Dave Chappelle is set to take center stage at Toronto’s Departure Festival + Conference, with an exclusive stand-up comedy performance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
The six-time Grammy winner, five-time Emmy winner and recent recipient of the NAACP President’s Award, anchors the comedy-focused expansion of the festival, organized by Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group.
The comedy programming also features rising Canadian talent, with homegrown comedians Jasmeet Raina, Ivan Decker, Sophie Buddle, Hassan Phills, and Ali Hassan joining the lineup, alongside the founder of viral comedy platform Don’t Tell Comedy, Kyle Kazanjian-Amory.
Chappelle, whose recent “Saturday Night Live” monologue stands as the longest in the program’s 50-year history, tops a bill that includes previously announced comedy podcast “How Did This Get Made? Live,” comedian Trevor Wallace, Pete Holmes, Harland Williams, Caroline Rhea, and Elvira Kurt.
The festival’s film and television component will include an advanced screening of Harland Williams’ new comedy “Wingman,” featuring Jamie Kennedy and Russell Peters, along with the world premiere of Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” Season 8, presented by StackTV, ahead of its May 25 airdate.
Comedy showcases focusing on emerging talent will take place at Comedy Bar locations throughout Toronto, featuring “Breakout” and “Next Gen” comedians in dedicated showcase events.
“Having Dave Chappelle take part in Departure is a real honor – for me, for the festival, and an amazing treat for our audiences. Starting off the inaugural Departure Comedy Festival with someone of Dave’s caliber and influence is incredibly exciting,” said Bruce Hills, executive producer of Departure Comedy.
“In November we promised that comedy would be a big part in the expansion of Departure, and we are immensely proud to fulfill that commitment with the announcement of global superstar Dave Chappelle,” added Kevin Barton, executive producer at Loft Entertainment. “To be able to watch Dave live is one of the most coveted shows on the planet, and it’s going to be a truly magical experience for that lucky audience.”
The Departure Festival + Conference runs May 6-11 in Toronto, while Chappelle’s set is on May 7. It takes place with the support of Ontario Creates.
