The cancellation of Montreal's renowned Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival sent shockwaves across the globe when it was announced in March.
JFL is a huge part of the fabric that makes up summers in this city — and has been since its inception in 1983. Known as the largest comedy festival in the world, the event attracts comedy fans, local comedians and the biggest names in the comedy industry alike, all of whom save space in their calendars for it months in advance.
While Groupe Juste pour rire Inc., which owns and operates JFL, has said it is committed to restructuring in order to resuscitate the festival in 2025, the company is on the verge of bankruptcy and reportedly owes nearly $22.5 million to creditors.
But don't fret! The good news is that just because there's no JFL, the summer of 2024 doesn't have to be comedy-free. If you were looking forward to belly-laughing your way through July, you'll still have plenty of opportunities to do so.
At least four Montreal-area comedy festivals are stepping in to fill the gap left by JFL this summer.
ComediHa! salue Montréal Festival
Randy Feltface at the 2019 ComediHa! Festival in Quebec City.
When: July 18 to 28
Where: Quartier des Spectacles (downtown)
Why You Need To Go: ComediHa! is best known for hosting the world’s biggest annual French-language comedy festival in Quebec City. However, this year, in celebration of its 25th anniversary — as well as in the face of a JFL-sized hole — it's bringing a "diverse program including major events, comedy shows, galas and free outdoor performances" to Montreal, taking on the task of entertaining an anticipated several hundred thousand people.
“Montreal has always been a hub for the comedy industry with its cultural, tourist and economic benefits. It would have been inconceivable that our metropolis would not have a festival worthy of the name this summer. Quickly, public and private partners mobilized and made everything possible. On behalf of the industry, the comedy community and its many artisans, I sincerely thank them. Hello Montreal, we’re arriving on July 18!” said Sylvain Parent-Bédard, president and CEO of ComediHa! in a press release.
Earlier this month, the Government of Canada announced it would support the ComediHa! festival but did not provide more details. This likely means a bigger budget in addition to ComediHa!'s existing $10 million.
Plus, on May 29, ComediHa! and Just For Laughs announced that they had reached an agreement in which ComediHa! would buy some of Just For Laugh's assets. More details on that arrangement are expected after it's finalized by the Superior Court on June 3.
With a comedy club in Quebec City, festivals and offices in Paris and Hollywood and popular online content platforms ComediHa.tv and LOL ComediHa!, there's no question that the entertainment company knows what it's doing when it comes to dishing out laughs, so it'll be interesting to see how they adapt to Montreal venues and crowds.
Though ComediHa! has historically worked primarily with French performers, it has previously collaborated with Jerry Seinfeld, Whoopi Goldberg, John Malkovich, Randy Feltface and more, so who knows which famous comics it could bring to Montreal this summer.
Comédie sur La Well Festival
When: July 8 to 14
Where: Promenade Wellington (Verdun)
Why You Need To Go: Comedy On The Well has been running regular comedy nights on Promenade Wellington since August 2023, featuring some of the city's best and brightest English-speaking comedians. Now, in the absence of JFL, its producers BQNCTD, are putting on Verdun's first bilingual comedy festival: Comédie sur La Well.
"It’s more than just stand-up," says the Comedy on the Well website. "It's about celebrating our local comedic talent and fostering a vibrant community spirit."
Festival organizers are promising 30+ performances in 9+ venues with both comedy shows and activities like Zumba at Bar Palco and "Story Time for Kids" at Pulp Books & Café. Tickets are set to go on sale starting June 17.
Longueuil Comique Fest
When: July 11 to 21, 2024
Where: Salle Fenplast, 900, boul. Taschereau, Longueuil, QC
Why You Need To Go: Brought to you by Zoofest's former general manager Isabelle Desmarais along with comedy industry vets Pierre-Luc Beaucage and Stéphane Paquin, Longueuil Comique Fest is stepping in to not necessarily fill JFL's shoes, but rather the shoes of Zoofest and OFF-JFL, JFL's edgier siblings, which were run by the same entertainment group as JFL and took place at the same time. Like Zoofest and OFF-JFL, Longueuil Comique Fest appears focused on highlighting not only known names, but also emerging local talent in comedy, music, theatre, and improv.
At Longueuil Comique Fest, you'll find some of your favourite Zoofest shows and stars making triumphant returns, such as Franglais sketch comedy show Sure, why not tabarnak with TikTok legends Nir Guzinski and Michelle Furtado, and PeachClub hosted by Cat and Gomar Babe, a bilingual cabaret-style show featuring comedy, burlesque, go-go, and pole dancing.
You can count on just as much fun and hilarity as ever before. The only difference? This time, it's all happening on the Island's south shore.
Montreal's Got Jokes: A Celebration of Comedy Excellence
When: July 15 to 31
Where: Mainly downtown (including McKibbins Irish Pub on Bishop, Brass Door Pub on Crescent, and Deli Planet in Central Station)
Why You Need To Go: In terms of local comedy, this is far from MTL Comedy Club's first rodeo. Helmed by Sid Khullar (aka @straightouttamontreal), the production company puts on English stand-up shows in Montreal every single night of the week throughout the entire year. However, this is the first time MTL Comedy Club plans to run a comedy festival in mid-to-late July, around the same time JFL normally takes place.
In April, Khullar told The Suburban, "Besides the terrific comedy talent here I will be reaching out to other standups in Ontario, New York and even Chicago" so in addition to your favourite Montreal performers, there will likely be some big names in the mix.
Considering that Khullar's brother Sugar Sammy occasionally pops in to do spots on his shows, it would be no surprise if he carved out time to appear at such a significant event. And the fact that Sammy responded to an Instagram post about Montreal's Got Jokes with "🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥can’t wait!" kind of seals the deal.
Bonus: ManyVids expansion
Where: ManyVids.com
Why You Need To Check It Out: While not a festival per se, Montreal-based adult content creation platform ManyVids is preparing to ramp up its comedy offerings in the wake of JFL. About two weeks after JFL's cancellation news broke, ManyVids announced that it would be expanding into safe-for-work content areas like comedy.
In collaboration with A Very Serious Show, a popular comedy interview series on the platform hosted by Dr. Tyler Lemco and Kayla De Leon, this includes initiatives to support and incentivize new comedy talents on ManyVids, such as cash prizes of $1,000 for outstanding comedy profiles, funding for new podcasts, and the production of comedy specials “all aimed at enriching the platform's community and content diversity,” according to a press release.
"Making A Very Serious Show has not only been a blast but fulfilling and rewarding as well. I'm excited for more comedians to join this community and experience a space where independent comedy thrives." Lemco said.
Given ManyVids' expansion announcement, which speaks of "unprecedented growth in every dimension," you could see a lot more series like A Very Serious Show, as well as stand-up specials, coming to the platform soon. And with ManyVids stating that it's "poised to become the definitive Safe-for-Work and adult content destination" by fall 2024, things may start moving quickly, especially over the summer.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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