Canada has given stand-up some of its most familiar voices, and its comedy rooms run from coast to coast. Yuk Yuk's began in Toronto in 1976 as a weekly open stage in a basement hall at the 519 community centre and now has clubs from Halifax to Surrey; Montreal's Comedy Nest has been a home for English-language stand-up since 1979, when it opened as Stitches; Just for Laughs has filled Montreal each summer for more than forty years; and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival returns for its 26th edition in the spring of 2027. The rooms below, from casino showrooms to a Queen Street West club that calls itself so small it's funny, keep the stages lit through the year.
The short answer
D.O.C. lists 18 comedy rooms and nights in Canada, in 8 cities — Toronto (5), Montreal (2), Greater Vancouver (2), Calgary (2), Edmonton (2), Ottawa (3), Winnipeg and Halifax — each with a dated show on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026. The festivals ahead: Sorry! Comedy Festival, Wednesday 4 November to Saturday 7 November 2026 and Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Monday 26 April to Sunday 2 May 2027. Below: each room's nights, its open mic and how comics get on, tickets and the age rule; the comedy on the road; the festivals and awards; and the 16 comedians SUCDb holds who came up in Canada.
D.O.C.'s Canada page: the comedy clubs and nights in eight cities, the festivals and the awards, each from its own website, with the comedians SUCDb holds who came up in Canada.
Stand-up comedy in Toronto
Toronto's rooms run from Yuk Yuk's on Richmond Street West and Comedy Bar's stages on Bloor Street and the Danforth to Absolute Comedy on Yonge Street and The Corner, tucked in an alley off Queen Street West.
ShowsShows Tuesday to Sunday: Amateur Night on Tuesdays, professional comedians Wednesday to Saturday, with a headliner who changes each week and an MC and three to six openers who change nightly. source ↗
ListedBryan O'Gorman — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micLegendary Amateur Night, Tuesdays: students from Humber College's School of Comedy at 7.30pm and the club's regular amateurs at 9.30pm, CA$5 plus tax for both shows. source ↗
Getting bookedTo perform on Amateur Night, watch a show first, then request a five-minute spot by email (the address is on the Amateur Night page); lottery spots are also drawn from a bucket at the club on the night. Five minutes of original material — no auditions. source ↗
TicketsTickets are final sale and seating is first come, first served; special shows have no held seating. source ↗
Age19 and over; 16- to 18-year-olds may attend with an adult, and children under 16 may not. source ↗
ShowsTwo stages, seven nights a week — sketch, improv, alternative and stand-up — at Toronto's independent comedy hub, across from Ossington Station; Comedy Slam, a weekly professional stand-up showcase, runs every Tuesday. source ↗
ListedComedy Slam — Tuesday 6 October 2026, 9.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micLate Mic T.O., Sundays: a late-night talk-show open mic with three-minute stand-up sets and five-minute bits; sign-up at 9.30pm, show at 10pm. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsComedy Slam is CA$10; the bar opens daily at 6pm and needs no ticket. source ↗
Age14 and over, with guests under 19 accompanied by a parent or guardian; ID may be asked for. source ↗
AlsoThe entrance is 16 steps down, so the Bloor club is not wheelchair accessible; inside, both theatres, the bar and the washrooms are on one level. source ↗
ShowsComedy Bar's east-end home, a short walk from Main Street station: touring headliners, stand-up showcases and improv, with a kitchen and dining room; fully accessible. source ↗
ListedAnthony Locascio — Thursday 8 October 2026, 9pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micComedy Bar's Hot Mic, Tuesdays at 8.30pm in the Studio Theatre: emerging comics with a professional host, and names drawn from a bucket (in by 8.30pm); CA$13. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Age14 and over, with guests under 19 accompanied by a parent or guardian. source ↗
ShowsShows Tuesday to Sunday: a headliner and MC each week, and in October 2026 the Prove You're a Comic Competition on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. source ↗
ListedDylan Rhymer, with MC Brad Doiron — Friday 9 October 2026, 9pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Shows"So small, it's funny": an intimate club tucked in a quiet alley just south of Queen Street, with showcases of Toronto comedians doing 15-minute sets from Thursday to Sunday and a Pro Open Mic on Wednesdays. source ↗
ListedThursday Showcase, with Ernie Vicente, Jacob Balshin, Thea Rainford, Gee Gethiga, Rasha Elfeky and Monty Scott — Thursday 8 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micThe Corner Open Mic, the last Tuesday of each month: 24 pre-booked comics, three minutes each. source ↗
Getting bookedComics apply through the open mic application form; performers are considered for guest spots and paid showcase sets. source ↗
TicketsCA$12 on Tuesdays, CA$22 Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, CA$27 Friday and Saturday; very limited seating. source ↗
Montreal's English-language stand-up home is The Comedy Nest in the old Forum; in French, Le Bordel runs shows most nights on rue Ontario, in the Quartier des spectacles, where Just for Laughs takes over each July.
2313 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest (3rd floor of the Montreal Forum), Montreal QC H3H 1N2
ShowsMontreal's original English-language comedy club, founded by Ernie Butler in 1979 as Stitches, and an official Just for Laughs venue: headliners, Festival Faves (nine comedians in 90 minutes), The Comedy Lab Show on Wednesdays and Newbie Tuesday, across from Atwater Metro. source ↗
ListedFestival Faves, with Joey Elias, Cedric Newman, Will Murphy, Fabrice Gaudillat and Andrew Khoury — Thursday 8 October 2026, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNewbie Tuesday: people with day jobs take their first steps in stand-up, with pros dropping in to try new jokes; CA$6. source ↗
Getting bookedNew comics get a Newbie Tuesday spot by email (the address is on its Get on Open Mic page): five minutes, original jokes, no crowd work; the show is booked three to five weeks ahead. source ↗
AlsoWheelchair accessible, with indoor parking in the Forum complex. source ↗
ShowsFrench-language stand-up in two neighbouring rooms, Le Bordel 1 and Le Bordel 2, in the Quartier des spectacles: Comédie club nights of five seasoned comedians revealed during the show, Comédie club découvertes, the Gong Show, open mics and "60 minutes avec" a guest comedian; founded by six comedians, and marking its first ten years with a book. source ↗
ListedLouis T — 60 minutes of new material, with an opening act — Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7.15pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micOpen-Mic nights, where comedians of every level try new material — on its calendar on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 9.30pm, CA$10 plus taxes. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsLouis T is CA$25 plus taxes, sold by the table; no refunds or date changes after purchase. source ↗
In Vancouver, Comedy After Dark serves dinner and stand-up where the stadium district meets Gastown; Yuk Yuk's has a club at Elements Casino in Surrey.
ShowsA comedy restaurant and bar with live stand-up: Taco Tuesday (an all-ladies show at 7.30pm and a new-comic show at 9.30pm), wings-and-comedy nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Friday and Saturday shows, dinner-and-comedy matinee showcases, and the Midnight Mic on Friday and Saturday nights. source ↗
ListedSunday Night Live, uncensored stand-up comedy — Sunday 4 October 2026, 7.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micOpen mic nights: the 9.30pm new-comic show on Taco Tuesday and the Midnight Mic, Fridays and Saturdays at midnight. source ↗
Getting bookedComics sign up for the open mics through the club's open mic sign-up registry, linked from its upcoming-shows page. source ↗
AlsoA full diner and cocktail bar under one roof; arriving early gets the best tables. source ↗
Elements Casino Surrey, 17755 60 Ave, Surrey BC V3S 1V3
ShowsHeadliners on Friday and Saturday, with a host and an opener; on Thursdays, showcases of new and rising comics such as Pro Or Penalty Box and the Rising Comics League; 100 seats, fully wheelchair accessible. source ↗
ListedTodd Ness — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Age19 and over, with two pieces of valid government-issued ID checked at the door. source ↗
Elbow River Casino, 218 18th Avenue SE, Calgary AB T2G 1L1
ShowsHeadliners on Friday and Saturday, two shows a night; through the week, Canada's Next Best Comic Search, Young Stars All Guns (a showcase of Calgary's rising stand-ups) and Amateur Night; 225 seats. source ↗
ListedChris Higgins — Friday 9 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micAmateur Night — Calgary, on its listings on Thursday 15 October 2026 at 7.30pm. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsSeats are held for tickets bought on the club's own web page, assigned on show night by party size. source ↗
Age18 and over, with no minors on the premises; government-issued ID is needed to enter the casino. source ↗
Hotel Blackfoot, 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary AB T2H 2B5
ShowsNational touring comedians, local favourites and international names, Wednesday to Saturday: 8pm Wednesday to Friday, 6.30pm and 9pm on Saturday; on its listings Ryan Long from 12 to 14 November 2026 and Henry Sir on 4 February 2027. source ↗
ListedJason Cheny — Friday 9 October 2026, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsRegular shows CA$14.95 on Wednesday and Thursday and CA$21.95 on Friday and Saturday; concert events cost more (Jason Cheny from CA$29.95). Rush seating, doors 60 minutes before the show. source ↗
Age18 and over; anyone who appears under 30 needs government-issued photo ID. source ↗
AlsoComedy classes, and free parking at the hotel. source ↗
Century Casino, 13103 Fort Road NW, Edmonton AB T5A 1C3
ShowsHeadliners on Friday and Saturday with a host and a middle act, and Pro-Am Nights of professional and amateur comics on Thursdays (8 and 29 October 2026 on its listings); 120 seats, fully wheelchair accessible. source ↗
ListedJason Ellis, with Brett Forte — Friday 9 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micPro-Am Night at 7.30pm (doors at 7pm), next on Thursday 8 October 2026. source ↗
Getting bookedTo perform on Pro-Am Night, email the club on a Thursday asking for a spot the following week; it books only six days ahead and posts the line-up on its Amateur Nights page on Friday. source ↗
Age18 and over, with no minors on the premises; government-issued ID is required. source ↗
8882 170th Street, Unit #1646, Bourbon Street, West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton AB T5T 4M2
ShowsEdmonton's home for laughs on Bourbon Street in West Edmonton Mall, with seating for 300: touring headliners, Moon Mondays and Triple Threat Tuesday. source ↗
ListedNick Murphy (special presentation) — Thursday 8 October 2026, 7.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsFirst come, first served; groups of six or more get reserved seating. source ↗
AgeEarly shows admit 16 and over with someone 18 or older; late shows are 18 and over. source ↗
AlsoHospitality-industry workers get in free on Sunday nights with a valid payslip or badge. source ↗
ShowsSeven nights a week: Open Mic Monday, a Tuesday showcase, a Wednesday Pro-Am show and a headliner with an MC from Thursday to Sunday. source ↗
ListedDino Archie, with MC David Pryde — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micOpen Mic Monday at 8.30pm, CA$10. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsCA$15 Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, CA$25 Friday and Saturday; reservations required, and arriving 40 minutes early gets better seats. source ↗
Age19 and over; guests under 19 may come with an adult, though the club does not recommend shows for anyone under 16. source ↗
ShowsOttawa's comedy speakeasy: national headliners in an intimate brick room downstairs, with dinner and drinks served at the table through the show and a table lamp to call a server; celebrating its fifth anniversary. source ↗
ListedTracy Hamilton — Saturday 10 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micPros n Joes open mic, which runs when the club schedules it rather than weekly. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
TicketsCA$15.79 to CA$37.80 on its October 2026 listings, with HST and some fees added at checkout; doors an hour before showtime. source ↗
Age19 and over with valid photo ID, unless a show says otherwise. source ↗
AlsoDownstairs, by stairs only — there is no elevator. source ↗
Yuk Yuk's on Argyle Street brings headliners in on weekends, and Halifax ComedyFest, on since 1995 and broadcast on CBC Television, comes back each spring.
ShowsHeadliners on Friday and Saturday at 8pm, with a host and a middle act — shows generally feature three comedians and run 90 minutes to two hours; Pro-Am and open mic nights on Thursdays. source ↗
ListedTravis Lindsay, with Dan Hendricken and Roslyn Kennery — Friday 9 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Beyond its clubs, Yuk Yuk's takes stand-up on the road to towns in Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, from Kingston, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie to Regina, Abbotsford and White Rock. source ↗
Saturday 10 October 2026 — Kingston, Ontario — Casey Corbin
Saturday 10 October 2026 — Regina, Saskatchewan — Joel Jeffrey, with Connor Shram
Friday 20 November 2026 — North Bay, Ontario — Chris Quigley, with Ryan Dillon
These nights have gone by; its own site has what is next.
Four days of comedy in London, Ontario — stand-up, improv, roast battles and workshops, with Matteo Lane, Steph Tolev and Chris Fleming on the main stage at Centennial Hall, and the finals of Canada's Next Best Comic Search. source ↗
Founded in 2002 by Lara Rae and CBC Radio's Tom Anniko with the Gas Station Arts Centre, which produces it; its shows are broadcast on CBC Television. 2027 is its 26th edition. source ↗
For more than forty years, nearly two weeks of comedy each summer in the Quartier des spectacles and venues across Montreal — renowned performers, rising stars and new talent. The 2026 festival ran from 15 to 26 July. source ↗
Canada's music awards give a prize for the comedy album of the year, presented by SiriusXM Canada. The 2026 winner: Adam Christie, for Dragonflies; the nominees were Charlie Demers, Dave Merheje, Faris Hytiaa and Robby Hoffman. source ↗
The Sorry! Comedy Festival's national talent search: six weeks of local rounds in twelve cities, from Calgary and Charlottetown to Vancouver and Winnipeg, with each city's winner flown to London, Ontario, for the finals at Wolf Performance Hall on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and the chance to open for a festival headliner. Ryan Visser won the first search and Bradley Fung the last. source ↗
Just for Laughs' contest for up-and-coming French-speaking comedians: a prize package worth about CA$10,000, with a place at its 2027 festivals and a tour of partner festivals in Europe. Registration for the current contest has closed. source ↗
For comics: getting on stage in Canada
The routes to the stage the rooms and festivals publish themselves.
Tuesdays: request a five-minute spot by email after watching a show, or put a name in the bucket on the night for a lottery spot. Original material, no auditions. source ↗
The last Tuesday of each month in Toronto: 24 pre-booked comics doing three minutes, chosen from an application form and considered for guest spots and paid showcase sets. source ↗
Open until Saturday 31 October 2026 for the festival's themed, televised Mega Shows: an unlisted video link of an 8- to 10-minute set (material new to a national audience), a short bio and at least five years' stand-up experience. source ↗
The festival is taped for CBC Television and asks for an 8- to 10-minute corporate-clean video, a short bio and where you would fly in from. Applications for 2027 closed on 1 October 2026. source ↗
Each room's line above says whether it runs an open mic and how it books. At home in the United States,
Stage Time has open mics by night and the Gig Board has calls for comics.
Canadian comedians in SUCDb
The comedians SUCDb holds who came up in Canada, each with their record — and their next date when the Comedy Calendar has one.
From Toronto: a 2004 Comedy Now! special made his name, and in 2013 Notorious made him the first comedian with a Netflix stand-up special; he has also hosted the Juno Awards. The Comedy Nest in Montreal names him among the comics its stage launched.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Thursday 8 October 2026 · Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick, NJ
Known for an unusually dry, joke-forward style and for anchoring Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live; his special Nothing Special received three Emmy nominations. The Comedy Nest in Montreal names him among the comics its stage launched.
One of Canada's most influential club comics: a Just for Laughs regular whose On Target was the first one-hour prime-time stand-up special by a comic in CBC history.
From Winnipeg: he came up through Chicago's Second City, appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more than 130 times, directed episodes of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and talks with fellow comedians on Inside Comedy.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From Toronto: he began stand-up in 1984 while at Sheridan College and played Toronto for seven years before Los Angeles; known for Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary, and the creator of Puppy Dog Pals.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Friday 9 October 2026 · Magooby's Joke House, Timonium, MD
From Halifax: the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Newcomer in 2009, The Tonight Show three times, and Money Never Wakes, named the best YouTube special of 2023 by The New York Times; Down With Tech was a 2025 Juno nominee.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Thursday 8 October 2026 · Tempe Improv, Tempe, AZ
From Ottawa: a 2013 Canadian Comedy Award nominee for Best Breakout Artist, with the specials Stupid Jokes (2020), Low Talking & Yelling (2024) and Pete & Me (2026).
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Thursday 12 November 2026 · Mic Drop Comedy Detroit, Detroit, MI
A Second City alumnus whose album Trillipino was a 2022 Juno nominee; a regular at Just for Laughs in Montreal and the Halifax and Winnipeg festivals, he has headlined Massey Hall.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Thursday 29 October 2026 · Chicago Improv, Schaumburg, IL
From Ontario: his album Straight White Fail was a 2020 Juno nominee, and he was a Just for Laughs New Face in 2022 who has headlined across Canada with Yuk Yuk's.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
Born and raised in Toronto, now in Vancouver: Just for Laughs, the Winnipeg and Halifax festivals and CBC's The Debaters, and a 2023 Canadian Screen Award as a writer.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Thursday 29 October 2026 · Irvine Improv, Irvine, CA
From Edmonton: a former All-Canadian basketball player turned comedian, seen on Just for Laughs New Faces and CBC's New Wave of Stand Up. The Laugh Shop in Calgary lists him on 4 February 2027.
Next on the Comedy Calendar: Friday 9 October 2026 · Commodore Grand Cafe & Lounge, Kamloops, BC
From Toronto: he created Torontopia and That Guy for CBC Comedy before New York, and his specials include White Immigrant (2022) and Problem Solved (2024). The Laugh Shop in Calgary lists him from 12 to 14 November 2026.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
Her debut hour Filth Queen premiered on Netflix in 2025; she headlines the Sorry! Comedy Festival's main stage in London, Ontario, on Friday 6 November 2026.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
From North Bay, Ontario: nonverbal, he delivers his punchlines through a text-to-speech app, won a Golden Ticket on Kill Tony and reached the finals of America's Got Talent in 2023. Comedy Bar Danforth lists him on 2 and 3 April 2027.
No date on the Comedy Calendar just now · their record →
Questions about stand-up comedy in Canada
Where can I see stand-up comedy in Canada?
In Toronto, Yuk Yuk's Toronto, Comedy Bar Bloor, Comedy Bar Danforth, Absolute Comedy Toronto and The Corner Comedy Club; in Montreal, The Comedy Nest and Le Bordel; in Greater Vancouver, Comedy After Dark and Yuk Yuk's Surrey; in Calgary, Yuk Yuk's Calgary and The Laugh Shop; in Edmonton, Yuk Yuk's Edmonton and The Comic Strip; in Ottawa, Yuk Yuk's Ottawa, Absolute Comedy Ottawa and Laugh Lounge; in Winnipeg, Rumor's; in Halifax, Yuk Yuk's Halifax. Each had a dated show on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026; its line above has the address, the nights and the age rule.
What age do you need to be for comedy clubs in Canada?
12 of the 18 rooms listed here say 18 or 19 and over for their evening comedy, but the rule is each room's own: Yuk Yuk's Toronto: 19 and over; 16- to 18-year-olds may attend with an adult, and children under 16 may not; Comedy Bar Bloor: 14 and over, with guests under 19 accompanied by a parent or guardian; ID may be asked for; Comedy Bar Danforth: 14 and over, with guests under 19 accompanied by a parent or guardian; Absolute Comedy Toronto: 19 and over; guests under 19 may come with an adult, though the club does not recommend shows for anyone under 16; Le Bordel: 18 and over; Yuk Yuk's Surrey: 19 and over, with two pieces of valid government-issued ID checked at the door; Yuk Yuk's Calgary: 18 and over, with no minors on the premises; government-issued ID is needed to enter the casino; The Laugh Shop: 18 and over; anyone who appears under 30 needs government-issued photo ID; Yuk Yuk's Edmonton: 18 and over, with no minors on the premises; government-issued ID is required; The Comic Strip: Early shows admit 16 and over with someone 18 or older; late shows are 18 and over; Yuk Yuk's Ottawa: 16 and over; Absolute Comedy Ottawa: 19 and over; guests under 19 may come with an adult, though the club does not recommend shows for anyone under 16; Laugh Lounge: 19 and over with valid photo ID, unless a show says otherwise; Rumor's: 18 and over; ID needed if you are under 30; Yuk Yuk's Halifax: 19 and over, with government-issued ID checked at the door.
How do new comedians get on stage in Canada?
Legendary Amateur Night at Yuk Yuk's Toronto — Tuesdays: request a five-minute spot by email after watching a show, or put a name in the bucket on the night for a lottery spot. Original material, no auditions. Newbie Tuesday at The Comedy Nest — Montreal's first-timers' night: five minutes of original jokes, booked by email three to five weeks ahead. The Corner Open Mic — The last Tuesday of each month in Toronto: 24 pre-booked comics doing three minutes, chosen from an application form and considered for guest spots and paid showcase sets. Winnipeg Comedy Festival: 2027 submissions — Open until Saturday 31 October 2026 for the festival's themed, televised Mega Shows: an unlisted video link of an 8- to 10-minute set (material new to a national audience), a short bio and at least five years' stand-up experience. Halifax ComedyFest: applications — The festival is taped for CBC Television and asks for an 8- to 10-minute corporate-clean video, a short bio and where you would fly in from. Applications for 2027 closed on 1 October 2026.
Which Canadian comedians are in SUCDb?
Russell Peters, Norm Macdonald, Mike MacDonald, David Steinberg, Brent Butt, Harland Williams, Nathan Macintosh, Graham Kay, Sophie Buddle, Keith Pedro, Jarrett Campbell, Julie Kim, Henry Sir, Ryan Long, Steph Tolev and Ahren Belisle — each with a record of their career and its sources.
Sources
Each fact on this page is from the room's, festival's or award's own website, read on 4 October 2026; the
comedians' lines are from their SUCDb records, which carry their own sources. 16 sites, 77 pages:
