San Francisco’s premier comedy festival, Sketchfest, is back for its 21st year and has unveiled the first round of it’s incredibly stacked lineup.
The 2024 comedy festival is set to take place January 18th-February 4th across four venues in San Francisco.
The multi-day festival will be hosting over 200 shows for just about every kind of comedy fan there is. This year’s shows will feature major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming acts for sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, all-star reunions, live podcasts, and workshops.
One of the many key events part of this year’s festivities include comedy legend Eric Idle in his first live North American show in 7 years, joined by his friend and collaborator Jeff B. Davis for a truly rare, one-night-only performance featuring music, conversation, and scenes — including the world premiere of a never-before-seen Monty Python sketch.
Amber Ruffin & Zainab Johnson will be hosting a freewheeling chat, plus there will be a night dedicated to celebrating the indie comedy duo “Derek and Simon,” with cast and creators Derek Waters, Simon Helberg, Bob Odenkirk, Naomi Odenkirk, Jake Johnson, and Eric Edelstein.
New podcasts appearing at the festival include acclaimed actor Paul Giamatti’s Chinwag with Stephen Asma; the Team Coco podcast Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley; How Long Gone; The Pen Pals Podcast with Rory Scovel and Daniel Van Kirk; MESS with Sydnee Washington and Marie Faustin; Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s Let’s Make a Poop with guest “Weird Al” Yankovic, and more.
Returning festival favorites include Asian AF, Maria Bamford, Todd Barry, The Black Version, Joel Kim Booster, Celebrity Autobiography, David Cross, Fake TED Talks, Jo Firestone, “Futurama,” Solomon Georgio, Jon Glaser, The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Judge John Hodgman, Marc Maron, Eugene Mirman, RISK! with Kevin Allison, Dulcé Sloan, Stuff You Should Know, Paul F. Tompkins, Jenny Yang, and many more.
Tickets go on sale Sunday, November 19 at 10am PT/1pm ET at sfsketchfest.com.
Special Events & Tributes
- Eric Idle but Jeff B. Davis
- The Kids in the Hall: Unplugged
- The Kids in the Hall: Scenes They Wouldn’t Let Us Do
- An Afternoon with Amber Ruffin: An SF Sketchfest Tribute
- The State: Hits and Misses
- The Red Room Orchestra play Twin Peaks & more with very special Tribute guest Kyle MacLachlan, plus special guest Carel Struycken
- freestyle+ with special guest Bill Irwin
- Derek and Simon (and Bob): An SF Sketchfest Tribute Celebration, with Derek Waters, Simon Helberg, Bob Odenkirk, Naomi Odenkirk, Jake Johnson, and Eric Edelstein
- Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG with Stephen Asma
- Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s Let’s Make a Poop! with “Weird Al” Yankovic & more
Sketch & Improv Comedy
- Beverly Live! with Jamie Denbo
- The Big Team
- The Black Version
- BriTANick, with Business Casual
- Convoy
- Dinosaur Improv with Owen Burke, Chad Carter, Lisa Gilroy, Mary Holland, Phil Jackson, Jason Mantzoukas, Seth Morris, Paul Scheer, and Carl Tart
- Drunk Theatre
- GEORGE-prov with Connor Ratliff
- Gethard & Sagher
- Girl God, with Uncle Function
- The Groundlings: Cookin’ with GAS
- The Groundlings: Personals
- The Improvised Shakespeare Company
- Killing My Lobster
- SponTourCo with Paul F. Tompkins
- SuperMarried with John Ross Bowie and Jamie Denbo
- Theme Park Improv with Ian Brennan, Rachel Dratch, Simon Helberg, Michael Hitchcock, Jessica Makinson, Oscar Nunez, Cole Stratton, and Janet Varney
- Time to Kill: A Sketch Comedy Show
Variety & Game Shows
- Asian AF
- Ask a Magician with Robert Strong
- Battle of the Wizards: Magicians vs. Mentalists, with Robert Strong
- The Bay Area Pun-Off
- Black Men Can’t Jump present Minority Rules, with Jonathan Braylock, James III, and Jerah Milligan
- Brew HaHa: The Comedy Drinking Game Show, with Matt Braunger, Ali Macofsky & more
- A Close Shave with Heaven: A Super Serious Night of Poetry & Comedy with Derrick Brown, Amber Tamblyn, Kurt Braunohler, and Eugene Mirman
- Comedian Feud with Jacquis Neal and guests Tim Baltz, Eugene Cordero, Pallavi Gunalan, Lauren Lapkus, Tawny Newsome, Blair Socci, Paul F. Tompkins, Sasheer Zamata & more
- David Wain’s World of Wonder: a night of magic, comedy, music and other delights, with Michaela Watkins & more
- Filipino AF
- Jeopargay! with Spike Einbinder and Honey Pluton
- Knees Up with Chris Turner
- Maniac Bowl with Jesse Fernandez and Arthur Gaus
- Okay, Who Did It? with Jo Firestone
- Self Help Me with Jenny Yang: A Competitive Self-Care Comedy Show
- South Asian AF
- Tinder Live with Lane Moore and guest David Cross
- The Trav-enture Zone: A Night of Dungeons & Dragons & also Comedians hosted by DM Travis McElroy
- Varietopia with Paul F. Tompkins
Podcasts & Talk Shows
- Avatar: Braving The Elements
- The Bechdel Cast with Caitlin Durante and Jamie Loftus
- The Bitchuation Room with Francesca Fiorentini and Nato Green
- The Chonga Girls
- Doug Loves Movies
- Exploration: LIVE! with Charles Bardey and Natalie Rotter-Laitman
- The Flop House: A Podcast About Bad Movies
- The George Lucas Talk Show
- The Greatest Generation: The Share Your Embarrassment Tour with Benjamin Ahr Harrison and Adam Pranica
- Hello From the Magic Tavern
- Hey Riddle Riddle
- How Long Gone
- I Love My Kid, But… with Kurt Braunohler, Megan Gailey, and Chris Garcia
- Judge John Hodgman, with Jesse Thorn
- MESS with Sydnee Washington and Marie Faustin
- Moshe Kasher’s Subculture Vulture: An Evening in Six Scenes
- The Neighborhood Listen with Paul F. Tompkins, Nicole Parker, Brett Morris & more
- Never Not Funny with Jimmy Pardo
- Office Hours East with New York Jonathan, Slice, Football, & Producer Tory (Jon Glaser, Jo Firestone, Tami Sagher, and Tory Harris)
- The Pen Pals Podcast with Rory Scovel and Daniel Van Kirk
- The Psychologists Are In with Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson
- Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley
- Stuff You Should Know
- Talking Simpsons
- Too Far with Rachel Kaly and Robby Hoffman
- Will You Accept This Rose with Arden Myrin, Erin Foley, Brayden Bowers & more
- Yo, Is This Racist? with Tawny Newsome and Andrew Ti
- You Are Good with Sarah Marshall, Alex Steed & more
- You’re Wrong About with Sarah Marshall, Carolyn Kendrick & more
Music & Comedy
- Adam Pally: An Intimate Evening of Music and Comedy
- Dave Hill: Caveman in a Spaceship
- Epic: Every Place I Cry with Ross Bryant, Nick Mandernach, Jess McKenna, and Zach Reino
- Epic Rap Battles of History with EpicLLOYD and Nice Peter / Kyle Gordon
- Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm and “Friends”
- Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.’s ‘Murmur’
- Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.’s ‘Reckoning’
- Middle Aged Dad Jam Band with Ken Marino and David Wain
- Music Night with Kyle Gordon, DJ Real, Chaki The Funk Wizard, Jen Liv, Naomi Rubin, and Matt Shore, hosted by Eric Rubin
- Off Book: The Improvised Musical with Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino
- Open Mike Eagle with Video Dave
- Pylon Reenactment Society / Kelley Stoltz
- The Red Room Orchestra plays the “Harold and Maude” soundtrack with special guests Margaret Cho, Petra Haden, Janet Varney & more
- The Red Room Orchestra plays “The Lost Boys” soundtrack with special guest Tim Cappello
- Stupid Songs and Stories with Kevin McDonald
- An Evening with Whitmer Thomas
Film & Television
- The Benson Movie Interruption: “Fast X”
- Dub-a-Dub-Dub with Justin Michael
- Found Footage Festival Volume 10: Popcorn Classics
- “Futurama” 25th Anniversary Spectacular with David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, David Herman, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom, and Billy West
- Outtake-o-rama: Infamous Celebrity Outtakes with David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, and Billy West
- “The Wrong Guy” Screening + Reunion with Dave Foley, Jennifer Tilly, David Anthony Higgins, Jay Kogen, and Kevin McDonald
Theater & Storytelling
- Celebrity Autobiography with Pamela Adlon, Tony Hale, Laraine Newman, Eugene Pack, Dulcé Sloan, Jennifer Tilly & more
- Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip
- Edinburgh Spotlight: The Baron and the Junk Dealer
- Edinburgh Spotlight: Chris Turner: Vegas, Baby!
- Edinburgh Spotlight: Emily Wilson: Fixed
- Edinburgh Spotlight: Sophie Santos…is Codependent / A Terrible Show for Terrible People
- Ever Mainard: OTTIS
- Exorcistic: The Unauthorized Rock Musical Parody of The Exorcist, with special guest Kirsten Vangsness
- Fake TED Talks, with Matt Braunger, Guy Branum, Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Adam Savage, Amy Schneider & more
- The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody
- Mortified
- Porchlight: A Storytelling Series, with Cristela Alonzo, Chris Garcia, Bob Odenkirk & more, with music by Marc Capelle, and hosted by Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte
- The Real Housewives: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
- RISK! with Kevin Allison
- Scott Thompson as Buddy Cole in KING
- So Say We All: VAMP Nonfiction Showcase
- Solo Spotlight: Brittany Carney: Kingdom Phylum Ass / Rachel Kaly’s Hospital Hour
- Solo Spotlight: Chris Smith: Acting in a Time Such as This / Dandy: Man of the Year
- Solo Spotlight: Teeny Tiny with Joey Greer
- Stop Joking for 100 Years and Other Requests From My Kid (Stories of Parenting and Childhood), with Eugene Mirman, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Gethard, Amber Tamblyn, and host Ophira Eisenberg
- Sydnee Washington: How To Start A Fire
Stand-Up Comedy
- Aaron Chen
- Bad Indian: A Native American Comedy Show with Joshua Emerson
- Blabbermouth with Phil Griffiths and Red Scott
- Brett Gelman: INAPPROPRIATION
- Celebrity Drop-In with Anna Roisman and Ben Fisher
- Comedians with Disabilities Act with Michael Beers, Steve Danner, Nina G, Loren Kraut, Hayden Kristal, and Jade Theriault, hosted by Mean Dave
- Comedy Rodeo with Hayden Kristal
- Cornpops and Space Lasers — Political Standup with Francesca Fiorenti and Nato Green
- David Cross & Friends
- D.J. Demers / Ali Macofsky (co-headline)
- Donde Esta Mi Comedy? with Baruch Porras-Hernandez
- Dulcé Sloan
- Embarrassed By Night Celebrates Lunar New Year with Fred Le and Andrew Van
- Everything’s Great! with Nick Kocher, Demi Adjuyigbe, and Addie Weyrich
- Facial Recognition Comedy with Zahra Ali, Fizaa Dosani and Pallavi Gunalan
- Fun Voices with Ron Funches and Blair Socci
- The Gateway Show with Billy Anderson
- Hilarious Habibis with Gena B. Jones and Lynn Maleh
- Hot Sets with Veronica Kwiatkowski and Sam Clark
- An Hour with Josh Johnson
- Interruption Show with Dalia Malek
- Jena Friedman: Not Funny
- Joel Kim Booster & Friends
- Jolli-Baes with Andrew Orolfo
- Jon Glaser’s Soothing Meditations for the Solitary Dog
- Killer Lineup: Cristela Alonzo, Chris Gethard, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Josh Johnson, Aaron Chen, and host Paco Romane
- Marc Maron: All In
- Maria Bamford
- Marie Faustin in YUCK: An Hour of Good Jokes and Bad Dates
- Matt Braunger
- Mirthquake with Jesse Hett, Andrew Holmgren and Ben Kolina
- Nori Reed
- PGF Records Presents: Clare O’Kane Album Recording, with an opening set by Eugene Mirman
- Raining Comedy: A Pacific Northwest Showcase
- Red, White and Blue-Pilled starring Jon Daly as Johnny Doily
- Resistance Is Fertile with Brooke Heinichen and Luisa Isbell
- Robby Hoffman
- Safe Words with Wonder Dave
- The Setup with Abhay Nadkarni and Richard Sarvate
- The SF Sketchfest Dozen:
- Ify Nwadiwe & Paige Weldon
- Greg Barris & Mike Drucker
- Clare O’Kane & Mo Welch
- Mohanad Elshieky & Joyelle Nicole Johnson
- Liz Miele & Jes Tom
- Emma Arnold & Katrina Davis
- Solomon Georgio / Sydnee Washington (co-headline)
- Todd Barry: Half Joking Tour
- Zainab Johnson
Kids Shows
- GLOP meets GLOG: Glorious Ladies of Puppetry & Glorious Ladies of the Groundlings
- Mo Willems & The Storytime All-Stars Live, with W. Kamau Bell, Dulcé Sloan, “Weird Al” Yankovic & more
Workshops & Interactive Events
- Character Workshop with Brian Palermo
- RISK! presents What’s Your Story? with Kevin Allison