With Just For Laughs Montreal now behind us, JFL has announced the first round of headliners for its Toronto Festival, taking place from September 18-27.
Notable comics set to appear include Gabriel Iglesias, Maria Bamford, Al Madrigal, Big Jay Oakerson, Ron Funches, Todd Barry, Ian Fidance, Gina Yashere, and Hari Kondabolu, among others.
“We’re proud to bring a great Just For Laughs lineup to Toronto this year,” said JFL’s President & CEO, Sylvain Parent-Bédard. “It’s a great opportunity to share our comedy spirit with audiences in the city, and we can’t wait for Toronto audiences to laugh with us once again.”
Commented JFL’s Head of Programming and Talent, Nick Brazao, “We’re beyond excited to announce an incredible lineup of comedy programming for this year’s Just For Laughs Toronto Festival — get ready for unforgettable performances, big laughs, and the best in stand-up and more from around the world.”
Featuring a mix of international stars and emerging talent, Just For Laughs Toronto will take place across venues including Bluma Appel Theatre, Comedy Bar Bloor & Danforth, Elgin Theatre, Meridian Hall, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Randolph Theatre, and Scotiabank Arena. Pre-sale tickets are available July 30 at 10 a.m. ET and public on sale begins July 31 at 10 a.m. ET. This iteration of the festival joins the flagship Montreal fest and others in returning following JFL’s reemergence post-bankruptcy protection filing under the ownership of Parent-Bédard’s ComediHa.
View the first set of performers announced for JFL Toronto 2025 below.
AL MADRIGAL: September 20, 7pm | Bluma Appel Theatre
Best known as a correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Al Madrigal’s stand-up career took off when he won a Jury Award For Best Stand-Up Comedian at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Most recently, Madrigal played Oscar on the NBC comedy Lopez Vs. Lopez. In addition to being an actor on numerous TV shows including Bob’s Burgers and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Madrigal’s many film credits include The Way Back with Ben Affleck and Night School alongside Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish.
ALISTAIR OGDEN: September 25, 7pm | Comedy Bar – Bloor
One of Canada’s top comedic talents, Alistair Ogden has brought his trademark witty and self-deprecating style of stand-up to televised sets for Canada’s Got Talent, the Halifax Comedy Festival — and was recently named a New Faces Standup at Just For Laughs Montreal. His jokes have been featured on CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud, a JFL Originals comedy album, and have amassed over 20 million views and rising across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
ASHWYN SINGH: Septeamber 24, 7pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Ashwyn Singh is a standup comedian, musician, and writer whose work blends incisive humor with heartfelt social commentary. An Indian immigrant turned Canadian resident, Ashwyn draws on his unique perspective to explore themes of cultural identity, immigration, and family with wit and relatability. His viral Desi Translations series, which has over 40 million views, celebrates the artistry of Hindi and Urdu lyrics by reinterpreting everyday English phrases. Beyond social media, Ashwyn’s standup comedy tackles social issues like immigration, religion, politics, mental health, and global conflicts, highlighting the hypocrisy in human behavior with sharp humor.
BIG JAY OAKERSON: September 21, 6pm | 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.
BRITTANY SCHMITT: September 18 – 20, 9pm | Comedy Bar – Bloor
Brittany Schmitt is an LA-based, Wisconsin-raised comic. She likes her comedy like she likes her cheese: stanky. Don’t be fooled by her girl-next-door looks, her humor is insidious and unapologetic. She’s been featured in clubs across the country opening for Theo Von, Chris Redd and more. She was on Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Featuring, Don’t Tell Comedy: Backyard Series and just put out her debut comedy special: From Ho to Housewife with 800 Pound Gorilla on July 19th, with many of the clips hitting over 10M+ views.
CHE DURENA: September 20, 8:30pm | Randolph Theatre
Che Durena is best known for his viral videos and impressive social media presence, with over 8 million followers and counting. His content has garnered over 1 billion views worldwide. A seasoned standup comic with more than a decade of experience, Che has performed at the world’s largest comedy festival three times, headlining sold-out theater shows and sharing stages with comedy greats like Jay Pharoah, Fortune Feimster, Brad Williams, and Lil Rel Howery. Che had the privilege of opening for Bert Kreischer during the Tops Off Stadium Tour, performing to a crowd of over 12,000. He’s appeared on JFL All Access, Comedy Network, and CraveTV, and his comedy album Tales From My Butthole showcases his stand-out humor.
CONNER O’MALLEY: September 13, 7pm & 9:30pm | Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Conner O’Malley recently appeared in A24’s feature film Bodies, Bodies, Bodies and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow. His comedy special, Stand Up Solutions, premiered on YouTube this spring. He previously recurred and wrote on Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You. His other acting credits include Palm Springs, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, Detroiters, and Broad City.
DROPOUT IMPROV: September 27, 7pm | Meridian Hall
From the minds behind Dropout comes an evening of improv, minigames, and off-the-wall shenanigans. Hosted by Kurt Maloney, and featuring the improv talents of Kimia Behpoorni, Kurt Maloney, Jeremy Culhane, Vic Michaelis, Jess McKenna, and Scott Passarella.
FABRIZIO COPANO: September 27, 7pm | Randolph Theatre
Fabrizio Copano is one of the most well-known and highly regarded comedians in Latin America. He was the first South American comedian to shoot an original comedy special for Netflix and tours globally, selling out across the US, Latin America, and Europe. His 2016 film Prueba de Actitud (Attitude Test) which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in remains one of Chile’s highest grossing comedies of all time. Actor and writer of the hit Chilean comedy show El Club de la Comedia, Copano also led his own award-winning late night show El Late de Copano, and hosted La Culpa es de Colon for Comedy Central Latin America, which showcased the top five comedians from five countries across Latin America. Fabrizio was chosen as part of the coveted Just for Laughs 2022 New Faces cohort and CBS 2025 Comics to Watch Showcase, and made his American late-night debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden, a historic appearance for a Chilean comedian that made national headlines.
GABRIEL IGLESIAS: September 19, 8pm | Scotiabank Arena
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful stand-up comedians and one of the highest grossing touring comedians of all time. He is one of the most watched comedians on YouTube with over 2 billion views and over 34.6 million fans across social media. He was the 3rd highest grossing comedian of 2024 according to Billboard. Iglesias has been included in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 40 Comedy Players” issue alongside comedy giants Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Lorne Michaels and was also honored with the cover of Variety’s comedy issue.
GAVIN MATTS: September 26, 7pm | Randolph Theatre
Originally from Vancouver, Gavin now lives in New York now and performs regularly at the Comedy Cellar and The Stand. In 2024, he was named one of Vulture Magazine’s “Comedians You Should and Will Know.” Gavin’s debut special, Progression, released in October 2023, was produced by All Things Comedy and Bill Burr, and received acclaim from New York Magazine, which called it “dark comedy at its best.” Gavin has made acting appearances on Hulu’s Ramy, Easter Sunday and recur’d in season 4 of HBO MAX’s HACKS.
GINA YASHERE: September 27, 7pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Bloor
Gina Yashere is an internationally acclaimed comedian and one of the creators and showrunners of the Chuck Lorre series Bob Abishola starring Billy Gardell on CBS that ran for 5 seasons. Gina can be seen as part of Season 2 of Netflix’s half-hour comedy series, The Standups. She was the British correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Trevor Noah and has appeared on That’s My Jam, Def Comedy Jam, Live At The Apollo, TruTV’s Comedy Knockout, and NBC’s The Tonight Show. Gina is currently filming a new Star Trek series Starfleet Academy that will be on Paramount + in 2025.
HAMOODI: September 25, 9pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Hamoodi, aka TheFob4, hilarious takes on immigrant life and cultural clashes have resonated with Canadians vaulting him into a standup career where he’s sold-out theatres in major cities. His skits mix humor with relatable insights, especially for diaspora communities. With a strong presence on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Hamoodi has built a loyal following by blending cultural Canadian commentary with modern pop culture.
HARI KONDABOLU: September 21, 7pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer and podcaster based in Brooklyn. The NY Times called him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today.” He was also named one of 2018’s “Comics To Watch” by Variety. His 2023 special Vacation Baby is currently streaming on Hulu. In 2017, his truTV documentary The Problem with Apu was released to critical acclaim and spurred a global conversation about race and representation. Additionally, he has performed on such shows as Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with David Letterman among many others. He is also a former writer & correspondent on the much loved, Chris Rock produced FX show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. In 2022, he hosted the Netflix food competition series Snack vs Chef along with Megan Stalter. A regular on public radio, Hari is a panelist on the NPR game show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.
IAN FIDANCE: September 26, 9:30pm and September 27, 7pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Ian Fidance is an offbeat yet upbeat New York City comic, actor, and writer, that Dave Attell has described as a “Power Act” and Ron Bennington has called “One of the most unique comics working today.” He just dropped his debut special titled, Ian Fidance: Wild Happy & Free, and his wildly popular podcast Bein’ Ian with Jordan, co-hosted with fellow comic Jordan Jensen, is available on all platforms. His television, writing, and other credits include Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Gilly and Keeves Sketch Show, Comedy Central’s Crank Yankers, HBO Max’s Pause with Sam Jay, Netflix’s Waffles + Mochi, TBS’ The Last O.G., as well as writing for multiple Comedy Central Roasts.
JAY JURDEN: September 18 – 20, 7pm | Comedy Bar – Bloor
Jay Jurden is a New York based comedian, writer and actor. Originally from Mississippi, Jay regularly performs comedy all over the country and was a staff writer for Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated show, The Problem With Jon Stewart. Jay has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon three times and has also been seen on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Comedy Central Featuring, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and HBO’s High Maintenance. Jay was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch in 2022. His album, Jay Jurden Y’all, debuted #1 on iTunes. He was listed on Vulture‘s Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2020 and was selected to be featured in Just for Laughs Festival’s New Faces in 2019.
LANGSTON KERMAN: September 18, 7pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Langston Kerman is an LA based comedian, writer, and actor. His hour-long comedy special Bad Poetry, directed and produced by John Mulaney, was named one of the best 10 specials of the year by Vulture. Langston recently wrote/produced for Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney (Netflix). As an actor Langston’s credits include roles on Abbot Elementary (ABC), English Teacher (FX) The Boys (Amazon), Insecure (HBO), Bless This Mess (ABC), Not Dead Yet (ABC), The Other Black Girl (Hulu/Onyx). Langston is currently developing a pilot at FX that he’s co-writing with Nick Kroll. He starred in, co-created and executive produced Bust Down (Peacock), with Sam Jay, Chris Redd and Jak Knight. He was the head writer/one of the executive producers of Pause With Sam Jay (HBO.. Langston also wrote for 2 seasons of South Side (HBO Max) and he recurs on the series as ‘Adam Bethune’. Langston’s podcast My Momma Told Me is part of Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network through iHeartMedia.
MARIA BAMFORD: September 27, 7pm | Bluma Appel Theatre
Maria Bamford is revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness. She’s the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult and is the star of four hour-long standup specials (Local Act, Weakness is the Brand, Old Baby and Maria Bamford: the special, special, special!) and the surreal, semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite, about a comedian who suffers a nervous breakdown. Maria was the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials and starred alongside Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis and Brian Posehn in The Comedians of Comedy. She also created and starred in the cult hit web series The Maria Bamford Show, in which she plays all the characters.
MARK FORWARD: September 19, 7pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Mark Forward will perform his third comedy special Mark Forward presents Safari Time, which will be recorded for future release. He has performed on John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show (Comedy Central), The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS), Funny As Hell (HBO) and Just For Laughs. TV work includes Hulu comedy series Letterkenny, Donny Mashman on Fargo (FX) and The Jon Dore Television Show. Mark has two specials: Mark Forward presents Mark Forward and Mark Forward Wins All the Awards.
RON FUNCHES: September 19, 7pm | Randolph Theatre
Ron Funches is an accomplished stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Ron has had many memorable television roles including The Goldbergs, Blackish, New Girl, Transparent, Single Drunk Female, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Powerless Undateable, and Loot. Ron has also co-starred in many feature films such as Get Hard alongside Will Ferrell, Lexi, Noelle, 6 Underground and 80 for Brady. Ron has leant his voice to many projects including DreamWorks’ Trolls, Disney’s Ivan The Great, Harley Quinn, Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time, Final Space, The Great North and many more. His personal appearances include Conan, The Tonight Show, Match Game, To Tell The Truth, Chopped, Cupcake Wars, Celebrity Family Feud, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and Nailed It.
SARAH MILLICAN: September 19 – 21 at 7pm | Meridian Hall
Following her sold out show in 2022, the hilarious Sarah Millican is back on tour with her brand new stand-up show Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer. Sarah is one the UK’s and, in recent years, the world’s most well-loved touring comedians. Her most recent tour Bobby Dazzler was seen by over 355,00 people around the globe. Sarah has toured with six live shows since 2010, which in total, have been seen by in excess of 1.3 million people. She is known for hosting three series of her critically acclaimed BBC2 series The Sarah Millican Television Programme, for which she received two BAFTA nominations. Sarah is a Sunday Times bestselling author with her debut book, How To Be Champion. In November 2019 she launched her own YouTube channel which has amassed 400,000 subscribers and over 66 million views.
QUEMADOS: September 21, 6:30pm & 9pm | Comedy Bar – Bloor
Fer Sanjiao is a Netflix-featured Argentinian comedian with 23 years of stand-up experience and six Comedy Central specials across Latin America and Spain. Fer has written for top Latin radio and TV, and regularly performs across the Spanish-speaking world. One of Argentina’s most beloved comedy voices.
Juan Cajiao is a Colombian-Canadian comedian, TEDx speaker, and co-founder of Latin Comedy Fest, North America’s largest Latin comedy festival. He’s performed over 1,000 shows across 16 countries, with appearances on Comedy Central and at top comedy festivals worldwide. Juan is also co-founder of MalPensando, Canada’s first Spanish-language comedy hub, and the reTHINK Group, which has trained 50,000+ professionals globally.
Stephan Dyer is a Costa Rican-Canadian comedian. A former Scotiabank exec turned comic, he’s performed 1,000+ shows in 17 countries—including his recent sold-out 9-city EuroTour. With 500K+ followers and 100M+ views, Stephan’s smart, bilingual comedy connects across cultures. He’s co-founder of Canada’s Latin Comedy Fest and just wrapped a 22-city sold-out national tour.
TODD BARRY: September 25, 7pm | Randolph Theatre
Todd Barry has released four one-hour stand-up specials including his latest one, Domestic Shorthair. He’s appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and Late Night with Seth Meyers. His acting credits include the feature films The Wrestler and Road Trip. He has also starred in several television series such as Flight of the Concords, Chappelle’s Show, Spin City, Sex and the City and many more. You may have heard his voice on the animated series Bob’s Burgers, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Todd is also the author of the critically-acclaimed 2017 travel memoir Thank You For Coming To Hattiesburg.
TWO DYKES AND A MIC: September 25 – 26, 7pm | Comedy Bar – Danforth
Two Dykes and a Mic is a weekly comedy podcast and touring live show. Comedians and IRL BFFs McKenzie Goodwin and Rachel Scanlon host the world’s greatest and gayest show of all time. Get your nose ready, because you’re about to snort queer joy and laugh your gay cans off. Hosts Rachel Scanlon and McKenzie Goodwin keep listeners up to date with “Gay News”, relationship advice with “Ask a Dyke”, dating horror stories with weekly “Bumble Fumbles”, fan favorite segments like “What’s Gayer” and “Who Tops Who” and more! McKenzie Goodwin is an LA-based comedian and writer. She’s been described as the“Norah Jones of comedy” due to her low energy, soft voice and repertoire of material that slaps HARD. Yes, she’s gay… stop asking. Rachel Scanlon is a stand up comedian from Minnesota. Ray has performed all over the country and legend has it, is the best comedian to ever live. You’ve seen Ray on Don’t Tell Comedy, JFL’s Straight Up Stand Up, and Comedy Central.
