Stand-up comedian · Austin, TX

Ben Bankas

Who Ben Bankas is

Ben Bankas is a Toronto-born stand-up comedian based in Austin, Texas, whose act takes on politics, current events and pop culture. He has built a large online audience with clips and a run of full-length specials released on his YouTube channel, from Please, Wear a Mask (2022) to R U Mad? (2026), and hosts the podcast The Bankas Show. He is a regular at the Comedy Mothership, has performed at the Comedy Store and the Hollywood Improv, and in 2023 ran a joke campaign in Toronto's mayoral by-election.

At a glance

Based in: Austin, TX
Stand-up specials: R U Mad?, INVASION, BANKASAID and 4 more
Podcasts: The Bankas Show
Next on stage: 20 October 2026 — Hollywood Improv, Hollywood, CA
Official site: benbankas.com ↗

On stage

Tuesday 20 October 2026, 7:30 PM (Ben Bankas & Friends) at Hollywood Improv, Hollywood, CA · the listing ↗
Tuesday 20 October 2026, 9:30 PM (Ben Bankas & Friends) at Hollywood Improv, Hollywood, CA · the listing ↗
Wednesday 21 October 2026, 7:30 PM at Ontario Improv, Ontario, CA · the listing ↗
Thursday 22 October 2026, 7:30 PM at Brea Improv, Brea, CA · the listing ↗
Thursday 14 January 2027, 8:00 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Friday 15 January 2027, 7:30 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Friday 15 January 2027, 9:45 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Saturday 16 January 2027, 7:00 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Saturday 16 January 2027, 9:30 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Sunday 17 January 2027, 6:00 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA · the listing ↗
Friday 26 February 2027, 7:00 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Milwaukee Improv, Brookfield, WI · the listing ↗
Friday 26 February 2027, 9:15 PM (BEN BANKAS: ON THIN ICE) at Milwaukee Improv, Brookfield, WI · the listing ↗

Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

R U Mad? 2026, YouTube
INVASION 2025, YouTube
BANKASAID 2025, YouTube
Elect This 2024, YouTube
PERMISSION 2 LAUGH 2024, YouTube
GAYTATORSHIP 2023, YouTube
Please, Wear a Mask 2022, YouTube

Podcasts

The Bankas Show host, podcast

Career timeline

2022Please, Wear a Mask (2022, YouTube) Special
2023GAYTATORSHIP (2023, YouTube) Special
2024Elect This (2024, YouTube) Special
2024PERMISSION 2 LAUGH (2024, YouTube) Special
2025INVASION (2025, YouTube) Special
2025BANKASAID (2025, YouTube) Special
2026R U Mad? (2026, YouTube) Special

Questions about Ben Bankas

Where is Ben Bankas performing next?

Tuesday 20 October 2026, 7:30 PM (Ben Bankas & Friends) at Hollywood Improv, Hollywood, CA, then 11 more dates on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar. Each show's own listing has the last word.

What stand-up specials have they released?

R U Mad?, INVASION, BANKASAID, Elect This, PERMISSION 2 LAUGH, GAYTATORSHIP and Please, Wear a Mask.

What podcast do they host?

The Bankas Show.

Where are they based?

Austin, TX, as their record gives it.

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.

Their SUCDb record →Their own site ↗

Sources

Ben Bankas — official site ↗ Upcoming shows list (72 dates, from 30 September 2026) (read 29 September 2026)
Ben Bankas — official site, Bio ↗ Toronto born, Austin based; stand-up on politics, events and pop culture; host of The Bankas Show; specials GAYTATORSHIP and Please, Wear a Mask (read 29…
Ben Bankas — official site, Specials ↗ Full specials including R U Mad? and Elect This, embedded from his YouTube channel (read 29 September 2026)
The Improv — Ben Bankas ↗ Bio: regular at the Comedy Mothership; has performed at the Comedy Store and the Hollywood Improv, The Stand and New York Comedy Club; Hollywood Improv 20…
Wikipedia — 2026 in stand-up comedy ↗ 22 June: Ben Bankas's special R U Mad? on YouTube (read 29 September 2026)
Wikipedia — 2024 in stand-up comedy ↗ 20 October: Ben Bankas's special Elect This on YouTube (read 29 September 2026)
Wikipedia — 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election ↗ Ben Bankas listed as a comedian running a joke campaign (read 29 September 2026)
YouTube (BenBankasComedy) — R U MAD? ↗ Full special, published 22 June 2026; the channel's other full specials were published from July 2022 to September 2025 (read 29 September 2026)

Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 29 September 2026