy nights, improv theatres, bookshops and bars with a back room. Follow them on Instagram and join their mailing lists. Historic examples include Largo in Los Angeles (see our Largo history) and the Bell House and Union Hall in Brooklyn. Our piece on the rise of micro-venues explains why so much of the scene now lives in small spaces.

2. Follow the comedians

When you see a comedian you like, follow them and sign up for their newsletter if they have one. Comedians post their upcoming shows, including the small, unadvertised ones. Following a few performers you love is the quickest way into a local scene, because they share the shows of comedians they admire.

3. Check ticketing platforms

Eventbrite and DICE are widely used for independent comedy, alongside each venue's own box office. Searching "comedy" with your city and sorting by date surfaces a surprising number of small shows. Bandsintown, best known for music, also lists many comedians' tour dates.

4. Read local listings

City guides such as Time Out, local alt-weeklies and arts newsletters often list comedy picks. In the UK, the comedy site Chortle runs news and gig listings. Local comedy newsletters and Substacks, often written by fans or comedians, are some of the best guides to a scene.

5. Try a secret or pop-up show

Companies such as Don't Tell Comedy run shows in undisclosed locations, revealed the day before. Lineups aren't announced in advance, which makes them a good gamble for discovering new comedians.

6. Go to improv and sketch theatres

Improv theatres put on shows nearly every night, often cheaply. Even if improv isn't your favourite form, the scene overlaps heavily with alt stand-up and sketch. See our guide to improv comedy.

Types of alt comedy events

Showcase

A host and several comedians doing short sets. The standard format and the best way to sample a scene.

Themed show

A recurring night with a gimmick: comedians reading their teenage diaries, doing PowerPoint presentations, performing as characters. Many of alt comedy's best nights work this way, from long-running shows like Uncabaret onward.

Work in progress (WIP)

A comedian testing a new hour, often with notes in hand. Cheap, unpredictable and a fascinating look at how comedy is built.

Solo hour

A full show by one comedian, often with a theme or story. The standard format at fringe festivals.

Live podcast

A podcast recorded in front of an audience, often with guests and games.

Open mic

Anyone can sign up to perform. Mostly for comedians, but some welcome audiences. See our guide to finding open mics.

Which festival should you go to?

If you can only travel to one comedy festival, choose by what you want from it:

• You want to discover new comedians: the Edinburgh Fringe in August, or Melbourne in autumn (Australian time). Thousands of shows, many cheap or free, and a real chance of seeing a future star in a tiny room.
• You love sketch and comedy history: SF Sketchfest. Cast reunions, table reads and tributes you won't see anywhere else.
• You want famous names in one trip: Just for Laughs in Montreal, the New York Comedy Festival or Netflix Is a Joke Fest in the years it runs.
• You want a bit of everything in a walkable city: Moontower in Austin, where a badge gets you into a dense programme of club shows alongside headliners.
• You do improv or sketch yourself: a performer-focused festival such as Out of Bounds, where the audience is mostly other comedians.

Our festival guide covers each in more depth, including costs and how performers apply.

Online and streamed events

Comedy moved online during the pandemic, and some of it stayed. Many comedians stream shows or release specials directly on YouTube and subscription platforms, and some festivals offer recorded or streamed programmes. Live comedy still works best in a room, but online events are a good way to follow comedians in other cities and countries.

Getting the most from a show

• Arrive on time and sit near the front if you can; it helps the room, and comedians notice.
• Silence your phone and don't film unless the show says you can.
• If a show is free or pay-what-you-want, pay what you can; that's how the performers get paid.
• Buy merch and tell people about comedians you love. Word of mouth is how alternative comedians build audiences.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get tickets to an alt comedy festival?

Buy through the festival's official website or its named ticketing partner. Headliners often sell out within days of going on sale, so sign up for the festival's mailing list; many festivals also sell badges or passes that include club shows and early access.

How can I find alternative comedy shows near me?

Follow local independent venues and comedians on Instagram and their mailing lists, check ticketing platforms such as Eventbrite and DICE, look at local listings like Time Out or Chortle's gig guide in the UK, and ask at shows you enjoy. Independent shows are often promoted only through these channels.

When is the Edinburgh Fringe?

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs for roughly three and a half weeks in August each year. Exact dates are published on the official Fringe website.

Are there comedy festivals in winter?

Yes. SF Sketchfest runs in January and early February, the Leicester Comedy Festival in February and the Adelaide Fringe starts in February. The New York Comedy Festival is in November.