The laughs return to Columbus in September from Thursday, September 4 through Sunday, September 7 when the city hosts 100+ comedians for four days of events during the second annual Columbus Comedy Festival. National headliners, regional performers and local talent will take the stage at venues including The Columbus Funny Bone, Palace Theatre, Shadowbox Live, Maroon Culture Lab, The Attic Comedy Club, MadLab, The Nest Theatre, The Hashtag Comedy Company, Don’t Tell Comedy: Columbus, Leisure Club, and more.

"As Columbus grows, so does the importance for quality, live entertainment in the city,” stated Hannah Romes, performer, producer and co-owner of Hashtag. “We are incredibly lucky to have such a strong pool of comedic talent in Columbus, which has been a bit of a secret until recently.”

This year’s list of headliners and four-day schedule includes Jeremiah Watkins, The Second City, ALOK, Shadowbox Live, Sam Tallent, Maddie Wiener, Geoffrey Asmus, Kasaun Wilson, James Adomian, Ric Diez, Katie K, Aiko Tanaka, Chad the Bird, Henry Allen, Curtis Cook, Gwen Rose, Jordan Conley, Sean Reilly and many more.

The lineup of shows will include a mix of stand-up comedy, improv, sketch comedy, live podcast recording, variety/alternative shows, game shows, industry mixers and more.

This year’s festival boasts several exciting additions, including:

• Multiple comedy magic shows featuring homegrown talent including Michael Kent and Chris Hanowell.

• More venues including the Up Front Performance Space (renovated in 2024), Leisure Club, Boxland Media and the Maroon Culture Lab (previously known as the Pythian Theater, next to the King Arts Complex).

• More showcases and thematic shows to help audience members discover new performers. That includes a showcase featuring all Asian and Asian-American performers, a show that is all “crowd work” for fans of interactivity, a “roast battle” show, and a student-centric showcase of up-and-coming performers straight from OSU’s Buckeye Stand Up Club.

Popular returning shows from last year include:

• “Female AF” - An all-women lineup of stand up comedians from NYC, LA and Columbus.

• “Drunk PowerPoint” - A hilarious slideshow presentation of topics that are equal parts entertaining and informative.

• “LIVE•REC” - A live taping of local performers delivering their best 10 minute sets, which are published on YouTube and social media afterwards.

• “Chicago Showcase” - Rapid-fire standup comedy from five Chicago comedians, hosted by viral sensation Chad the Bird, a puppet act with some NSFW hot takes.

"Columbus is the comedy capital of America,” stated Peter Ostapowicz, organizer at Don’t Tell Comedy: Columbus. “Not only is the local scene teeming with talent, but Don’t Tell Comedy brings in secret nationally touring comedians every weekend, many of whom become Columbus’ new favorite comedian.”

The Columbus Comedy Festival is organized and operated by Columbus Underground, an online news/media company that hosts multiple large-scale annual events including the Columbus Coffee Festival, Urban Living Tour, Sweet Treats Dessert Festival and more. Columbus Underground is fully owned and operated locally by Anne & Walker Evans, and proceeds of all CU events help to fund local journalism year-round.

“From improv to stand up, sketch and variety shows, Columbus has multiple comedy shows selling out every weekend, yet so many residents don't know how or where to find live comedy,” added Romes. “The inaugural Columbus Comedy Festival was a huge milestone for Columbus' performers, producers and venues.”

The lineup, schedule and tickets can all be found at : https://columbuscomedyfest.com.