#FIRSTLOOK: JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO EXPANDS 2025 LINEUP

Just For Laughs Toronto continues to expand with additional headliners and programming announced for the 2025 lineup. From acclaimed comedians to rising voices in comedy, JFL Toronto will welcome an exciting range of performers including viral superstars Zarna Garg, Mojo Brookzz, and Corey B, festival favourites Patti Harrison and Amanda Montell’s The Big Magical Cult Show, homegrown trailblazer Sunthar V, 2025 JFL New Face Chloe Radcliffe, hot off their success at JFL Vancouver Sabrina Wu, among others. Just For Laughs Toronto also announced the anticipated return of the iconic Alternative Show hosted by master of impressions, James Adomian, and Late Bad hosted by Laura Cilevitz, Ben Sosa-Wright and Mark Little taking place at Comedy Bar alongside a curated selection of the best of the Toronto scene including solo, mixed-bill and concept shows with top emerging talent. Just For Laughs Toronto takes place September 18–27 across multiple venues across the city. Tickets are available at TORONTO.HAHAHA.COM.

“We’re thrilled to unveil our second wave of incredible talent for Just For Laughs Toronto—this lineup brings even more excitement, energy, and world-class comedy to the city and spotlights some of the best from the Toronto comedy scene. We can’t wait to share the laughs,” said Nick Brazao, JFL’s Head of Programming and Talent

Newly announced lineup includes:

ABBY GOVINDAN: September 22 @ 8:30pm, Comedy Bar – Danforth
Abby Govindan is a stand-up comedian and writer based in New York City. She got her start in comedy at the age of 20, making her comedic debut at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City in December of 2017. Since starting comedy, Abby has performed at venues all over the world and, in 2019, toured as a headliner for several colleges across the nation while being a college student herself. She’s opened for coveted comedians such as Russell Peters, Daniel Sloss, and Hasan Minhaj. A stand up show and solo act in one, “How to Embarrass Your Immigrant Parents” is a biting and irreverent storytelling experience that explores a pertinent universal theme: wanting to understand your parents but struggling to see eye-to-eye. Throughout the course of an hour, Abby takes the viewer on an intimate, hilarious, soul-bearing journey about her struggles with mental health, fitting in, and finding common ground with the ones you love even after they’ve hurt you. Most importantly, it is a love letter to Abby’s Indian heritage and her wonderful parents, without whom none of this would be possible. No gimmicky Indian accents, guaranteed.

AMANDA MONTELL (​​THE BIG MAGICAL CULT SHOW): September 27 @ 9:30 PM, Randolph Theatre
Join Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Sounds Like A Cult podcast, for “The Big Magical Cult Show,” a raucous night of culty deviance featuring drag burlesque performances from the extra spicy Rara Darling & Theydy Bedbug and other surprise guests. In her newest book The Age of Magical Overthinking, Amanda tackles the world of irrational thinking in the modern age, like extreme celebrity worship and with TikTok manifestation gurus. Spend a night of nerdy, laugh-out-loud pop culture analysis, spicy performances, and more with Amanda & friends!

BIG JAY OAKERSON: September 21 @ 6pm, Randolph Theatre *Previously announced
Second show added September 21 @ 8:30pm, Randolph Theatre
Big Jay Oakerson is one of the most beloved and easily recognizable comedians working today. His laid-back style and dirty delivery are the signature marks of his comedy. Constantly touring the country, Jay has been a part of some of the biggest comedy festivals. Every week, Jay co-host’s The Bonfire alongside Bob Kelly on Radio Sirius XM 95 and two wildly popular podcasts Legion of Skanks with Luis J. Gomez and Dave Smith and The SDR (Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll) Show with Ralph Sutton. On the screen, Jay has been featured on This Is Not Happening with Ari Shaffir, Comedy Underground with Dave Attell, FX’s Emmy winning Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon & Conan O’Brien. This year, Jay released his newest hour, Dog Belly on YouTube already garnering over 1.7 million views.

CHLOE RADCLIFFE: September 25 @ 9pm & September 26 @ 7pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
Chloe Radcliffe is an NYC-based standup comedian, actor, and writer. In 2024, Chloe was named to both Deadline’s 15 Comedians Ready To Break Out in 2025 and Vulture’s Comedians You Should and Will Know. Most recently, Chloe wrapped production on Bradley Cooper’s upcoming feature Is This Thing On? opposite Cooper, Will Arnett, and Laura Dern. Her one-woman-show Cheat, about her history of serially cheating in relationships, led The New York Times’ recommendations for the 2024 New York Comedy Festival and had sold out runs in LA, NYC, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show was featured in Deadline’s Comics to Watch, and Chloe is currently imagining Cheat for other mediums. Chloe starred in Steven Soderbergh’s Command Z and was a staff writer on the series with teleplay credit on 3 episodes. She was nominated for a 2024 WGA award for her work on Command Z. She recently created the YouTube interview series In Tandem, in which she talks with fellow comics while riding a tandem bike through NYC or LA…it’s like Comedians in Cars, but sweatier.

COLUM TYRRELL: September 26 @ 7:30 PM, September 27 @ 7:30pm & 9:30pm, Comedy Bar – Danforth
After beginning his career in his home country of Ireland, Colum Tyrrell moved to New York City and quickly became one of the fastest rising comics in the scene. He is a regular at The Comedy Cellar, The Stand Comedy Club and Stand Up New York. A staple in the New York Comedy Podcast scene he can be heard on The Legion of Skanks, You Know What Dude, Are You Garbage? and Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. He launched The Colum Tyrrell Podcast in 2022 which is growing to be one of the more popular shows in New York and he recently made his television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Catch him now before he blows up and becomes a household name.

COREY B: September 26 @ 9:30pm, Randolph Theatre
Corey B (Corey Bonalewicz) is a high-energy comedian and content creator with over 23 million followers and a reputation for making people laugh both onstage and online. Known for his sharp delivery, off-the-wall pranks, and brutally honest takes on everyday life, Corey blends stand-up chops with viral video instincts to create nonstop comedy that hits hard and spreads fast. From sold-out shows across the country to sketches that rack up millions of views, he’s built a comedy brand that’s raw, unpredictable, and always entertaining. Based in New York City, Corey also co-hosts the Cane and Corey podcast and regularly ropes in his fiancée and son for hilarious bits that give fans a glimpse into his chaotic, unfiltered world. Corey also co-hosts The Boy Friends podcast with Marcus Monroe and Matt Lopes, a comedy podcast about 3 boys that are friends.

HIDDEN GEMS HOSTED BY JACOB BALSHIN: September 24 @ 11pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
Following a year of consecutive sold out shows Hidden Gems returns to Comedy Bar. Host Jacob Balshin introduces you to some of his favourite comedians in all of Toronto. With stars from Just For Laughs, CBC & so much more.

JACOB BALSHIN: September 24 @ 9pm, Comedy Bar – Danforth
An award winning stand-up, Jacob was named one of Toronto’s Top 10 Influencers of 2025 by the Toronto Star and has also been featured on CBC’s New Wave of Comedy. His videos have amassed millions of views online and a loyal Canadian cult fanbase.

JAMES ADOMIAN (THE ALTERNATIVE SHOW): September 18 – 20 @ 11pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
The Alt Show is back! The legendary late-night showcase returns, this time hosted by the brilliant James Adomian (Comedy Bang! Bang!, MadTV). A yearly cornerstone of the JFL Toronto lineup, The Alt Show is known for its boundary-pushing, anything-goes energy. Comedians are encouraged to debut new material, take big swings, and push the limits of the craft in front of a game crowd. Expect chaotic brilliance and the kind of fearless comedy that only happens when the rules go out the window.

James Adomian is an actor/comedian who is well known for his characters and impressions. Conan O’Brien called him “a genius.” He can currently be seen almost weekly on Jimmy Kimmel Live! doing various impressions like Mike Lindell and Elon Musk. His podcast, The Underculture on the Forever Dog Podcast Network, had one of the best podcast episodes of 2019 according to Indiewire, and in 2020 James got to interview Bernie Sanders (as Bernie Sanders). He can be seen on the Netflix comedy special Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration and History Of The World 2, the Mel Brooks series and sequel on Hulu, playing Richard Nixon. In 2016, he portrayed Bernie Sanders in the wildly successful project Trump Vs Bernie, which resulted in a sold out international tour, a #1 comedy album, and two one-hour long comedy specials on Fusion.

JFL LIVE SESSIONS: September 18 – 20, 25 – 27 @ 7:30 PM, Comedy Bar – Bloor
JFL Live Sessions is a high-energy stand-up showcase featuring a handpicked lineup of some of the funniest voices from the festival. Filmed live at the Comedy Bar – Bloor, each set captures the raw, unfiltered magic of live comedy at its best.

JOHN MOSTYN: September 19 @ 8:30pm & 10pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
John Mostyn is a Toronto-based comedian originally from Glasgow, Scotland. Since moving to Canada, he has quickly established himself as one of the country’s most exciting and in-demand performers. His sharp storytelling and quick-witted, fish-out-of-water humour have made him a crowd favourite across the nation, where he regularly headlines top comedy clubs. His debut comedy special The Scotsman was released in 2022 by Cottage Country Digital, hitting #1 on the iTunes comedy chart and earning widespread critical acclaim. In 2024, John performed a sold-out run of his solo show Bawbag at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and appeared on CBC’s Accent on Toronto. He has opened for comedy heavyweights including Russell Howard, Gilbert Gottfried, Rosebud Baker, James Adomian, Tom Green, Randy Feltface, Amy Miller, Josh Gondelman, and many more.

LATE BAD: September 25 – 27 @ 11PM, Comedy Bar – Danforth
Late Bad is a party variety show full of carefully curated comedians and surprise special guests in town for the festival. The stage is covered in balloons filled with prompts for the performers to play off of, as well as 30 second dance parties, impromptu challenges, games and so much more. Hosted by Laura Cilevitz, Ben Sosa-Wright and Mark Little with Monsieur Sex – the pan sexual European DJ as their Musical Director.

LAUGH SABBATH: September 18 @ 10pm & September 25 @ 10pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
This beloved, long-running, madcap comedy show has been entertaining Toronto’s top laughers since 2006! LAUGH SABBATH is a different show every week featuring a rotating ensemble of radical and exciting comedians. Acclaimed by critics as one of the best comedy shows in the city and celebrated by fans as a cult favourite for over a decade. Come see where comedy legends are born!

MATTHEW BROUSSARD: September 23 @ 8pm & September 24 @ 9:30pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
Matthew Broussard is a disgraced financial analyst forced into stand up comedy. The byproduct of a Cajun chemist and Jewish microbiologist, he holds a degree in computational mathematics he always manages to bring up (just did it!) and is fully aware of how douchey he looks. His comedy is heady, self-effacing, and weirdly… educational? He’s performed on the Tonight Show, Conan, Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, the Comedy Central Half Hour, and some stuff with MTV2 he doesn’t like to talk about. You can catch him in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The League, The Mindy Project, and alongside Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the film Here Today. He is the creator of the webcomic and puzzle app, Monday Punday.

MOJO BROOKZZ: September 25 @ 9:30 PM, Randolph Theatre
Dyon “Mojo” Brooks is an actor, writer, producer, and stand-up comedian that recently appeared in a leading role for Tyler Perry’s She The People on Netflix. As a comic, Brooks is nationally acclaimed and celebrated having toured with legends such as Mike Epps, Martin Lawrence, and Deon Cole to name a few. He recently wrapped his headlining nationwide Unhand Me Now Tour which sold out every single night with multiple added shows in nearly every location. This fall, Brooks will set out on his fourth headlining tour with stops at multiple different theatres across the nation. Additionally, Dyon can be seen on the most recent Season 21 of Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out, having been hand selected by Cannon who is a fan of Brooks viral sketch comedy videos that can be found across his social media pages, which have amassed millions of views and over 28 million likes.

PAT THORNTON: September 27 @ 8:30pm & 10pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
Pat Thornton has been a comedian for a long time, known for his work on TV in both sketch and stand up. His first album, Chicken! was nominated for a Juno. His first special, Different Times is on Crave.

PATTI HARRISON: September 26 @ 7pm, Bluma Appel Theatre
Born and raised in rural Ohio, Patti Harrison began her career in the NYC comedy scene. After her first film role in 2017’s A SIMPLE FAVOR, she’s made fans for her sociopathic character “Ruthie” on Hulu’s Shrill and various appearances on I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, Poker Face, High Maintenance, Search Party, and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. She’s written on multiple series including two seasons of Big Mouth on Netflix, and has even voiced the role of “Tail Chief” in Disney’s ensemble Raya And The Last Dragon.

SABRINA WU: September 23 @ 8:30pm, Comedy Bar – Danforth & September 24 @ 7pm, Comedy Bar – Bloor
Sabrina Wu is a New York based actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. They made their feature film debut in the Lionsgate comedy Joy Ride, from executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and director Adele Lim. They’ve also guest starred in Abbott Elementary, and a series regular in the Apple TV+ show Murderbot starring Alexander Skarsgard. Wu was a writer on the critically-acclaimed FX limited series Dying For Sex starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. On the stand-up side, they were selected as one of the New Faces of Comedy by the Just For Laughs Festival in 2022. Later that fall, they had their TV debut doing stand up on the Tonight Show. Variety named Wu one of the Top 10 Comics to Watch in 2023. In the same year, Vulture Magazine named Wu a Comedian You Should Know and Will Know.

SUNTHAR V: September 27 @ 4pm, Comedy Bar – Danforth
Sunthar V is a globally touring comedian who seamlessly blends sharp storytelling with cultural wit, performing in both Tamil and English. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, he is the first openly queer Tamil comedian to take his work worldwide, building an independent career from the ground up and selling out shows across North America, Europe, and India to nearly 10,000 attendees annually. Now based in New York City, he’s focused on expanding his reach with new English material to connect with broader audiences while staying true to his roots. His online videos have amassed millions of views, with over 6 million monthly impressions, resonating with fans across the globe. Known for his ability to navigate identity, queerness, and the absurdities of modern life with humor and heart, Sunthar is carving out a unique space in the international comedy scene.

ZARNA GARG: September 19 @ 7pm, Elgin Theatre
Zarna Garg is a comedy trailblazing Indian immigrant mom from New York City. She masterfully infuses humor, wit, and fearless social commentary into her comedy special for Amazon Prime, One in a Billion, and her insightful podcast, The Zarna Garg Family Show, dissecting modern family dynamics. She headlined her sold-out Practical People Win tour and is the opener for comedy legends Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on their Restless Leg Tour. Zarna has also crossed over to the film world, starring in A Nice Indian Boy. Boasting a devoted social media following of 2M+, she passionately advocates for change and representation in comedy and is bravely vocal about criminalizing evil mother-in-law behaviors.