The 2024 Portland Maine Comedy Festival is set to take place Sept. 5-8 at locations all over Portland.
The festival features 100 of the up-and-coming standup comics, sketch comedy teams, and improv groups from all across the country performing alongside regional, touring, and nationally recognized headliners — Ben Roy, Pete Angelo, Adam Hatch and Dan Martin.
This year’s festival features 45 total shows including standup showcases, sketch and improv comedy shows, nine open-mic-style shows and five feature standup shows with regional and touring headliners. Shows are scheduled at various bars, breweries and theaters across Portland including Free Street Restaurant, Hi-Fidelity Brewing, The Hill Arts, Rising Tide Brewery, Three of Strong, Apres, Definitive Brewing, Coals Bayside and Aura.
This year’s festival also is recognizing comics from historically underrepresented backgrounds by holding a Specialty Showcase each day of the festival — this includes showcases for BIPOC, Female, Queer, and Over 50 Year-old comics.
Festival owner and local celebrity from Welcome to Maine fame Ian Stuart said “The festival is the best thing that happens to our comedy scene — period. It’s 100 of the best comics from all over the country who you haven’t heard of yet, all coming to our city and bringing down the house every single show. Plenty of these people have blown up after performing at the fest, and it’s so great to serve as a breeding ground for the next generation of comics. And audiences love being able to see someone here one year, and on Netflix or Hulu the next,” according to festival organizers.
The Portland Maine Comedy Festival is not only the largest annual comedy event in New England, but one of the premiere comedy festivals in the entire country. This fast growing, large-scale, nationally recognized festival provides an opportunity for the next class of comedians to perform in one of America’s best summertime destinations in their pursuit of becoming the next big comic.
Tickets cost $0-$30 for a single day pass, all-access passes are available.
For tickets or more information visit portlandmainecomedy.com.
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