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2024 Highlights

Thank you to all of the talent, industry, our partners, venues, vendors and the tens of thousands of comedy fans who joined us for our 20th anniversary! With more than 200 comedians performing in nearly 400 shows all across the big apple, 2024 was our biggest year ever. We’re thrilled to have shared all the laughter with you and can’t wait to do it again in november 2025!

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Joan Rivers Tribute Special to Air on NBC with Nikki Glaser, Bill Maher, Tracy Morgan and More

VARIETY

NBC Sets Star-Studded Joan Rivers Tribute with Rachel Brosnahan, Nikki Glaser and More

THE WRAP

New York Comedy Festival Co-Founders Raise the Curtain on 11 Days of Laughs

Billboard

The New York Comedy Festival Is Huge. These 8 Shows Are a Good Start.

The New York Times

JB Smoove and Caroline Hirsch Talk New York Comedy Festival

Fox 5 New York

Instagram

Our friend @matteolane’s #hularious new stand-up special — “The Al Dente Special” — is streaming hot and ready to serve on @hulu! It’s perfectly cooked comedy that’s just right — not too soft, not too hard, but just right! So dig in! #matteolane #thealdentespecial #hulu #hularious 🎤🔥🍝

Tonight’s the night! Celebrate the amazing life and hilarious legacy of the legendary Joan Rivers in “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” on @NBC and streamin tomorrow on @Peacock! This star-studded tribute show kicked off our 20th anniversary in 2024 at the @apollotheater
to benefit God’s Love We Deliver (@godslovenyc) which provides nutritious meals to those in need. Be sure to tun in — you don’t want to miss out on all the laughs! #makeNYlaugh #JoanRivers #godslovewedeliver #NBC #peacock

Author! Author! Congratulations to our friend @zarnagarg on becoming a @nytimes Bestselling Author with her debut memoir, This American Woman: A One in a Billion Memoir! From escaping an arranged marriage and homelessness in India to conquering the world of stand-up comedy in America, Zarna’s journey has been nothing short of epic. Now she’s telling it all in a hilarious and inspirational book. If you haven’t picked it up yet, what are you waiting for?! This book is filled with laughs, love, and a whole lot of chai. From the streets of Mumbai to stand-up stages the world over, Zarna’s story proves that no dream is too big, and it’s never too late to chase your destiny. We’re so proud of you, Zarna! You’ve inspired us all to bet on ourselves and chase our dreams like the absolute badass you are! #zarnagarg #zarnagargoneinabillion

After months of anticipation, we finally got to see the amazing @nurse.johnn rock a house full of his besties at a sold out @beacontheatre last night. And it was well worth the wait! His hilarious bedside manner and infection humor kept everyone in stitches all night long. Thank you, Nurse John, for making our hearts—and our abs—stronger! #makeNYlaugh #NurseJohn #TheShortStaffedTour

Huge congrats to our friend The Roastmaster General himself @therealljeffross on bringing his hilarious and deeply heartfelt one-man show “Jeff Ross: Take A Banana for the Ride” to Broadway! We were honored to host Jeff for a special three-night run during the 2023 New York Comedy Festival at #TheVenue at @hardrockhotelnyc — and now, we couldn’t be happier, prouder, or more excited to see him on The Great White Way after a summer tour of the show. This show is packed with laughs, love, and legacy — with a title inspired by Jeff’s beloved grandfather’s wise travel advice! Get ready, Broadway — The Roastmaster General is coming in hot! 🔥🎤🎭 🍌 #makeNYlaugh #jeffross #theroastmastergeneral #takeabananafortheride #broadway

Congratulations @natebargatze on being named host of the 77th Emmy Awards, airing Sunday, September 14 on @cbstv.
From winning our “New York’s Funniest Stand-Up” competition way back in 2010 to now hosting one of television’s biggest nights, Nate’s journey has been nothing short of incredible. We couldn’t be prouder — or more excited — to see how far he’s come, and can’t wait to see what he brings to the stage this September! #NateBargatze #Emmy #EmmyAwards #AwardShow #tv

Congratulations to @nikkiglaser, pictured here performing at the 15th Annual Stand Up for Heroes show at the 2021 #NewYorkComedyFestival, on her well earned honor of being named one of The Top 100 Most Influencial People of 2025 by @time. #NikkiGlaser #Innovator #Time100 #💯

It’s Tax Day — a day when we could all use a really good laugh! Luckily, our friend @timjdillon has a big “return” for us — his hilarious new stand-up special,Tim Dillon: I’m Your Mother, just dropped and is streaming now on @netflix. Check it out! 🎤🔥 #timdillon #imyourmother #netflix #netflixisajoke

Cheers! Throwing it back to November 2024 when one of our hilairous headliners @sommore got to mix it up (pun intended!) with Christal Young (@christalfox5) and @ryankristafer on @fox5ny’s #GoodNightNewYork in a highly spirited appearance where she shared our deliciously refreshing and festive signature cocktails — The Opening Act, The Feature Act, and The Headliner — that were served exclusively at the @hardrcokhotelnyc to celebrate our 20th anniversary. 🍹#makeNYlaugh #NYCF20

Get ready to laugh till you drop! We can’t wait to celebrate the amazing life and hilarious legacy of the legendary Joan Rivers on May 13 in “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” on @NBC — and with an extended and uncensored version streaming the next day on @Peacock! It was an honor to have this star-studded tribute show recorded live on the opening night of our 20th anniversary to benefit God’s Love We Deliver (@godslovenyc) an incredible organization that was near and dear to Joan’s heart that provides nutritious meals to those in need. #makeNYlaugh #NCYF20 #JoanRivers #ComedyLegend #NBC #peacock

Throwing it back to an unforgettable night at the 2024 #NewYorkComedyFestival when we had the pleasure of screening Before We Get Started, a deep dive into the world of warm-up comedy with filmmakers Ryan Reiss (@rrcomedy) and Pete Demas (@endlessfilms_) at @hardrockhotelny. From the backstage hustle to the big laughs, this documentary gives an inside look at one of comedy’s toughest gigs. Shoutout to the who’s who list of comedy stars who were featured in the film, including Judd Apatow, Nate Bargatze, Leslie Jones, Norman Lear, Howie Mandel, John Oliver, Ray Romano, Amy Schumer, and many more. After the screening, there was an insightful Q&A with the filmmakers and panel that include TJ Miller (@teenagemillionaire). This film a must-see for anyone who loves comedy — and the unsung heroes behind the laughs. #makeNYlaugh #NYCF20
#BeforeWeGetStarted

@ZarnaGarg is taking the comedy world by storm! A powerhouse comedian with with a newly published memoir, an upcoming @hulu special, and a sitcom in the works — we couldn’t be prouder of this rising star as she brought down the house at @townhallnyc, leaving the standing-room-only crowd in stitches! Zarna’s just getting started and we can’t wait to see where she goes next! 🎤🔥 #makeNYlaugh #NYCF20 #ZarnaGarg #namaste

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