Just For Laughs 2021 Kicks OFF In Montreal

After being locked up for over a year, Montreal is ready to get back to it. So are the festivals! The Just For Laughs festival is back in Montreal, New York and Los Angeles this year. But like many things re-opening, there are some new things happening at the festival.

Just For Laughs MONTRÉAL is back this summer with an all-new hybrid festival, taking place July 26-31, 2021. Featuring performances and appearances from some of the world’s most influential names in comedy, this year’s festival will combine online and in-person shows live from Montréal, New York City and Los Angeles.  

In order to adhere to travel restrictions without compromising the quality of Just For Laughs’  world-class programming, the festival has confirmed that in addition to the stellar Canadian stand-up shows offered live in Montréal this summer, for the first time in the festival’s history,  stand-up performances featuring all-star American and international comedians will also be taking place in New York City and Los Angeles. All performances including for the first time, the prestigious Just For Laughs Awards Show will be made available to stream online, accessible for free, for anyone who wishes to tune in from the comfort of their own homes. 

The 2021 hybrid Just For Laughs Montréal Festival will also feature classic fest highlights like  The Nasty Show, The Alternative Show, Comedy Night in Canada presented by SiriusXM  Canada in collaboration with Tangerine, and special shows programmed by Laugh Out Loud  (LOL!), comedy heavyweight Kevin Hart’s global comedy brand and multi-platform entertainment company. 

The renowned industry conference, ComedyPRO, will also return in a 100% digital format this year, with a conference platform powered by BuzzCast. Returning are programming favourites including, the coveted New Faces showcases, Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch presented by  Cohen Gardner LLP, Eat My Shorts competition, pitch panels, and more.  

NEW FACES: CANADA HOSTED BY DAVE MERHEJE

Presented by SiriusXM Canada in collaboration with Tangerine 

Come see the freshest Canadian comedians in the game gear up to take the microphone and change the face of comedy. Hosted by Juno-award-winning comedian and actor, Dave  Merheje, who currently stars on Hulu’s Ramy. New Faces shows will be filmed for a live audience in Montreal and will be available to view online with the purchase of a ComedyPRO pass. 

CRAVE and CTV COMEDY CHANNEL TAPINGS 

Crave and CTV Comedy is returning to Just For Laughs this summer to tape a handful of brand new, original comedy specials, in the Canadian city that does comedy best. These stand-up specials, filmed in front of a live audience in Montreal this summer, will feature some of the country’s best working comedians right now and will launch on Crave and CTV Comedy at a  later date. 

Taping at this year’s festival, includes Dave Merheje (Juno Award-winning comedian,  star on HBO’s Ramy), DeAnne Smith (Canadian Comedy Award winner, Netflix comedy special Gentleman Elf), Chris Robinson (winner of SiriusXM’s Top Comic competition in 2016), Sophie Buddle (Juno Award-winning comedian, can be seen on  CBC’s This Hour has 22 Minutes, and Humour Resources), Paul  Rabliauskas (CBC’s The New Wave of Stand Up), Kyle Brownrigg (named ‘Best  Breakout Artist’ at the 2019 Canadian Comedy Awards, JFL42 New Face), and Chris  Locke (award-winning stand-up comedian, can be seen on CBC’s Baroness Von  Sketch Show, Workin’ Moms, Mr. D, and Tallboyz).

COMEDY NIGHT IN CANADA 

Presented by SiriusXM Canada in collaboration with Tangerine 

Hosted by Canadian comedian, actor, and host of CBC’s hit stand-up comedy show, Laugh Out  Loud, Ali Hassan will take a hilarious look at what it means to be Canadian as Comedy Night in  Canada welcomes top comedians from coast to coast! These comedians may eat ketchup chips and poutine, use the metric system, and spell colour with a “u” but they all speak the universal  

language of funny! The lineup will include Canadian comedians, Arthur Simeon, Kyle  Brownrigg, Brittany Lyseng, Derek Seguin, Courtney Gilmour, and more! This show will be performed in front of a live audience in Montreal and then aired for free online at hahaha.com as of Friday, July 30.  

Take a look at all the events happening online and in-person at www.hahaha.com