Stand-up comedy career paths: a map, not a ladder

Published routeNew York, NY · Showcase · Email

Gotham Comedy Club, New Talent

A 2–5 minute tape with clean audio and a clear view of you on stage, to be considered for a New Talent Showcase.

Worth knowing. A showcase spot is stage time, not a paid club booking.

Published routeBrooklyn, NY · Showcase · Form

EastVille Comedy Club, Rising Stars

A short bio and a performance video link anyone can open, for the weekly Rising Stars Showcase and other new-talent shows.

Worth knowing. The form also signs you up for an alert when the next showcase is being booked.

Published routeBrooklyn, NY · Club spots · Form

Bushwick Comedy Club, local comics

Local comics have their own submission link; producers pitch a show by email.

Published routeBrooklyn, NY · Club spots · Form

Bushwick Comedy Club, out-of-town comics

Your best five minutes as a YouTube link and a definite window of dates, sent at least two months before them. It books entirely from video, and answers only the comics it picks.

Published routeNew York, NY · Independent show · Form

Tight Pants Comedy

Producers of a showcase at St. Marks Comedy Club; the site’s “Comics: Submit Tape” link is the way in.

Published routeNew York, NY · Produce a show · Pitch

Caveat, pitch a show

Pitch a whole show of 60–90 minutes: Caveat mostly hosts comedy that is smart, nerdy or informative. Not a route to a guest spot.

Published routeForest Park, IL · Club spots · Form

BABS Comedy Club, Local Laughs

Apply through its form for the Friday Local Laughs Showcase; one person books the comics and watches every clip sent.

Published routeNashville, TN · Club spots · Email

Zanies Nashville

Email a 5–10 minute clip, a paragraph about you and your comedy, and any stage references, venues played and headliners you’ve featured for.

Worth knowing. Its booker gets in touch only if there’s an opening.

Published routeLos Angeles, CA · Club spots · Form

Laugh Factory Hollywood

A video submission form on its website for its booking team, and a Tuesday open mic, 5:30–6:30 PM, with sign-up in person from 5:00.

Worth knowing. Its FAQ says neither the form nor the open mic guarantees a booking.

Published routeBurbank, CA · Produce a show · Form

Flappers, independent producers

A proposal for a show you produce: the concept, the room you want, your audience and your marketing plan.

Worth knowing. The form asks whether you can buy $200 worth of tickets to hold the space: know the terms before you agree.

Published routeEugene, OR · Headline · Email

Lexy’s Comedy Club, headliners

Headlining is for comics with an established body of work and a 45–60 minute set; its page lists what to send for each kind of opportunity.

Published routeEugene, OR · Audition · Form

Lexy’s Comedy Club, Eugene’s Got Jokes

A 5–10 minute set as a video link, a headshot and your website or EPK, to audition with two 5-minute sets before a live audience and a panel of bookers.

Worth knowing. Auditioning means agreeing to be recorded: read its recording and media consent first.

Published routeSeattle, WA · Audition · Form

Laughs Comedy Club

Its auditions and booking sign-up form; the club’s founder is its new-talent coordinator.

Published routeSeattle, WA · Club spots · Form

Emerald City Comedy Club

Its contact page says it is accepting comics’ submissions, through the form it links.

Worth knowing. Its email address on that page is for tickets, not bookings.

Published routeLafayette, LA · Club spots · Form

Lafayette Comedy

A 5–10 minute stand-up video, not set to private, the role you want (host, opener, feature, headliner) and references who can vouch for you. Its own examples of set lengths: a feature 10–25 minutes.

Worth knowing. It mostly brings in national touring comics; the showcases are where it books others.

Published routeCleveland, OH · Independent show · Email

Henceforth Comedy

A high-quality video of a recent five-minute set and your credits: festivals, clubs, television and other professional bookings.

Worth knowing. It can’t answer every submission; send again after 90 days with a new video.

Published routeDayton, OH · Independent show · Form

Gem City Comedy

A form for comics in the Dayton and greater Miami Valley scene: tell it about you and add a clip of your work, to be kept in mind for future shows.

Published routeTulsa, OK · Club spots · Form

Bricktown Comedy Club

The club’s contact page links BARK Entertainment’s comic submission form, shared by its clubs: choose Bricktown Comedy Club, Tulsa, and the positions you want (MC, showcase, feature, headliner), with a video (5 minutes recommended), the clubs you’ve worked in the past 12 months and any referrals from comics who work for it.

Worth knowing. Once you’re passed, you go on its avails email, sent at least once a quarter: the only way to submit for dates. It may not answer every submission, and it welcomes new video every six months.

Published routeTulsa, OK · Open mic · Form

Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic

Sign up online between the 1st and the 15th for the next month’s open mics, or arrive between 6:00 and 6:50 PM for one of three walk-in spots.

Worth knowing. An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot.

Published routeHouston, TX · Independent show · Form

Punchlines on the Patio, Houston

Its contact form has a choice for “comedian looking for stage time”.

Worth knowing. It has many requests for a few spots a show.

Published routeCorpus Christi, TX · Independent show · Form

Punchlines on the Patio, Corpus Christi

Its booking form has a choice for “comedian looking for stage time”.

Published routeFlorida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas · Show / roster · Form

Comic Cure

An online form to be considered for its shows in several regions, and a way to update your video link later.

Worth knowing. Dates for particular events on the page may be past ones.

Published routeNationwide · College market · Email

GP College Entertainment

At least 5–8 minutes of clean, college-appropriate material on video, a bio of 200 words at most, two high-resolution photos and your college dates.

Worth knowing. A submission to an agency isn’t a booking or a promise of representation.

Published routeNationwide · Cruise market · Form

Warshaw Entertainment

An original family-friendly show and an adult (18+) show, each 30–55 minutes; comics are typically away three to seven days at a time.

Worth knowing. Read the agency’s and the cruise line’s contracts before signing.

Published routeSoutheastern Virginia and beyond · Show / roster · Form

Wild Hair Entertainment

A form to join its list of comics asked for availability: your experience, a bio and a link to a 5–10 minute performance clip.

Worth knowing. Being on an availability list isn’t an offer of work.

Published routeNationwide · Clean comedy · Form

Clean Comedy Collective

Its comedian form, the first step to booking gigs with the clean-comedy network; producers have a form of their own.

Worth knowing. Joining the network doesn’t promise a date or a fee.

Published routeHouston, TX · Independent show · Form

Comedy Space

Apply to work with it: one to three video clips (YouTube or Vimeo) and your experience.

Published routeOklahoma City, OK · Club spots · Form

Bricktown Comedy Club

The club’s contact page links BARK Entertainment’s comic submission form, shared by its clubs: choose Bricktown Comedy Club, Oklahoma City, and the positions you want (MC, showcase, feature, headliner), with a video (5 minutes recommended), the clubs you’ve worked in the past 12 months and any referrals from comics who work for it.

Worth knowing. Once you’re passed, you go on its avails email, sent at least once a quarter: the only way to submit for dates. It may not answer every submission, and it welcomes new video every six months.

Published routeOklahoma City, OK · Open mic · Form

Bricktown Comedy Club, open mic

Open mics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays: sign up online between the 1st and the 15th for the next month’s, with the lineup emailed on the month’s last Wednesday, or arrive between 6:00 and 6:50 PM for one of three walk-in spots.

Worth knowing. An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot.

Published routeOklahoma City and Tulsa, OK, and its other clubs · Club spots · Form

BARK Entertainment, paid MC

What it looks for in a paid MC, before you apply: a clean 10–15 minute set, no worse than PG-13 even when the headliner works dirty, and a comic who’s easy to work with, polite to staff, sober on stage and keen to learn the MC announcements.

Worth knowing. Its page calls MCing a difficult position that sets the tone of the night, and not for everyone.

Published routeTulsa, OK · Club spots · Email

The Loony Bin

Email a full-length, unedited set: 15 minutes for MC, 30 for feature, 45 for headliner. With it: the full-week clubs you’ve worked in that position, your avails for the next 12 months, a bio and headshot or press pack, any recommendations, your phone and email, and your social media.

Worth knowing. It won’t download a program or sign up to a service to watch a video, and it gets in touch only if your act is a match.

Published routeRaleigh, NC · Festival · Form

Raleigh Comedy Festival, comic submissions

Your best unedited 5-minute tape in front of a live audience, on a link that stays active through February 2027. Its 2027 call closes on 15 November 2026: $25 for a feature comic, free for comics who live in North Carolina. The festival runs 18–20 March 2027, with two sets for each comic picked.

Worth knowing. Broken or private links are disqualified without a refund. The festival doesn’t record the sets; you may film your own.

Published routeChicago, IL · Festival · Form

Windy City Comedy Festival, 2027 submissions

A continuous 5–7 minute set of your original material, with no “best of” or highlight reels, unlisted but not private. Open since 1 November 2026: $20 in November, $25 in December, $30 late. Comics must be 21 or older; the comics it picks hear in April 2027, for the festival on 5–8 August 2027.

Worth knowing. Its page gives both January and 14 February 2027 as the close: send by January to be safe. Fees aren’t refunded, and it’s a showcase with no cash prizes.

Published routeCalgary, AB, Canada · Competition · Form

FunnyFest Comedy Competition

A link to an unedited 5-minute performance, a bio of 100 words or less and your tier (opener, middle or headliner), for comics who aren’t yet headliners. No fee to apply; applications close on 1 February 2027, for rounds in Calgary from 8 April 2027 and one round on Zoom.

Worth knowing. It normally answers only the comics it picks, and the material must be your own.

Published routeTemecula, CA · Festival · Form

LouddMouth Comedy Festival

Its home page says comedian submissions are open for its 2027 spring festival, 1–4 April 2027 in Temecula, through the form it links; the form lists comedian competitions, showcases and networking among the festival’s events.

Worth knowing. The home page gives no closing date or fee: read the form through before you send.

Published routeLondon, England · Distribution · Form

NextUp Comedy, submit a recording

Submissions of existing recordings, from a 10-minute set to a long-form special, filmed on at least two HD cameras with clean sound and an audible audience, for its apps and partner platforms. It can also film or stream a show.

Worth knowing. Its catalog is mostly British comedy. Read the rights, the term and the territory before you agree to anything.

Published routeEugene, OR · Produce a show · Email

Lexy’s Comedy Club, produce your own show

For producers with a proven show concept, an established audience and a track record: a show description, promotional images, a promo reel from the actual show, links to past shows, attendance and ticket sales averages or reports, your website or EPK, and the dates you want.

Worth knowing. It is building a permanent home in Eugene; for now its shows are pop-ups.

Published routeBrooklyn, NY · Open mic · In person

EastVille Comedy Club, open mics

Open mics through the week: comics sign up in person, arriving 30 minutes early, first come, with the lineup set on the day; five minutes a comic, varying with the lineup’s size.

Worth knowing. No email or phone sign-ups, and a one-drink minimum for comics. An open mic is stage time, not a paid spot.

Published routeLakewood, OH (Cleveland) · Bucket spots · In person

Henceforth Comedy, One More Joke

For comics based in Cleveland: at One More Joke, its Tuesday showcase at The Winchester in Lakewood, comics put their names in the bucket for a chance at a one-minute spot. Comics who can’t attend regularly may send a five-minute video instead.

Worth knowing. Bucket spots aren’t guaranteed; its page says the more it sees you perform and work on your act, the more likely it is to consider you for a longer showcase spot.

Published routeBurbank, CA · Audition · In person

Flappers Comedy Club, auditions

Happy Hour Auditions on Wednesday nights, 6:30–7:30 PM in its bar: pre-register by claiming a free ticket on its website, and bring your best two-minute set. Feedback comes afterwards.

Worth knowing. Slots fill fast: it sees the first 25 comics who sign up.

Published routeDenver, CO · Showcase · Sign-up

Comedy Works, New Talent Night

Sign up on its New Talent site for each week you can perform; it picks the comics who have signed up most and gone longest without a set, and first-timers get a two-minute set. Comics visiting Denver use the stand-by list at the upstairs bar, out from 6:30 to 7 PM on show nights.

Worth knowing. Its FAQ says a first set generally takes 8 to 10 weeks of signing up.

Published routeNew York area, and touring · Clean comedy · Email

The Ivy League of Comedy and Liberty Comedy, spots for comics

Paid spots on clean shows at venues public and private: email a link to at least ten minutes of unedited video (or a late-night TV set), a bio or list of credits, at least one high-resolution professional headshot and, if you have one, a reference from a comic it already works with.

Worth knowing. Its Ivy League of Comedy shows book full-time working comics; its Liberty Comedy shows can book comics with less experience, for shorter sets.

Published routeInternational · Cruise market · Form

Lime Entertainment, comics

Comics with 90+ minutes of clean material and the range for very different audiences: send videos of your stand-up through its application.

Worth knowing. Its FAQ says that where a line’s arrangement calls for it, it takes a commission from the salary on board: read its terms before you sign.

Published routeCarnival Cruise Line ships · Cruise line · Through an agent

Carnival Entertainment, comedians

Guest entertainers come to it through an agent. For comics: 90 minutes of different material (a 30-minute family-friendly show and two 30-minute adult shows), credits and bio as a PDF, a headshot, and two videos of show work, one PG and one adult. A gig is five performances, repeats included.

Worth knowing. It asks agents who aren’t yet set up with it to contact its guest entertainer team: without an agent, start with one.

Published routeRoyal Caribbean ships · Cruise line · Profile

Royal Caribbean, Headliner Entertainment

Its Headliner Entertainment careers list a Comedians position: professional comics who can work a comedy club or a theater setup, with at least an hour of varied material, clean and adult. Apply online by creating a profile on its site.

Worth knowing. Its list of positions loads with the page’s script. You must be 18 or older to be hired.

Published routeMinneapolis, MN · Cruise market · Form

G.L. Berg Entertainment, cruise guest headliners

Representation for guest headliners, comedians among them: a full-length, stage-ready show with a record of playing captive audiences, a valid passport, a high-quality promo reel, and full-show footage if you have it (raw footage accepted). Engagements are fly-on, fly-off, generally 2–6 days.

Worth knowing. It says it may not answer quickly, and gets in touch when it sees an opportunity. Representation isn’t a booking.

Published routeNationwide · College market · Email

KP Comedy, representation inquiries

A college comedy agency’s representation inquiry: a bio, a headshot, your experience in the college market, your credits, your website and social links, and a video demo of 4–8 minutes, sent to the address on its page.

Worth knowing. It asks for a college-appropriate video, not a club set with a note that you can be clean, and does most of its reviewing in May and November.

Published routeNationwide · College market · Form

Neon Entertainment, artists seeking representation

A form for entertainers looking for a college agent: the type of act, a bio, a headshot and a link to a quality video of a live performance, with clear picture and sound.

Worth knowing. It reaches out only if it’s interested. A submission to an agency isn’t a booking or a promise of representation.

Published routeAstoria, NY · Produce a show · Form

Q.E.D. Astoria, producing a show

Tell it about your show or event through the form on its page. Its baseline for new shows and producers: a ticket split with no rental or up-front costs, up to 50 tickets, generally, at a price you set; the first $50 to $125 in sales, by night, goes to Q.E.D., producers guarantee that amount, and the rest is split 50/50.

Worth knowing. It asks its producers not to produce or regularly host other shows in Astoria within two months before or after their Q.E.D. show.

Published routeChicago, IL · Produce a show · Form

The Lincoln Lodge, show submissions

Its show submission form, linked from its own site: what the show is and why it’s unique, a one-off or a regular run, the theater size you want and your availability. Its theaters rent at a flat rate, and you keep the ticket sales after that.

Worth knowing. Its form says that for now it has room only for monthly regular runs, not weekly or daily shows.

Published routeDenver, CO · Independent show · Email

Rotating Tap Comedy

Shows at craft breweries across the Denver metro area, with comics from across the country: email your name, a submission tape and the dates you’re looking to be booked.

Seasonal: check firstDurango, CO · Club spots · Form

Durango Comedy

Its 2026 performer form, for openers (5 minutes) to headliners (up to 60) and hosts; national and non-regional headliners are booked by invitation only.

Worth knowing. A 2026 form: check that it’s still taking names before you send.

Seasonal: check firstSt. Paul, MN · College market · Membership

NACA St. Paul, regional showcase

Showcasing at a NACA regional conference takes associate membership first (a regional membership covers one conference a year), then a $180 showcase application, a booth and a full registration. Of the 2026–27 regional conferences, NACA St. Paul (8–10 April 2027) is still taking showcase applications, until 7 January 2027.

Worth knowing. The costs add up, and delegates are expected to stay in the conference hotel block: price the trip first. An act that has never showcased at NACA, with minimal tech needs, can also apply for its People’s Choice Showcase, for St. Paul by 11 February 2027.

Seasonal: check firstHershey, PA · College market · Membership

APCA National Campus Activities Conference

Join APCA first (a self-represented artist membership is $269 a year), then apply to showcase at its national conference, 27 February to 2 March 2027: there’s no application fee, and nothing to pay until a showcase is accepted. A 10-minute non-catered showcase package is $2,399, a booth included.

Worth knowing. If you’re accepted, you also need a delegate pass ($549 early, by 25 January) and a room in the conference hotel block, and payment is due within 10 days of the showcase notice.

Check its own page firstLos Angeles, CA · Produce a show · Pitch

Dynasty Typewriter, show submissions

The venue’s own Show Submissions page holds its form for pitching a show; open it to see what the form asks before you pitch.

Worth knowing. The form is drawn by the page’s script, so what it asks can change without the page saying so: read it the week you pitch.

Check its own page firstTulsa, OK · Club spots · Email

Tulsa Comedy Club

Its FAQ asks comics to email a 5–10 minute clip.

Worth knowing. The same FAQ still says its kitchen reopens in early fall 2022: check that the club still answers before you count on it.

ClosedColumbus, OH · College market · Membership

NACA Live, college showcase

Showcasing at NACA Live (19–22 February 2027) takes national associate membership, a $195 application fee and showcase fees; the showcase applications closed on 2 November.

Worth knowing. Closed for 2027: watch for the next cycle. The fees are significant.

ClosedAlbuquerque, NM · Festival · Form

Albuquerque Funny Fiesta

Its submissions page says, at the top, that submissions are now closed.

Worth knowing. Closed: watch for its next call.

ClosedProvidence, RI · Festival · Form

Lil Rhody Laugh Riot

Its submissions page now asks for a password: the last call for comics has ended.

Worth knowing. Watch for its next call.

ClosedNationwide · Competition · Form

Don’t Tell Comedy, the competition

Entries for its 2026 competition closed on 4 September 2026.

Worth knowing. Closed: watch for the next year’s call.

ClosedTulsa, OK · Festival · Form

Blue Whale Comedy Festival

Its 2026 call closed on 30 April. Its stand-up slots ran from a 5–7 minute host to a 35–45 minute headliner, from a clip of at least 5–10 minutes before an audience, with a fee to apply ($20 early to $50 late).

Worth knowing. Closed: watch for its next call. Performers aren’t paid; its page lists bookings on its shows through the year among the perks.

ClosedWinnipeg, MB, Canada · Festival (TV) · Email

Winnipeg Comedy Festival, televised shows

It casts stand-up sets for five themed TV shows: an 8–10 minute set as an unlisted link, material new to a national audience and unaired on national TV or streaming, and a bio showing at least five years of stand-up. Its 2027 call closed on 31 October 2026; the festival runs 26 April–2 May 2027.

Worth knowing. Closed: watch for its next call. It books US and international acts only occasionally, because of Canadian content requirements.