#FIRSTLOOK: JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO 2026 FESTIVAL ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING ANNOUNCEMENT

Just For Laughs Toronto today announced the second wave of programming for its 2026 Festival, adding an exciting mix of breakout comedy stars, cult-favourite productions, live podcasts, family entertainment and stage shows, plus additional shows for John Cleese and Joe List. Newly announced performers include internationally beloved drag icon Sasha Velour, viral comedy duo Tracy & Martina, and performances from D.J. Demers, Ron Taylor, Pat Burtscher, and Stef Dag. This year’s lineup will also include the return of the popular David Lynch’s Seinfeld; a six-show run of Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody; Clash Talk: A Competitive Talk Show with Good Noticings, a pop culture panel show hosted by podcasters Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton; Brains On! Presents Smash Boom Best Live, the interactive family science show from the hit podcast; and Loud Asians, showcasing some of Toronto’s funniest Asian comedians. Just For Laughs Toronto takes place September 24 – October 3, 2026.

“As comedy continues to evolve beyond the traditional stand-up format, Just For Laughs Toronto showcases the full spectrum of today’s comedy landscape,” said Nick Brazao, VP of Programming & Talent at Just For Laughs. “From viral creators and internationally celebrated performers to inventive theatrical comedy and boundary-pushing live experiences, this new wave of programming reflects the incredible diversity of comedy today.”

Just For Laughs Toronto will take place at various venues across the city including Meridian Hall, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre, Bluma Appel Theatre, Randolph Theatre, Comedy Bar Bloor & Danforth.

Funding provided by the Government of Ontario.

Presale tickets go on sale today at 10:00 a.m. ET, with the public on sale beginning Friday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Visit toronto.hahaha.com.

Newly Announced Shows By Date:

Pat Burtscher
Thursday, September 24, 7:00 PM, Comedy Bar Danforth
Friday, September 25, 8:30 PM, Comedy Bar Bloor
Pat Burtscher was born in Austria via a Greek woman raised in Canada and is currently based in NYC where he’s a regular at The Comedy Cellar and other cool places. He also headlines clubs and does festivals all around the world (JFL, Edinburgh, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, and other cool stuff).

Joe List
Thursday, September 24, 7:00 PM, Randolph Theatre (Previously announced)
Thursday, September 24, 9:30 PM, Randolph Theatre – SECOND SHOW ADDED

Clash Talk: A Competitive Talk Show with Good Noticings
Friday, September 25, 7:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
A brand new live panel show by the hosts of Good Noticings, Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton. Claire and Ashley will interview, bond, and clash with special guests. The audience will vote on the winner of the talk show. Good Noticings is the pop culture podcast that makes you smarter. Every week, comedians Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton dive beyond the biggest headlines with thoughtful analysis and sharp banter. Tune in for recommendations and rapid-fire reviews of all the latest fiction, music, movies, and TV alongside their signature exploration of buzzy nonfiction.

David Lynch’s Seinfeld
Saturday, September 26, 6:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
An original episode of Seinfeld that descends into a Lynchian nightmare. Starring a cast of current and former members of The Second City, The Sketchersons, and The Bad Dog Theatre Company. Written & Directed by Paul Aihoshi, Guy Bradford, Colin Sharpe
Winner of Best of Fringe at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival and a Toronto Star Critics Pick.

Loud Asians
Saturday, September 26, 5:00 PM, Comedy Bar Danforth
Sunday, September 27, 6:00 PM, Comedy Bar Danforth
Loud Asians is a comedy show where Toronto’s top Asian comics disappoint our parents publicly. From generational expectations and dating trauma to WeChat family group chats and career pivots, we’re saying the quiet parts out loud. It’s honest. It’s slightly unhinged. It’s not what they immigrated for. Hosted by Yvonne Chung.
Lineup:
Sept, 26: Jordan Leung, Darren Leo, Bonggun Kim, Bidhur Walia, Michelle Sui, Yvonne Chung
Sept, 27: Jordan Leung, DK Phan, Michelle Sui, Bidhur Walia, Jesse Singh, Yvonne Chung

Stef Dag
Saturday, September 26, 9:00 PM, Comedy Bar Bloor
Sunday, September 27, 7:00 PM, Comedy Bar Bloor
Stef Dag is a Brooklyn based comedian, writer, and actor. She hosts the viral digital dating show, Hot and Single, in which she probes single people on their dating habits in an attempt to answer the age-old question: Are you the problem? Previously, she wrote & directed digital videos for Vogue, Glamour, and Vanity Fair, that featured Bill Hader, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Jennifer Lawrence and more. She was a 2022 New York Comedy Festival “Creator to Watch,” and has been featured in Betches, the NY Post, Daily Mail, AOL, Huffington Post, and more.

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
Sunday, September 27, 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
Monday, September 28, 7:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
Tuesday, September 29, 7:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
Wednesday, September 30, 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM, Randolph Theatre
Inspired by the hit show about hockey, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody follows starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom. Relive all of the moments from the show that made you wet (with tears) up close on the small-stage by an incredible cast of Broadway actors who thought they were auditioning to be in Season 2. Sporting a bop-infused score, scene-stealing cameos by characters like “Rose Landry” and “Ilya’s Ass”, and time jumps absolutely no one can keep track of, audiences will find themselves hot, bothered, and probably saying, “….Girl!” Because with love, sometimes it comes when you least expect it… and sometimes, it comes hands-free. So, grab a Canada Dry and join us for this hot and steamy romp!

Ron Taylor
Wednesday, September 30, 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM, Paradise Theatre
Ron Taylor is a stand-up comedian from Detroit. He rose to national prominence as the inaugural winner of Kevin Hart’s Netflix comedy competition series Funny AF, earning a Netflix comedy special after being voted the winner by a combination of the Netflix home streaming audience and the panel of comic judges including Kevin Hart, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Chelsea Handler, and Kumail Nanjiani. Previously, Ron appeared on BET’s Apollo Live and Fox’s Laughs, and was personally selected by Bill Burr to perform on Comedy Central’s stand-up showcase The Ringers. Ron tours the world performing comedy and is a proud paid regular at the World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood and The Comedy Mothership in Austin, TX.

Not Dead Yet! John Cleese and the Holy Grail at 50
Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 PM, Wintergarden Theatre – THIRD SHOW ADDED
Thursday, October 1, 7:30 PM, Wintergarden Theatre (Previously announced)
Friday, October 2, 7:30 PM, Wintergarden Theatre (Previously announced)

Tracy & Martina
Thursday, October 1, 9:30 PM, Bluma Appel
Tracy and Martina are two best friends from Cape Breton who love to have fun with one of the biggest comedy podcasts in Canada. As their motto suggests, “save money, save time, get paid” Tracy and Martina are experts when it comes to partying on a dime. Although they live in a rural post-industrial community, these girls still find entertainment and glamour in daily activities. Let them play bingo, do the shopping, get the sh! In pairs, or on the move, Tracy and Martina never miss an opportunity to put on makeup and make a scene.

Sasha Velour
Friday, October 2, 8:00 PM, Elgin Theatre
Internationally beloved drag icon Sasha Velour is coming to Toronto with her new theatre show, Travesty. Travesty traces the secret queer history of a single spot throughout time — A witch burns in a field; a clown builds a theater; an underground gay bar rises up against the police. As Velour embodies different characters through a series of jaw-dropping lip-syncs, she invites you to take part in the cycle of existence, resistance and camp that IS drag. Part performance art, part history, part call to action, Travesty will have you screaming at the top of your lungs, dancing in the aisles and inspired to “change the muthaf*ckin’ world!”
Velour is known for her unique fusion of lip sync performance, video art, and storytelling. She is the winner of Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race (2017), the founder and host of New York City’s legendary drag revue NightGowns (since 2015) and has toured two celebrated one-queen theater shows around the world—Smoke & Mirrors (2019-2022), and The Big Reveal (2023-2025).

Brains On! Presents Smash Boom Best Live
Saturday, October 3, 4:00 PM, Randolph Theatre
An interactive and uproarious family-friendly event. Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families produced by Brains On! Universe. Host Molly Bloom will be joined by three of your favourite debaters for not one but TWO smash boom smackdowns – topics top secret until the day of the debate! Members of our audience will be the judges. The show takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets audiences decide which is best. Debaters use facts and passion to make their case – teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.

D.J. Demers
Saturday, October 3, 9:00 PM, Comedy Bar Bloor
As seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (three times), America’s Got Talent, Late Night with Conan O’Brien (three times) and his FIVE stand-up specials, D.J. Demers is a steady provider of laughs. His clever stand-up is both personal and universal and has earned him multiple appearances at Just For Laughs, a nomination for Best Comedy Album at the Junos, and a growing legion of fans around the world. D.J. was the star and creator of the beloved half-hour comedy series, One More Time. It was mistakenly canceled by CBC after just one season, but the good news is you can watch that entire season on YouTube. In 2015, he was awarded Best Breakout Artist at the Canadian Comedy Awards. He won the Homegrown Comics Competition at the 2014 Montréal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, won the 2013 Toronto Comedy Brawl, and was a 2011 finalist on NBC‘s Stand-Up for Diversity. All five of his stand-up albums have been played millions of times on all major streaming platforms.

ABOUT JUST FOR LAUGHS
Sylvain Parent Bédard founded his entertainment group in 1997 which went on to acquire the Just For Laughs assets in 2024. Today, the Group stands as a major Canadian Québécois cultural institution, internationally recognized for its mission: “Spreading laughter across the globe”. A global leader in comedy, Just For Laughs produces the world’s largest comedy festival, held in Montréal since its inaugural edition in 1983. The Group also extends its expertise through a series of festivals in Québec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Sydney, and Bermuda, strengthening its worldwide footprint.

Driven by passion, innovation, and excellence, the Just For Laughs team collaborates with top talent and partners across the entertainment industry. Each year, the Group entertains over 100 million fans through its digital platforms and media channels, which collectively have surpassed 100 billion views. Just For Laughs creates, produces, distributes, and broadcasts comedic content in all its forms: films, television series, theatre, musicals, solo shows, multi-artist shows, festivals.

The Group also produces ComedyPRO as part of the Just For Laughs Montreal Festival every year : the world’s leading comedy industry marketplace, which has for decades helped launch and propel the careers of numerous renowned artists through its landmark initiatives.