Germany's stand-up runs in two languages. The Quatsch Comedy Club, which calls itself Germany's first stand-up comedy club and the place where German stand-up was founded in 1992, now puts a host and four comedians on stage in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart; NightWash has its own club on the Cologne Ring; and the Cologne Comedy Festival, on since 1991, makes the city a comedy stronghold for 20 days each year. In English, Epic Comedy Berlin and The Wall Comedy Club run shows through the week, Munich's Jungle Comedy Club opens its own room in October 2026, the Indra on Hamburg's Große Freiheit — where the Beatles played first — hosts Dark Comedy Matters, and Frankfurt's Comedy Community turns bars and restaurants into comedy clubs for a night.
The short answer
D.O.C. lists 12 comedy rooms and nights in Germany, in 6 cities — Berlin (3), Hamburg (3), Munich (2), Cologne, Frankfurt (2) and Stuttgart — each with a dated show on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026. The festivals ahead: Cologne Comedy Festival, Sunday 18 October to Friday 13 November 2026 and Hamburger Comedy Pokal, Friday 29 January to Monday 1 February 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.
D.O.C.'s Germany page: the comedy clubs and nights in six cities, in English and in German, the comedy on the road, the festivals, the newcomer contests and the routes in for comics, each from its own website.
Stand-up comedy in Berlin
Berlin's stand-up runs from the Quatsch Comedy Club in the basement of the Friedrichstadt-Palast to English nights in the cellar of Zosch on Tucholskystraße and at The Wall Comedy Club by Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain.
ShowsAn English-speaking comedy club with shows three nights a week: Saying the Wrong Thing on Wednesdays at The Wall Comedy in Friedrichshain, the Epic Comedy Showcase on Fridays in the cellar of Zosch in Mitte, and Darkest Thoughts on Saturdays at the Monbijou Theater, an improvised stand-up game show in which comedians turn the audience's anonymous thoughts into stand-up on the spot; every show is in English. source ↗
ListedThe Epic Comedy Showcase — Friday 9 October 2026, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micNot advertised on its site
Getting bookedIt runs no open mics; comedians who would like to be considered for a lineup get in touch through the contact form on its site. source ↗
TicketsPay what you want on Wednesdays and Fridays: €2 online holds a seat, and the rest is paid at the end of the show; €15 table seats on Fridays, and a fixed €15 ticket for Darkest Thoughts on Saturdays. Card and cash at the door. source ↗
AgeNo age limit of its own; German youth-protection law applies at its venues, and under-16s come with a parent or guardian. source ↗
AlsoOn Fridays doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm; pay-what-you-want reservations hold a seat until 8.45pm, then it is first come, first served at the door. source ↗
ShowsA Friedrichshain comedy club named as a tribute to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, with open mics and showcases of local and international comedians: on its October 2026 listings, On Fire! on Thursdays, the early Saturday Night Live Standup showcase, Epic Comedy Berlin's Saying the Wrong Thing on Wednesdays and Sunday shows in English. source ↗
ListedOn Fire! Scorching stand-up and crowd work — Thursday 8 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micOpen mic shows among its nights, alongside its showcases. source ↗
Getting bookedComedians apply for spots through Spotagig: create a performer profile, choose a show from its events and apply for a spot; the organiser confirms or declines there. source ↗
TicketsOn Fire! is pay what you want after the show, with €10–20 suggested (students and the unemployed €5–7); the Saturday Night Live Standup showcase is €10 early bird, up to €15 at the door. source ↗
AlsoComedians stay to meet the audience after the show, and guests are welcome to take pictures on the stage. source ↗
Friedrichstadt-Palast, Friedrichstraße 107, 10117 Berlin
ShowsGerman-language stand-up in the basement of the Friedrichstadt-Palast: Die Live Show, a host and four comedians chosen anew each week; Die Late Night Show on Saturdays, 70 minutes without a break; the Quatsch Comedy Hot Shot newcomer show; and an open mic in the BAR92 upstairs. The club calls itself Germany's first and best-known stand-up comedy club. source ↗
ListedDie Live Show, hosted by Tobi Freudenthal, with Hani Who, Hieronymus, Domenic Feller and Marvin Spencer — Thursday 8 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micOpen Mic in the BAR92, in the club's upper circle, on Sunday evenings: seven comedians try new material in a little under an hour; next on Sunday 11 October 2026 at 8.30pm, in by the side entrance on Ziegelstraße. source ↗
Getting bookedFor the BAR92 open mic, apply by email with a short introduction, a link or video of past sets and the date you want (the address is on its open mic page); for the Quatsch Comedy Hot Shot, apply with a stage video of about six minutes. source ↗
TicketsReduced prices for pupils, students and the unemployed; the box office opens an hour before the show, and guests are seated by the club's team. source ↗
AlsoThe show runs about two hours with a 15-minute interval; step-free access by the side entrance on Ziegelstraße, three wheelchair places in the circle, and live sound to your own phone for guests with hearing loss. source ↗
Hamburg's stand-up lives on and around the Reeperbahn in St. Pauli: the Quatsch Comedy Club at the Imperial Theater, the Comedy Club Hamburg on Talstraße and English nights at the Indra on Große Freiheit.
ShowsDie Live Show, a host and four comedians, on Wednesday nights at the Imperial Theater on the Reeperbahn — the club's first permanent home, from the mid-1990s to 2002 — on 7 October, 4 November and 2 December 2026 on its listings. source ↗
ListedDie Live Show, hosted by Christin Jugsch, with Amjad, Hani Who, Sandra Sprünken and Jens Heinrich Claassen — Wednesday 7 October 2026, 7pm, 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.
TicketsReduced tickets for pupils, students and the unemployed, by phone and online; the Imperial Theater's box office is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 6pm and until showtime on show days. source ↗
AlsoThe club's Hamburg shows moved to the Imperial Theater on 6 May 2026; the show runs about two hours with a 15-minute interval. source ↗
ShowsAn authentic comedy club with a cosy bar atmosphere in the middle of the Kiez by the Reeperbahn: about 90 minutes of live stand-up from Thursday to Sunday, with a host, a hand-picked mix of established comedians and fresh talent, and a ten-minute break. source ↗
ListedComedy Club Hamburg: Die Stand-up Comedy-Show — Thursday 8 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micGET UP Comedy open mic, Mondays at 8pm: eight to ten comedians try their newest jokes. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Tickets€20.90 for Thursday 8 October 2026; free seating, no need to print the ticket, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. source ↗
AlsoThe show room is step-free; arrive about 30 minutes before the start, with entry up to five minutes after. source ↗
ShowsThe music club on Große Freiheit "where the Beatles played first", with stand-up among its listings: Dark Comedy Matters in English, The Deportables English comedy show and the Freche Möwe comedy open mic. source ↗
ListedDark Comedy Matters: Burning Mic English Comedy Show — Tuesday 6 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micThe Freche Möwe Comedy Open Mic, on its listings on Monday 5 October 2026. source ↗
Getting bookedIts site publishes no submission route; ask the club in person.
Tickets€15 for Dark Comedy Matters; doors at 7.30pm. source ↗
AgeUnder-14s only with a parent or guardian, and 14- to 16-year-olds with an adult and a signed note from their parents, until midnight, under Germany's youth-protection law. source ↗
AlsoThe Deportables on Thursday 8 October 2026: five comedians from Brazil, China, India, Iran and the USA on life between worlds in Germany; €10 early bird, €15 normal. source ↗
Munich's English stand-up has a home of its own at The Jungle Comedy Club in Pineapple Park by the old Paketposthalle; the Quatsch Comedy Club plays the Nachtkantine in the Werksviertel by the Ostbahnhof.
ShowsMunich's first English comedy club, by its own name: the Jungle Comedy Showcase every Friday, two hours with four to six comedians, plus the Jungle Jam open mic, Scriptless Comedy, monthly roast battles judged by the audience, Jungle Jar, and solo shows from comedians touring Europe — on its October 2026 listings, Azeem Banatwalla on 18 October and Nathan Macintosh's I Have Questions European Tour on 21 October. source ↗
ListedGrand opening: Jungle Comedy Showcase, in its new venue — Friday 9 October 2026, 7pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micJungle Jam, an English stand-up open mic where beginners and pros try new jokes: on its listings on Monday 19 October 2026 at 8pm. source ↗
Getting bookedComedians are offered professional footage of their set, fast and transparent payment and backstage food and drink; spots and questions go through its For Comedians page. source ↗
AlsoIts own purpose-built room in Pineapple Park opens in October 2026: 407 m², six seating layouts from 100 to 300, with sound, lighting and filming built in. source ↗
ShowsDie Live Show, a host and four comedians, in the Nachtkantine on the Werksviertel-Mitte site by the Ostbahnhof: on its listings on Friday 20 November and on 11 and 12 December 2026. source ↗
ListedDie Live Show, hosted by Tobi Freudenthal, with Yonathan Litzius, Niclas Amling, Freddi Gralle and Robert Alan — Friday 20 November 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.
TicketsReserved seats can be booked here; reduced tickets for pupils, students and the unemployed; the box office opens an hour before the show and takes cards only. source ↗
Cologne's stand-up centres on the NightWash club on the Hohenstaufenring, by the Zülpicher Platz, which is also the Cologne Comedy Festival's hotspot each autumn.
ShowsNightWash's own club on the Cologne Ring, in the Kwartier Latäng: NightWash Live (a host and four comedians), recordings of NightWash, solo shows and a Comedy Open Mic on Tuesdays. source ↗
ListedNightWash, with Tony Bauer presenting the night's comedians (recorded for NightWash) — Wednesday 7 October 2026, 8pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micComedy Open Mic on Tuesdays at 8pm, for newcomers and seasoned pros alike: hosted by Bora on 6 October and by Freddy Ekué on 13 October 2026. source ↗
Getting bookedNightWash takes applications on its site, with a video recorded before a live audience; for comics just starting out it suggests open stages first. source ↗
AlsoSince autumn 2025 the Cologne Comedy Festival's hotspot, where newcomers compete for the NightWash Talent Award. source ↗
Frankfurt's stand-up moves around: The Comedy Community pops up in bars, restaurants and hotels near the main station and beyond, and the Kulturhaus Frankfurt on Pfingstweidstraße brings in English-language comedians on tour.
ShowsFrankfurt's pop-up comedy club: it turns bars, restaurants, theatres and unexpected spaces into comedy clubs for one night, with open mics, curated showcases, themed shows and touring acts in English, German and other languages. source ↗
ListedBest of Comedy! English stand-up showcase: four comedians and a host, 75 minutes — Friday 16 October 2026, 8.30pm, on its own listings when read on 4 October 2026 source ↗
Open micEnglish open mics on its October 2026 listings: Black Beat Comedy at the Black Beats cocktail bar (11 October), Caffeinated Comedy at Paul & Tim in the Europaviertel (15 October) and Comedy Kitchen at Francis (16 October). source ↗
Getting bookedComics sign up for open mic spots on its Open Mics calendar, which shows only the dates still open for sign-ups. source ↗
Tickets€13.93 to €16.90 for the English showcase; €9.97 to €11.93 for its open mics. source ↗
AlsoApplications for paid spots on its showcases are each reviewed by hand. source ↗
ShowsA theatre in the city centre, the home stage of the Katakombe theatre, open to other companies since 2013, with comedy among its theatre, cabaret, poetry slam and children's theatre. source ↗
ListedMustafa Algiyadi: Your Finest Second Cheapest Wine Please, stand-up in English — Thursday 8 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 venue in person.
TicketsFrom €12 online or €25 at the door for Mustafa Algiyadi; doors at 7.30pm, about 90 minutes. source ↗
Age16 and over for Mustafa Algiyadi's show. source ↗
AlsoEnglish stand-up on its October 2026 programme: Victor Patrascan (7 October), Mustafa Algiyadi (8 October) and RED MIC, six comedians in one recorded night (12 October). source ↗
SpardaWelt EventCenter, Am Hauptbahnhof 3, 70173 Stuttgart
ShowsDie Live Show, a host and four comedians from newcomer to star, at the SpardaWelt EventCenter a stone's throw from the main station since 2017: on its listings on 30 and 31 October and 27 and 28 November 2026. source ↗
ListedDie Live Show, hosted by Yalcin Norton, with Katharina Block, Johann Theisen, Gaston Stabiszewski and René Steinberg — Friday 30 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.
TicketsSold through the Rosenau Stuttgart and Reservix; advance prices hold until the day before the show; a reserved seat is €21 plus fees; the box office opens an hour before and takes cash only. source ↗
AlsoKatharina Block, on the 30 October bill, won the Hamburger Comedy Pokal in 2026, and Gaston Stabiszewski took its audience prize. source ↗
Victor Patrascan takes his English-language stand-up show The Biggest Problem in the World to ten German cities in October and November 2026, from Hamburg, Hannover and Münster to Leipzig, Düsseldorf and Essen. source ↗
Sunday 4 October 2026 — Centralkomitee, Hamburg (the 5.30pm show sold out)
Tuesday 6 October 2026 — Hannover Comedy Club, Hannover
Wednesday 7 October 2026 — Kulturhaus Frankfurt, Frankfurt (sold out)
Thursday 8 October 2026 — Kreativ-Haus, Münster
Friday 9 October 2026 — Sängerhalle Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, Stuttgart
Sunday 1 November 2026 — Kabarett-Theater Sanftwut, Leipzig
Tuesday 3 November 2026 — The Jungle Comedy Club, Munich
Wednesday 4 November 2026 — zhakk, Düsseldorf
Thursday 5 November 2026 — Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin (the 7pm show sold out)
Friday 6 November 2026 — Katakomben Theater, Essen
These nights have gone by; its own site has what is next.
On since 1991: around 150 shows at more than 30 venues and over 75,000 visitors a year, from stand-up, cabaret and live podcasts to the 1LIVE Comedy Nights XXL in the arenas of Cologne and Oberhausen, with the NightWash club as its hotspot for newcomers. Its 2026 programme lists shows from 18 October to 13 November, with the NightWash Talent Award final on Sunday 8 November. source ↗
The 24th Hamburg comedy cup: acts play two to a stage in ten Hamburg culture centres in the main round on Friday 29 January, five semi-finals follow on Saturday 30 January, a second-chance show at the Schmidt Theater on Sunday 31 January, and the final on Monday 1 February 2027. Main-round tickets from €18. source ↗
NightWash's yearly contest for newcomers at the Cologne Comedy Festival: two preliminary rounds of ten acts each, the audience votes six into the final and two more come in by an online wild card, and the eight compete for the award. Applications for 2026 ran from January to the end of August. source ↗
The Quatsch Comedy Club Berlin's newcomer contest on the first Sunday of each month: up to eight new comedians get six minutes each and the audience's applause decides; three times in the top three wins a Golden Ticket into Die Live Show, and a yearly final before a jury including founder Thomas Hermanns crowns the Hot Shot of the Year. Cindy aus Marzahn won in 2005, and Felix Lobrecht, Lisa Feller, Tutty Tran and Chris Tall are among the more than 1,100 who have taken part. Next on Sunday 1 November 2026. source ↗
The 2026 cup went to Katharina Block, with Philipp Schlüter second, Jane Mumford third and Gaston Stabiszewski winning the audience prize; 20 acts are nominated for the 2027 cup. source ↗
For comics: getting on stage in Germany
The routes to the stage the rooms and festivals publish themselves.
Send a recent stage video of about six minutes, as a link, at least two months before the quarter you want: by 1 November for January to March, 1 February for April to June and 1 July for September to November. Acts are judged on stage presence, laughs, fresh perspectives, originality and the build of the set. source ↗
Upstairs in the BAR92 at the Friedrichstadt-Palast, on its listings on Sundays, for rising and established comedians testing new material: apply by email with who you are, how you came to comedy, a link or video and the date you want. source ↗
English and German open mics in bars and restaurants around Frankfurt; comics sign up on its Open Mics calendar, which lists only the dates still open. source ↗
Applications for the 25th cup open on 15 March 2027 and close on 1 July 2027: solo acts, duos and trios in comedy, stand-up, cabaret and musical comedy with at least 45 minutes of stage material, sending a video of at least 15 minutes with a short biography. Past winners include Chris Tall (2014), Helene Bockhorst (2018) and Robert Alan (2025). 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.
Questions about stand-up comedy in Germany
Where can I see stand-up comedy in Germany?
In Berlin, Epic Comedy Berlin, The Wall Comedy and Quatsch Comedy Club Berlin; in Hamburg, Quatsch Comedy Club Hamburg, Comedy Club Hamburg and The Indra; in Munich, The Jungle Comedy Club and Quatsch Comedy Club München; in Cologne, NightWash club; in Frankfurt, The Comedy Community and Kulturhaus Frankfurt; in Stuttgart, Quatsch Comedy Club Stuttgart. 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 Germany?
Each room sets its own rule: Epic Comedy Berlin: no age limit of its own; German youth-protection law applies at its venues, and under-16s come with a parent or guardian; The Indra: under-14s only with a parent or guardian, and 14- to 16-year-olds with an adult and a signed note from their parents, until midnight, under Germany's youth-protection law; Kulturhaus Frankfurt: 16 and over for Mustafa Algiyadi's show.
How do new comedians get on stage in Germany?
Quatsch Comedy Hot Shot: applications — Send a recent stage video of about six minutes, as a link, at least two months before the quarter you want: by 1 November for January to March, 1 February for April to June and 1 July for September to November. Acts are judged on stage presence, laughs, fresh perspectives, originality and the build of the set. Open Mic in the BAR92, Quatsch Comedy Club Berlin — Upstairs in the BAR92 at the Friedrichstadt-Palast, on its listings on Sundays, for rising and established comedians testing new material: apply by email with who you are, how you came to comedy, a link or video and the date you want. The Wall Comedy Club: apply for shows — Berlin comics apply for spots on The Wall's shows through a Spotagig performer profile, choosing a show and applying from its page. Jungle Jam at The Jungle Comedy Club, Munich — An English stand-up open mic where beginners and pros alike try new jokes, next on Monday 19 October 2026 at 8pm. The Comedy Community open mics, Frankfurt — English and German open mics in bars and restaurants around Frankfurt; comics sign up on its Open Mics calendar, which lists only the dates still open. Hamburger Comedy Pokal 2028: applications — Applications for the 25th cup open on 15 March 2027 and close on 1 July 2027: solo acts, duos and trios in comedy, stand-up, cabaret and musical comedy with at least 45 minutes of stage material, sending a video of at least 15 minutes with a short biography. Past winners include Chris Tall (2014), Helene Bockhorst (2018) and Robert Alan (2025).
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. 13 sites, 49 pages:
